About the Project

This is a fully funded PhD that forms a collaboration between UCL and pharmaceutical industry partner GSK. We are seeking a talented student to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence solutions for oral drug product development. The project aims to enhance R&D efficiency by creating data-driven methods to predict the success of bioenhancement strategies for poorly soluble small molecule drugs. You will develop and integrate advanced machine learning models into an intelligent, language model-driven bioenhancement agent to support scientific decision-making in pharmaceutical formulation.

You will:

• Develop and train machine learning models for predicting optimal drug formulation and bioequivalence study outcomes.
• Integrate these models with a large language model to create an interactive AI agent for pharmaceutical R&D.
• Contribute to high-throughput data generation and modelling to refine the agent's capabilities.

You bring:

• A strong academic background in AI, machine learning, data science, or a related quantitative field. Pharmaceutical knowledge is a bonus but not required.
• Interest in applying advanced computational methods to drug discovery and development.

Why this PhD:

• Work at the forefront of AI and pharmaceutical R&D, addressing real-world challenges with direct industry impact.
• Work with leading experts across academia (UCL) and the pharmaceutical industry (GSK).
• Opportunity for an industry placement at GSK.

The supervisor for this studentship is Dr David Shorthouse.

Main methods and techniques

The key method will be Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Large Language Models.

Person specification

Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in Computer/Data Science or related field (minimum 2.1). Experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) is preferred. Other relevant skills will be taught during the project. Applicants will also need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English Language requirements.

The student stipend will be paid at UCL normal rates (stipend rate for 2025/26 is £20,780).

How to apply

Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk.

The deadline for applications is 17th July 2026, and interviews will take place shortly thereafter.