About the Project
Healthcare is generating more data than ever. This data is being used to develop tools that help clinicians make diagnosis and treatment decisions. Yet most tools never become part of routine healthcare. This PhD will investigate how data-driven tools can be introduced into general practice to improve patient care. Based across the Universities of Bristol and Exeter, the student will develop expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research, including literature reviews, interviews with…
patients and clinicians, and analysis of healthcare datasets. Together, these approaches offer a unique opportunity to explore how healthcare innovations move from research into everyday clinical practice
Brief Background
Healthcare is generating more data than ever. The shift from paper to electronic health records has accelerated the development of clinical prediction tools. These computer-based tools use patient information to help clinicians make decisions about diagnosis and treatment. For example, they can identify people at high risk of disease, refine diagnoses, and support more personalised treatment decisions. This is a rapidly evolving field, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence. However, most clinical prediction tools never become part of routine practice. Important questions remain about how they should be implemented, evaluated and monitored to improve patient care.
A full overview of this PhD project can be viewed here.
Project Code: PHS27Br Lee
Research Theme: Population Health Sciences
Project Type: Dry lab
Applications open on Wednesday 9th September and close at 5.00pm on Wednesday 21st October 2026. Please note that we may close the application process before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received– check our website for details.
Studentships will be 4 years full time. Part-time study may also be available.
Funding
These studentships are funded through GW4 BioMed3 MRC Doctoral Landscape Programme and consist of UK tuition fees, as well as a Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£21, 805 p.a. for 2026/27, updated each year).
Additional research training and support funding of up to £5,000 per annum is also available.
Eligibility
Residency: GW4 BioMed3 studentships are available to UK and International applicants. Following Brexit, the UKRI now classifies EU students as international unless they have rights under the EU Settlement Scheme. The GW4 partners have agreed to cover the difference in costs between home and international tuition fees. This means that international candidates will not be expected to cover this cost and will be fully funded but will be required to personally cover the cost of their student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD. All studentships will be competitively awarded and there is a limit to the number of international students that we can accept into our programme (up to 30% cap across our partners per annum).
Academic criteria: Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences, computing, mathematics or the physical sciences. Applicants with a lower second-class degree will only be considered if they also have a master’s degree (at the University of Bath this must be at least a Merit). Please check the entry requirements of the home institution for each project of interest before completing an application. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.
English requirements: If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements of the university that will host your PhD by the start of the programme. Please refer to the relevant university website for further information.
How to Apply
A list of all the projects and how to apply is available on the GW4 BioMed website at gw4biomed.ac.uk. You may select up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only.
Please complete an application to the GW4 BioMed3 for an ‘offer of funding’. If successful, you will also need to make an application for an 'offer to study' to your chosen institution later.
Please complete the online application form linked from our website by 5.00pm on Wednesday, 21st October 2026. Please note that we may close the application process before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received– check the GW4 BioMed website for details and updates. If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be notified from Tuesday, 22nd December 2026. Interviews will be held virtually on 26th and 27th January 2027. Studentships will start on 1st October 2027.
Further Information
For informal enquiries, please contact GW4BioMed@cardiff.ac.uk
For project related queries, please contact charlotte.lee@bristol.ac.uk
Where will I study?
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol, founded in 1876, is a research-intensive institution with a strong reputation across many disciplines. We are members of the prestigious Russell Group and a top ten UK university (QS World University Rankings 2026). Bristol is one of the country's top five universities for research (THE analysis of REF 2021), making it an attractive choice for PhD students. We welcome students and staff from over 140 countries, with 33% of our students being international.
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