Immunology & Microbial Sciences
Research and Impact at the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences
Key information
Award:
PhD
MDRes
Study mode:
Full time
Part time
Campus:
Guy’s Campus
Denmark Hill Campus
Duration:
Full Time (2 - 4 years PhD; 2 – 3 years MDRes) Part Time (4 - 7 years PhD; 4 – 5 years MDRes)
The School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences lead research, education and training at King's in the related areas of Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Diseases – with the collective goal of improving human health and wellbeing.
Our research focuses on understanding the immune system, and how it functions in times of health and disease. Our clinical and discovery scientists collaborate widely to work on an inspiring breadth of subjects employing methodologies that span atomic level dissection of molecular and cell function, through to the development of innovative new therapies and clinical trials. This multi-disciplinary approach enables us to tackle cutting-edge questions in areas of biology and medicine such as asthma, allergy, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, organ rejection, vaccination, and a range of bacterial and viral infections including HIV and Ebola virus.
Our School is deeply committed to educating the next generations of scientists, researchers and clinicians. High-quality teaching and training are delivered through a raft of research-inspired programmes for medical and biomedical science undergraduates, masters and PhD students, clinical trainees and post-doctoral fellows.
Our academic programmes of research-inspired teaching and clinical practice are embedded across our three departments:
- Department of Infectious Diseases
- Department of Inflammation Biology
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunology
Our mission is to deliver world-class research and education focusing on the immune system and how it functions during health and disease.
Our multidisciplinary research has applications in many areas of medicine, particularly in the fields of organ transplantation, oncology, diabetes, rheumatology, virology, immunology, hepatology, vaccines and many more.
From leading large European consortiums into the effect of the microbiome on chronic liver disease to facilitating local Public, Patient Involvement groups and conducting a national survey on the state of rheumatoid arthritis care, we work across disciplines and have many partners in the United Kingdom and globally.
For further information about the research within the School, please refer to the School website.
Find a Supervisor
Search through a list of available supervisors here.
Partner organisations:
Head of group/division
Professor Leonie Taams, Head of the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences
Postgraduate Research Lead
Professor Katie Doores, Professor of Viral Immunology
Postgraduate Research Coordinators
School Operations Officer (Education)
Studentships
Our studentships are regularly advertised on Find A PhD and Funding Opportunities webpages.
1. Application procedure
Studentships will be advertised in findaphd.com, Naturejobs, the College’s Health Schools Studentships website or on www.jobs.ac.uk.
All applicants are required to complete the KCL online application form. Short-listed applicants will be interviewed by at least two academics.
You may also apply if you have government/commercial sponsorship, departmental funding, a clinical fellowship or are self-funded. Prior to making an application with us, you must identify an eligible first Supervisor from our School and have confirmation from them that they will supervise you for the duration of your project. To find out more about the School’s Academics please see here.
The first supervisor role for a research degree student can be undertaken by:
- a. a member of academic staff of the university appointed by the faculty;
- b. adjunct academic staff who are employed by one of the King’s Health Partner Trusts;
- c. a career development fellow, who has full salary support from a personal award with 4 years or more duration, including research funding, with an expectation of leading an independent research programme and equivalent status to Lecturer or above.
For applications not advertised by KCL: If you are a PhD/MDRes applicant with funding (confirmed or agreed in principle), you must complete this interest form at least 9 days before the closing date for your preferred entry point to ensure Admissions can process your application: https://forms.office.com/e/uZBEVBkBaG
Proposed research projects must be approved by the School Postgraduate Research Committee as well as Admissions before an offer can be made.
This is done via a Project Approval Form supported by evidence of funding to cover the project. Approval is not an automatic process and can take anywhere between 2 – 6 weeks, dependent on the speed of response between the Supervisor, Student and other parties involved. This includes those with Clinical Fellowships or fixed start dates. You are strongly advised to send a draft of the PAF as early as possible to allow enough time for the School to meet the final Admissions deadline for recommendations (see section 5).
2. Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents for your application to be considered:
|
Personal Statement |
Yes |
A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages). |
|
Research Proposal |
Yes |
The proposal should explain in some detail precisely the field of study that you want to contribute to and current research gaps, what you want to do and how you propose to do it. For advice on how to write a winning application, please visit the following page. |
|
Previous Academic Study |
Yes |
A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
|
References |
Yes |
Two references are required with at least one academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. |
|
Other |
Optional |
You may also wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application. |
3. Course intake
No set number.
4. Joint PhDs - Application advice
Applicants for the Joint PhD programme must contact the relevant departments at both universities before submitting an application in order to discuss the suitability of their topic for the joint programme and to locate potential supervisors. Applications should initially be submitted to the proposed home institution only, ie where the student will start and finish their programme. Students should note that acceptance onto the programme may take slightly longer than for single-institution PhDs because of the additional steps involved.
