Program Overview

Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience

Overview

The School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience has an international reputation for research excellence in cardiovascular biology, neuroscience, and cell signalling. The school is highly committed to training the next generation of scientists from both the UK and overseas, taking great pride in the standard of our postgraduate provision.

New students enter an exciting and diverse research environment in which we support and challenge our postgraduates to excel. All postgraduates receive extensive research and transferable skills training.

The school is well supported by programme and project grants, particularly from the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK and British Heart Foundation (BHF), enabling the school to provide a vibrant environment for research. We offer both three- or four-year PhD programmes and one-year Masters by Research (MScR) projects.

Key Information

• Programme duration:
  • MScR: up to two years full-time; up to four years part-time.
  • PhD: up to four years full-time; up to eight years part-time.
• Start date:
  • From September or January in each year, unless otherwise stated in a funding opportunity. If you wish to apply for an alternative start date, please contact the admissions team directly.
• Application deadline:
  • Please check our funding webpages for details of funding application deadlines. Applications from self-funded students are welcomed and have no fixed deadline. However, if you wish to join in September 2025, please apply by 30 June 2025 if you are an overseas student and 31 July 2025 if you are a home student.
• Delivery method:
  • On-Campus
• Location:
  • Clifton
• Awards available:
  • PhD, MSc by research

Programme Structure

Our research activity in the school is guided by focusing on key themes:

• Cardiovascular and Cell Signaling
• Neuroscience

All researchers across the school identify with one or more of the themes. The school usually has 70 research postgraduates at any one time, working in a wide variety of subject areas and adopting a range of different research approaches.

World-leading Research

• The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK (Times Higher Education).
• 94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Entry Requirements

• A first or upper second-class honours degree (or international equivalent) in a biomedical science discipline is required for entry to the PhD programme. We may consider MSc by research and MSc applications from candidates with a lower second-class degree (or international equivalent).
• See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
• Admissions Statement: Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.

English Language Requirements

• If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level C.
• Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.

Fees and Funding

• Home: full-time - £4,850 per year
• Home: part-time - £2,425 per year
• Overseas: full-time - £26,700 per year

Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.

Alumni Discount

• University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.

Funding and Scholarships

• Funding to support postgraduate studentships is available from the BBSRC, BHF, and MRC (eligibility criteria apply and allocation is competitive). A limited number of University Scholarships are also available. International students are often self-funded or supported by funds from their own governments. MScR students are usually self-funded. Self-funded projects usually also require a bench fee.

Career Prospects

• The majority of our postgraduate students become highly productive researchers through the course of their studies, publishing in leading peer-reviewed biomedical journals. Most go on to post-doctoral research in academia and industry, both in the UK and abroad. Others use the significant transferable skills gained during their study to enter postgraduate-level employment including in publishing, project management, science communication and policy.

Research Groups

• The School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience encompasses internationally-recognised research groups with interests extending from the whole animal, human disease models, cell signalling and neuropharmacology to cardiovascular/respiratory function, tissue repair and regeneration, synaptic plasticity and the study of sensory and sensorimotor systems in the intact brain. The diversity of this research is reflected in the wide range of postgraduate projects available.
• A number of research groups use the world-class Wolfson Bioimaging Facility, which contains state-of-the-art light and electron microscopes. The school has strong links with the pharmaceutical industry and has forged collaborative research programmes with a number of companies. The school collaborates with clinical colleagues, aiming to translate our discoveries to the clinic to treat a wide array of diseases: from neurological and neuropathic disorders to cancer and cardiovascular disease.