Precision Medicine PhD with Integrated Study Level: Postgraduate research Subject: Medicine Year of entry: 2026 Study options Key facts Programme website Precision Medicine PhD by Distance Not available School location Little France Apply now 19 to 21 November 2025: Postgraduate Virtual Open Days Join us live to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply. Register now Overview About the degree programme This is a Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) in Precision Medicine jointly run between the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow with a completed award of a PhD with integrated study.Precision medicine is a transformational approach to disease treatment and prevention, focusing on identifying which strategy will be effective for which patients based on genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Put most simply, it means giving the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. This approach integrates evidence from advanced data on a myriad of clinical samples along with the individual genomics, e-record, imaging, and other data-rich -omic parameters to enable discovery and tailored therapies.We aim to train a generation of scientists who can excel in state-of-the-art interrogation of genetic and other 'omic' information and in developing and utilising analytical methodologies to provide evidence to improve health and well-being. You will learn to develop quantitative research creativity for use in your future careers in fast moving disciplines, as biomedical science embraces new data-rich opportunities.Our collaborative programme provides state-of-the-art training in:informaticsdata analyticsgeneticsgenomicsepidemiologyclinical populationsclinical tissue and ‘liquid biopsy’ interrogationmolecular pathologyHypotheses generated, including novel disease mechanisms and drivers, are tested in the most appropriate disease models. Study options This structured programme of study integrates research with assessed taught postgraduate training in a range of skills and subject-focused modules, up to a maximum of 180 credits.There are two variants depending on your prior learning experience:a 3.5-year PhD for students who already have a masters degree in a relevant subject. You will undertake research (540 credit project) and additional taught courses equivalent to 90 credits.a 4-year PhD for students entering the programme with a BSc (Hons). If you are entering with a masters degree, you also have the option to select the 4-year PhD. You will undertake research (540 credit project) and additional taught courses equivalent to 180 credits. Why choose this programme Uniquely, our DTP offers:PhD with integrated study - training in Precision Medicine towards becoming a 'T-shaped researcher' (that is, broad in outlook while studying in depth)cutting-edge learning in both medicine and computationdiverse and extension data assets for research emerging from the infrastructure and facilities within the world-leading training environments provided by the partners I have the fortune of being in contact with eminent professors and researchers, learning from them and developing cutting-edge tools. Hence, [the PhD] is an excellent way of expanding my knowledge and establishing new connections. Jose Bernal PhD Precision Medicine Applying How to apply To start your application, go to the Apply section and choose the option with the award, duration, delivery mode and start date you want to study.Things to note:In addition to your EUCLID application, you must complete the Precision Medicine recruitment form and upload it to the Research Proposal section of your application.Precision Medicine recruitment form on the programme websiteYou are required to apply for a specific project.Details of available projects on the programme websiteYou can apply for a maximum of 3 projects, which need to be listed on the Precision Medicine recruitment form uploaded with your application. Also list the Principal Supervisor for each project you are applying for on your EUCLID application.If you have any queries about the application process, contact precision.medicine@ed.ac.uk. When to apply The application deadline for September 2026 entry is Monday 12 January 2026. Application fee There is no fee to apply to this programme. What you need to apply As part of your online application, you will need to provide: a personal statementrelevant knowledge/training skillsand, if applicable:your research topicdetails of any published workYou will also need to provide some or all of the following supporting information and documents:a research proposalname of supervisor (if known)research project (if applying to an advertised project)copies of your degree certificates and academic transcripts that confirm your current or final marksreferencesevidence you meet the English language requirementscertified translations if your original documents are not in EnglishWhen you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide. Other documentsUpload a CV with your application.We require applicants to complete a recruitment form and include it with their application.Precision Medicine recruitment form on the programme websiteAs you are applying to a specific project, you are not required to submit a research proposal as part of your application. Interview We invite shortlisted candidates for an interview. Interviews will take place online and will last for around 35 minutes. As part of the interview, you will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation on why you want to undertake the chosen project and what skills you have that are relevant to the project, its progression, and our programme. After you apply Following the application deadline, we shortlist applicants for interview. Those shortlisted candidates will be contacted with interview details.We make final decisions on all applications by 30 April 2026 at the latest.All applicants should receive confirmation on the outcome of their application in the following week. Funding, fees and costs Funding Successful applicants who meet all necessary eligibility requirements will receive a fully funded studentship including:payment of annual tuition feesstipend for each of the 4 years of the PhD (based on UKRI minimum doctoral rate)Research Training Support Grant of 5K per yearannual Travel Grant of £300Funding information for Precision Medicine Tuition fees This is a fully funded programme. Costs Accommodation and living costs You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.Living costs include:foodutility billstravel, clothes, books and stationeryrecreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)Living costsAccommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.University postgraduate accommodation options and costs Entry requirements These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026. Qualifications A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent. International qualifications To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list. Where you studied - Select a country or region -AfghanistanAlbaniaAngolaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCôte d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of CongoDenmarkDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFinlandFranceGabonThe GambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGuatemalaGuineaHaitiHondurasHong Kong-SAR ChinaHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKorea, Republic ofKuwaitLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLithuaniaLuxembourgMacau-SAR ChinaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMauritiusMexicoMoldovaMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNetherlands, TheNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPacific IslandsPakistanPalestinian TerritoriesPanamaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTajikistanTaiwanTanzaniaThailandTogoTrinidad and TobagoTurkeyTurkmenistanUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVenezuelaVietnamWest Indies and CaribbeanZambiaZimbabweMy country or region is not listed English language requirements You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:an English language testa degree that was taught and assessed in Englishcertain professional qualifications English language tests we accept We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher: IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements. TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements. C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component. Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components. Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component. Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component. How old your English language tests can be Tests no more than two years oldThe following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:IELTS AcademicTOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)Trinity ISEOxford ELLTOxford Test of English AdvancedTests no more than three and a half years oldAll other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality. Degrees taught and assessed in English We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.UKVI list of majority English speaking countriesWe also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).Approved universities in non-MESCHow old your degree can beIf you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country. Find out more about our English language requirements Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.English language requirements Programme details Research profile The University of Edinburgh is internationally leading in basic-to-clinical translational research. We have an outstanding record of interdisciplinary research and continue to play a world-leading role in research to advance human and animal health and food security.Our One Medicine, One Health strategy is founded on the seamless integration of research, from molecular mechanisms at the bench to clinical application at the bedside, and from biological processes to population-level insights. This vision is uniquely enabled by the UK’s only unified College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, which brings together multidisciplinary research centres within state-of-the-art institutes co-located with hospitals across three major translational campuses. These centres are further connected to research excellence across other colleges, fostering collaboration and innovation. We are deeply committed to attracting and retaining outstanding early career researchers and cultivating a culture of translational science that drives meaningful impact on both health outcomes and economic prosperity.Our goal is to develop a cohort of outstanding young scientists who can deliver the innovation of precision medicine. We ground our research in an outstanding resource of data, much of it unique to the partnership and being curated in innovative ways. Projects harness phenotypic data assets derived from Scotland’s outstanding electronic health record assets, providing the ability to track 5 million people across primary, secondary, tertiary and social care since 1980. The ability to link these deep phenotypes with consented cohort data gives an outstanding environment to train the next generation of PhD students to pursue bold, ambitious and enterprising research programmes in precision medicine.The DTP has a focus on research that is high impact and transformational. For instance:in molecular pathology: giving us radically new ways to understand the mechanism of diseasein phenotype/genotype studies: analytical methods to optimise the transformation of genetic, genomic, and biological data into diagnostics, predictive models and therapeutics Programme structure There are two variants of this PhD with Integrated Study programme. The variant you complete will be based on your prior learning experience. The two variants are: a 3.5-year PhD for students who already have a masters degree in a relevant subject. This model integrates research (540 credit project) with additional taught courses equivalent to 90 credits.a 4-year PhD for students entering the programme with a BSc (Hons). This option is also available to those entering with a masters degree. This model integrates research (540 credit project) with assessed taught postgraduate training (180 credits). Taught courses All students are required to take the following compulsory courses:Precision Medicine Introduction (20 credits)In this course, you will be introduced to Precision Medicine by receiving a wide range of lecture-based teaching and discussion fora covering: open research; research integrity and ethics; systematic reviews, health data science, implementation and worked examples of Precision Medicine in healthcare settings, and other themes from the programme.Precision Medicine Project Proposal (20 credits)In this course, you will produce a detailed description and critique of literature relevant to the proposed research and a plan of the work they will carry out for their PhD project.Public Engagement and Communication of Precision Medicine (10 credits)In this course, you will be introduced to Public Engagement by receiving a wide range of lecture-based teaching, training and discussion fora covering: communication, design and practice of interactive public engagement.You will select remaining credits in conjunction with your supervisor based on individual training requirements. Facilities Our DTP embeds researcher training within a unique environment that already supports a significant number of complementary activities. A specific opportunity for the DTP is for Scotland-wide and UK-wide collaborative programmes.The University's Schools of Informatics and Medicine benefit increasingly from Edinburgh’s core membership of the Alan Turing Institute, which aims to drive ever-higher research quality and translation to practice.The University of Edinburgh also hosts institutes, that harness health data for patient and public benefit by setting the international standard for the safe and secure use of electronic patient records and other population-based datasets for research purposes.The Institute's Edinburgh hub is co-located with the ESRC Administrative Data Research Centre, alongside NHS governance and a number of UK-leading informatics and bioinformatics-related enterprises at Edinburgh's BioQuarter site. The BioQuarter, immediately adjacent to Edinburgh’s major teaching hospital and major medical research institutes (including four current MRC Centres), brings together thousands of researchers and analysts from many disciplines, utilising world-class academic and clinical research facilities to enable collaboration and accelerate the development of new drugs, diagnostic tools and medical devices. Careers Careers Service Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. With the Careers Service, you can: access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengthstry different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you developget help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobsattend careers events and practice interviewsget information and advice to help you make informed decisions Visit the Careers Service website Life at Edinburgh Accommodation We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programmeaccept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 Julystudy at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in SeptemberUniversity accommodation websiteAccommodation guarantee criteriaWe also offer accommodation options for couples and families.Accommodation for couples and familiesIf you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place Societies and clubs Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.SocietiesSport Clubs The city of Edinburgh Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. Find out more about living in Edinburgh Exercise, leisure and support facilities Outside of your studies, we offer a range of facilities that you might find useful day-to-day, including:sport and exercise facilitiesUniversity cafes and cateringEdinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) venues and shopsa multi-faith chaplaincy for all faiths and nonea University nursery (based at King’s Buildings campus) Health and wellbeing support You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.The support services we offer include: a student counselling service a health centre (doctor's surgery) support if you're living in University accommodation dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustmentsHealth and wellbeing support services Disability and Learning Support Contact Academic contact Susan Farrington Programme Director Edinburgh Medical School: Molecular, Genetic & Population Health Sciences College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine University of Edinburgh Contact details Email: Susan.Farrington@ed.ac.uk
