The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is pleased to invite applications for a 3-year full-time PhD studentship, starting in September 2026.
The award will cover a tax-free stipend at the UKRI annual rate (which is £23, 805 for 2026-27), tuition fees at Home fee rates, plus a research and travel costs allowance.
Only those applicants who meet all the eligibility criteria outlined below can be considered for this studentship.
The student will join a supportive group conducting a range of studies looking at innovative approaches to reduce the burden of morbidity due to Syphilis and other STIs. This studentship is funded by an NIHR project focused on syphilis control in the UK.
The research training environment
Students, academics, and professionals come to LSHTM from all over the world because of its international presence, collaborative ethos, research excellence and prestigious study programmes in public and global health. Find out details of the School’s rankings and awards as well as current research in action.
General information about the MPhil/PhD programme structure at LSHTM can be found on the Research Degrees and Doctoral College pages. Students will be mentored by supervisors at LSHTM, and can be guided by an Advisory Committee consisting of at least two other experienced researchers who may be external to LSHTM. Students are expected to take part in the academic life of their department and can also be members of Academic Centres. All research seminars and journal clubs are open to PhD students from across LSHTM. Students are able to take up to four Master’s level Study Modules per academic year, subject to approval from their supervisor. The PhD programme also facilitates national and international conference attendance by students.
Support for research students’ future career development is covered through the supervision process, through the Transferable Skills Programme (in the School and the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network) and the LSHTM’s Careers Service.
The successful applicant will have unprecedented opportunities to network and establish professional contacts through formal and informal interactions with members of staff at LSHTM and other students.
Doctoral research project
The NIHR UK Syphilis Research Scholarship is available to applicants interested in pursuing a PhD project in qualitative and health economic methods with a focus on advancing the research agenda on sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the United Kingdom.
The research project will be supervised by the following staff:
- Professor Michael Marks (LSHTM)
- Professor Joe Tucker (LSHTM)
- Professor Fern Terris-Prestholt (University of Warwick)
Background
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by Treponema pallidum. The UK is experiencing a syphilis epidemic, in particular amongst men who have sex with men, and individuals from racially minoritised groups.
Cases are at their highest since World War Two with >7,000 cases annually. Syphilis causes significant morbidity, including an increased risk of stillbirth. Current strategies have proved insufficient to control the epidemic.
A number of novel strategies are being considered to control syphilis. Health economic evaluations are critical to guide future implementation of these strategies.
Project objectives
This project will aim to collect primary data to understand the health economic impacts and costs of syphilis, to integrate into mathematical models of syphilis transmission and use this data to conduct an economic evaluation of different syphilis control strategies.
Skills/methods to be developed during the Studentship
- Experience with costing and health economic analysis
- Experience with mathematical modelling
- Collaboration with qualitative researchers, epidemiologists and modellers
Support structure
- Supervisory team meets every month
- Advisory panel meets every 3 months
The successful applicant will be based in the Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at LSHTM, and will work closely with academic staff at both LSHTM and Warwick, as well as collaborators across the UK.
Financial support
The studentship award covers:
- tuition fees (at the LSHTM Home fee rate);
- a tax-free stipend at the UKRI Studentship rate
- Costs for research activities will be covered by an NIHR Research Professorship awarded to Michael Marks
Eligibility criteria
All applicants must meet minimum LSHTM entry requirements, and in addition be able to demonstrate the following:
- A Masters degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field, such as health economics, public health with an economics focus, or an undergraduate economics degree with a health Masters degree.
- Relevant basic statistical skills and experience with software such as STATA or R
- Evidence of good organisational skills, including effective time management.
- Proven ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively, as part of a research team.
- Demonstrated ability to apply critical thinking to analyse complex problems and propose well‑reasoned solutions.
- Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
- Ability to work with community partners and community members affected by syphilis to support the generation and dissemination of research.
This PhD Studentship award is only available to candidates who meet the eligibility requirements for the Home fee rate. Please see the LSHTM fee assessment policy in particular the ’criteria‘ section, for further details. Further information about fee status assessment can be found on the UKCISA website.
Please note that due to the high volume of enquiries we receive, we will not be able to respond to emails from applicants who do not meet these eligibility criteria.
How to apply
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the primary supervisor (Michael Marks) for an informal discussion before applying.
To apply, submit a completed research degree application online using the LSHTM application portal by the scholarship deadline of 23:59 (BST) on 11 May 2026.
Applicants must ensure all information and standard required documents outlined on the LSHTM ‘before you apply’ page is included/uploaded with the application, including:
- academic transcripts (official transcripts for all completed study; interim transcripts for any ongoing programmes of study);
- a two-page Curriculum Vitae;
- a research proposal of no more than 2 A4 Pages (the research proposal should identify a specific research question or hypothesis, expanding on the topics listed in this advert, summarise the relevant background information (with no more than five key references) and should outline an appropriate research methodology by which the question can be addressed); and
- References.
In addition, applicants for this scholarship must upload the following documents:
- A personal statement outlining why you are interested in, and suited to, undertaking a PhD in this area at LSHTM; and
Applicants must indicate that they wish to apply for this funding by writing ‘NIHR UK Syphilis Research Scholarship’ in the ‘Funding’ section of the admissions portal.
Incomplete applications will not be considered for this studentship. This includes any applications missing supporting/supplementary documents (eg transcripts or references) at the deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete and therefore applications should be submitted as early as possible to give referees time to submit their references prior to the deadline.
By submitting an application for this funding applicants agree to its Terms & Conditions.
Applicants short-listed for funding will be invited for interview. Interviews will likely be held remotely (via Teams or Zoom).