Training and Career Opportunities

Welcome to the MRC CDBGThe MRC Centre for Developmental and Biomedical Genetics is internationally recognised as a leading centre for biomedical teaching and research. In conjunction with the MRC, we offer training and study opportunities to talented basic and clinical scientists who want to pursue a career in the developmental and biomedical sciences sector.

There are more than 60 post-doctoral researchers and technical staff currently employed at the Centre. In addition there are dozens of PhD, Master's and undergraduate students undergoing training in our facility at any given time.

A range of research projects are available, suitable for both clinical and non-clinical resrchers, based in our internationally-recognised research laboratories investigating the genetic basis of a wide range of human disorders, including atherosclerosis, cancer, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.

MRC Fellowship Opportunities for Postdocs and Clinician Scientists

The MRC funds a range of fellowship award schemes for both clinical and non-clinical researchers. Funding opportunities are advertised on the MRC site. For further information see:

Joint PhD Training Programme

We aim to train postgraduate students, from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds, to become independent investigators, with worls-leading expertise in the biomedical arena. We run a joint PhD training programme to promote to promote a convergence between the basic and clinical sciences mindsets and approaches, enabling students to be effectively "bilingual".

The programme is designed to train a generation of biologists who will be able to move seamlessly from the laboratory to the clinical context, an ability that will be essential in the new world of transitional research, and a generation of Academic Clinicians who have genuine appreciation of the scientific basis of disease processes and an enthusiasm for pursuing research in laboratory medicine.

We have a number of fully-funded PhD studentships advertised from October 2011 on a range of research topics and provide 3 years of support.

Degree Courses

BSc in Biomedical Science

Biomedical sciences are concerned with the understanding of our bodies and our ability to control them during health and disease. It is the basic science which underpins medicine. Breakthroughs in biomedical sciences now regularly feature in the news, from radical new treatments for cancer patients to controversial advances in reproductive technologies. Over the last twenty years, research into the human genome and molecular processes have revolutionised our understanding of biological systems. The course covers subject areas such as cancer, cell biology, developmental genetics, functional genomics, neuroscience, physiology and stem cells. Further information on this course, see:

BMedSci Training Programme

Our programme in Translational Biomedicine aims to enthuse a new generation of undergraduate medical students with a genuine appreciation of the scientific basis of disease processes and a drive to perform research in laboratory medicine. Clinical trainees are provided a unique training in the sophisticated understanding of the biology of disease processes, and in the methodologies of basic biological science research. Medical Science Degree students in their second year of study may also apply to study for an Intercalated degree of BMedSci at the Centre. For further information on undergraduate courses see:

Masters degree

Students graduated from the BMS postgraduate masters courses in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Molecular and Cellular Basis of Human Disease or Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology are encouraged to pursue research in the Centre. In addition, the Centre often hosts students from abroad for research-based projects as part of degree requirements from their home university.

Practical Courses

EMBO Practical Course in Modelling Human Disease

Embo Practical CoursesThe centre has organised a series of EMBO Practical Courses, each of which has focused on the use of non-mammalian model organisms for the analysis of developmental and disease mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels. The course follows an intensive two-week experimental programme that includes work with Drosphila, zebrafish, C.elegans and the chick embryo, and it has been attended by predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers from all around the world.