"PhD Studentship in Medicinal Chemistry - Hydrophobic Warheads to Expand Covalent Drug Discovery"

Newcastle University

Qualification Type: PhD

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Funding for: UK Students, EU Students, International Students

Funding amount: £20,780 tax-free annual living allowance (2025/26 UKRI rate) plus 100% fees covered. Additional project costs will also be provided.

Hours: Full Time

Placed On: 7th January 2026

Closes: 31st January 2026

Reference: DLA2630

Overview

The project aims to explore the potential of new warheads for the development of targeted covalent inhibitors for drug discovery. Targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs) have vast potential to open new therapeutic avenues for undruggable targets but is currently limited by a lack of novel warheads and screening libraries. This project will involve the the design and synthesis of new covalent fragment screening libraries incorporating novel hydrophobic warheads using a Fraglite design approach This covalent fragment set will be designed for screening by both protein NMR and X-ray crystallography: the key fragment screening techniques. It will be screened against potential protein targets via both protein NMR and X-ray crystallography to identify drug discovery start points for high-value cancer targets. An iterative cycle of design-make-test will be used to optimise hit fragments identified through screening.

The project will provide multidisciplinary training in experimental techniques across chemistry and biology, providing a highly desirable skill-set enabling research at the chemistry-biology interface.

Number Of Awards 1

Start Date 1st October 2026

Award Duration 4 Years

Application Closing Date 31st January 2026

Sponsor EPSRC, Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals

Supervisors Dr Hannah Stewart, Professor Mike Waring

Eligibility Criteria

We are adopting a contextual admissions process. This means we will consider other key competencies and experience alongside your academic qualifications. An example can be found here.

A minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project is our standard entry, however we place value on prior experience, enthusiasm for research, and the ability to think and work independently. Excellent Analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements. A Masters qualification may not be required if you have a minimum 2:1 degree or can evidence alternative experience in a work or research-based project. If you have alternative qualifications or experience, please contact us to discuss flexibilities and request an exemption.

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills. International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.

How To Apply

Please read and complete this documentas your Personal statement, and upload this with your application. Applications which do not include this document will not be considered. Further details can be found here.

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:

• search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8100F
• select ‘PhD Chemistry (full time)’ as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:

• a ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) – Use this template.
• the studentship code DLA2630 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field.
• when prompted for how you are providing your research proposal - select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.

You must submit one application per studentship; you cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application.

Contact Details

hannah.stewart@newcastle.ac.uk

You can also contact: doctoral.awards@ncl.ac.uk for independent advice on your application