Medical Informatics PhD Level: Postgraduate research Subject: Medicine Year of entry: 2026 Study options Part-time PhD | 6 years | Start date: multiple dates Full-time PhD | 3 years | Start date: multiple dates Key facts Programme website Usher Institute 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 The Medical Informatics PhD programme enables you to engage in cutting-edge research on applications of computational methods to medicine and health care. Examples include: telehealth, mobile health, and telemedicinecomputational medicine and simulationapplications of artificial intelligencemachine learning and natural language processingthe analysis of structured and unstructured health care datasurgical informaticsdigital biomarkers and advanced methods of digital phenotypingevaluation of health care technology in real-world settingsAI dependability in health caredata ethics and digital governanceThere are a variety of methods from engineering, informatics, mathematics and social sciences.The PhD in Medical Informatics is highly interdisciplinary, and its projects have explored applications areas such as:ehealth in global health contextsearly detection and assessment of neurodegenerative diseasesrobotic surgeryserious mental illnessesbiomedicine and biologycardiovascular diseaserespiratory diseasesdiabetesmultimorbidityThese projects are often in cooperation with other schools, including the Schools of Informatics and Engineering. Applying How to apply Before applyingBefore submitting an online application, you should contact an academic member of staff who may act as first supervisors in order to align your research proposal with one of the Institute's main areas of research.Potential supervisors to contactUsher Institute researchList of supervisorsApplying guidanceYou can find further information on making a research degree application can be found on the college website.How to apply for a research degree SupervisorsResearch group leaders within the Centre For Medical Informatics offer projects as first PhD supervisors. In addition, group leaders from the other two centres in the Usher Institute (the Centre for Population Health Sciences and the Centre for Global Health Research) act as either co-supervisors, or, depending on the specific topic and primary methodology of the PhD, as first supervisors.Second (or third) supervisors from University research centres outside Usher and other associated institutes (for example, the Institute of Genetics and Cancer and Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research) may also be available. 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. ReferencesYou must submit two references with your application. Apply Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for. Select programme - Select a programme -PhD Medical Informatics (6 years)PhD Medical Informatics (3 years) Academic Technology Approval Scheme If you need to apply for a student visa, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate in order to study this programme. Academic Technology Approval Scheme Funding, fees and costs Funding Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:borrowing moneytaking out a loanfamily supportpersonal savingsincome from workemployer sponsorshipscholarshipsExplore sources of funding for postgraduate study Usher Institute postgraduate funding and scholarships There are various potential sources of funding to support postgraduate research degree study. View details: Usher Institute postgraduate funding and scholarships UK government loans If you live in the UK, you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan for study from one of the UK’s governments.You should check that your chosen programme is eligible for the funding you want to apply for. View details: UK government loans Search for other funding opportunities You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.Postgraduate funding opportunities Tuition fees Tuition fees by award and duration Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year. Part-time PhD Medical Informatics (6 years) tuition fees Full-time PhD Medical Informatics (3 years) tuition fees Graduate discount If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.Find out how to receive your graduate discount 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 and a UK masters degree, or their international equivalents. We will also consider a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, and significant work experience in an area relevant to your research project. 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 Advances in data capture platforms in both medicine and life sciences supported by modern computing and informatics have greatly energised the overlapping fields of Medical Informatics and Data Intensive Biomedicine.The Centre For Medical Informatics at the Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics was inaugurated at Edinburgh on 1 April 2015 (Harvard Medical School also established a department of Biomedical Informatics in 2015).Scotland is in a leading position to exploit health data and is uniquely placed in having high-quality linkable datasets optimised for research purposes. These data are also key to the development of commercially exploitable know-how and intellectual property.The combination of informatics and biomedicine is fundamental for advances towards 4P medicine (personalised, predictive, preventive and participatory).Current research opportunities in this area include:developing new perspectives on medicine and fundamental biology through application of quantitative approaches and data-intensive analyses to biomedical and other health related datareal-time generation, analysis and interpretation of health data to foster the creation of learning health systems, which aim to enhance the quality, safety and efficiency of carethe development of new challenges for informatics systems (software, hardware and socio-technical) in healthcare and medicinedeveloping and evaluating new technologies to promote health and wellbeingto study and inform policy deliberations on strategies and approaches to digitising health systems and servicessafe and secure management and storage of digitised data in ways that enables secondary uses of these datasocial, ethical and legal issues of data intensive research and digitised health care Our research community The Usher Institute has a thriving PhD community with well-developed management and administrative structures. Support You will be integrated within the existing student-led approach at the Usher Institute, where structures are already in place to ensure a high-quality student experience.University Quality Assurance monitoring and reporting processes will be adhered to. All supervisors will satisfy University requirements in terms of training and mentoring.We will clearly communicate expectations of students through multiple channels (for example, at interview, during induction, in the Postgraduate Research Student and Supervisor Handbook, by supervisors, at annual review meetings and on relevant web pages). You will have at least two supervisors who will also give pastoral care and career advice in addition to student services provision.You will attend appropriate training, including transferable skills, at appropriate courses (for example, from the Institute of Academic Development) identified in consultation with the supervisors. Facilities The Centre for Medical Informatics is well-placed to be a lead in Medical Informatics and Data Intensive Research and is located in the Usher Building at the Edinburgh Bioquarter. 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 Sarah Golightly Postgraduate Administrator School of Population Health Sciences Contact details Work: +44 (0)131 651 7869 Email: sarah.golightly@ed.ac.uk
