Four-year PhD programme in Developmental Biology

Course Overview

Phase 1: Course Introduction and Orientation (1-2 weeks)

The main aims will be:

• to familiarise you with the various buildings
• to introduce contributing supervisors and their research topics

In addition, you will participate in the University safety courses.

Phase 2: Core Course (32 weeks; October to June)

The aims will be:

• to enable you to participate in a cross-section of research through three laboratory rotations
• to provide a framework for learning fundamental aspects of Developmental Biology through a series of 13 teaching modules
• to develop your critical evaluation of science via the teaching modules and via the seminar programme
• to give training in a variety of technical approaches, such as imaging
• to develop skills in leadership, data presentation, etc.

Lab rotations

Each of you will rotate in the labs of three different contributing supervisors. You are expected to select your rotations so that you gain experience of at least two different organisms and at least two different working environments (i.e. different buildings and Departments). Each rotation will last for 9+2 weeks, at the end of which you will have to hand in a report. These will be read by two assessors whose comments will be discussed with you. The designation 9+2 is to emphasise the need to consolidate, analyse data and write up during the +2 period, to ensure that you don't overrun.

The proposed start dates for the rotations in 2011-2012 are:

Rotation 1: middle of October – middle of December; report due in January
Rotation 2: middle of January – middle of March; report due Friday in April
Rotation 3: middle of April – middle of June; report due in July

Please note: each lab will only be able to support one student/rotation. We will ask you each for a ranked choice of three labs in advance of rotation and will where possible allocate your first choice.

Core Development Course

There will be six main objectives to this part of the training:

1. to develop the your knowledge-base in developmental, molecular and cellular biology
2. to develop critical, analytic and interpretative skills
3. to develop your ability to synthesise material from different sources into a coherent argument
4. to develop presentational skills
5. to learn how to maximise the effectiveness of interactive and group working
6. to develop skills at accessing resources and databases

Each module will focus on a particular topic and will consist of two workshops of between 2-3 hours.

Experimental approaches and techniques courses

A series of other workshops are scheduled throughout the year to introduce you to different techniques and experimental approaches, as well as to transferable skills.

Phase 3: Choosing your PhD lab, first year consolidation and assessment (six weeks; mid-June to mid-August)

Your decision about the lab and the project you wish to pursue for your PhD should be made by the end of the third rotation (mid-June). You will need to discuss possibilities in detail with a prospective supervisor before coming to any decision. Once the decision is finalised you will then need to write a research proposal for your PhD which will be used as a basis for a proposal to the Wellcome Trust for funding for the three years of your research, as well as being assessed for your MPhil.

Please note: each lab may only take on one Wellcome 4-year student per year for the subsequent PhD work, and labs that have taken on a Wellcome PhD student in the current year from either this or the Stem Cell Programme cannot take a student in the coming year.