Applicants who choose King’s as their home institution should apply through the online system, selecting the appropriate Joint PhD option from the drop-down list. In addition to the standard supporting documentation, applicants should submit a travel plan form indicating how they intend to divide their time between the two partner institutions. Students must spend at least 12 month in each institution, details of which can be found in the ‘Notes’ section of the travel plan form.
It is recommended that students submit applications for the Joint PhD programme by the end of March to begin the following September.
The programme will be jointly awarded, so will result in one qualification awarded equally by both partners. Applications must be approved by both universities, so the process can take slightly longer than for a single PhD.
The Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine offers the following joint PhD degree programmes, which you can select on the Admissions Portal:
Clinical Medicine Research with University of Hong Kong MPhil/PhD
Life Sciences and Medicine Research with National University of Singapore MPhil/PhD
Medicine Research with Hong Kong University MPhil/PhD
Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science Research with Pontifical Catholic University of Chile MPhil/PhD
Pharmaceutical Discovery, Development and Use with University of Sao Paulo MPhil/PhD
Cardiovascular Science with Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen MPhil/PhD
Metabolic Disease with Technische Universitat Dresden MPhil/PhD
5. Application closing date
We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed. We may need to request further information from you during the application process. In addition, if you receive an offer, this programme requires all non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (with some exceptions) to have an ATAS certificate before they can enrol at King’s and this can take some time. We therefore advise applying as soon as possible to avoid any delay in obtaining this certificate.
The final application deadlines are detailed below; on these dates, the programme will close at 23:59 (UK time) and we will open for the corresponding intake in 2026 soon after the same intake has passed in 2025.
- February 2025 entry – 20 October 2024 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2024 for Home fee status
- June 2025 entry – 20 March 2025 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2025 for Home fee status
- October 2025 entry – 25 July 2025 for Overseas fee status and 25 August 2025 for Home fee status
- February 2026 entry – 20 October 2025 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2025 for Home fee status
- June 2026 entry – 20 March 2026 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2026 for Home fee status
Please note that funding deadlines may be earlier than the application deadlines listed above.
Overseas/Home
The Overseas/Home internal deadlines for the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences to receive documentation are below:
February 2025
Interest form completed by prospective PGR student – 11 October 2024 (Overseas); 11 November 2024 (Home)
Last date that new Project Approval Forms will be considered* – 28 October 2024 (Overseas); 25 November 2024 (Home)
June 2025 (subject to change)
Interest form completed by prospective PGR student – 12 December 2024 (Overseas); 1 April 2025 (Home)
Last date that new Project Approval Forms will be considered* – 12 February 2025 (Overseas); 26 April 2025 (Home)
*Projects are approved on a case-by-case basis, therefore an applicant starting at their preferred entry point cannot be guaranteed.
6. Overseas Applicants – ATAS Requirements
You may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate in order to:
- Apply for a Student Visa
- Enrol on your programme of studies
It can take up to 3 months to receive an ATAS certificate and so it is essential that you apply for this early. Please note the following:
- If you need to apply for a student visa, you cannot submit your visa application until your ATAS certificate has been issued.
- If you are applying for any other visa (including a Visitor visa), you cannot enrol at King’s and start your programme unless your ATAS certificate has been issued.
- If you apply late, you may not be able to join on the expected entry point and your registration may be postponed
Please review the following article for further information on the ATAS certificate and how to apply: Do I need ATAS clearance before I start my course at King's?
Students must have full funding to cover tuition fees, living maintenance and any research/training costs associated with their project as part of their application’s approval. Funding is accepted from a single or mixed sources.
UK Tuition Fees 2024/25
Full time tuition fees:
£6,936 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£6,936 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£6,936 per year (MDRes Clinical)
Part time tuition fees:
£3,468 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£3,468 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£3,468 per year (MDRes Clinical)
International Tuition Fees 2024/25
Full time tuition fees:
£30,240 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£58,470 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£58,470 per year (MDRes Clinical)
Part time tuition fees:
£15,120 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£29,235 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£29,235 per year (MDRes Clinical)
UK Tuition Fees 2025/26
Full time tuition fees:
£7,500 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£7,500 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£7,500 per year (MDRes Clinical)
Part time tuition fees:
£3,750 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£3,750 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£3,750 per year (MDRes Clinical)
International Tuition Fees 2025/26
Full time tuition fees:
£32,400 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£62,600 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£62,600 per year (MDRes Clinical)
Part time tuition fees:
£16,200 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£31,300 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£31,300 per year (MDRes Clinical)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions.
Base campuses
Guy’s Campus
The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, and the Institute of Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience are based at the riverside Guy's Campus, next to the Shard.
Denmark Hill Campus
Home to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience.
Students work alongside staff researchers and are supervised by two members of academic staff. Each student has a dedicated Thesis Progression Committee that monitors students' progress and gives advice and support. Each department has a local Postgraduate Research Coordinator, and the school has an academic lead for postgraduate research.
Postgraduate training
KCL offers a large number of training and skills development opportunities. Participation in the annual Postgraduate Research Symposium is compulsory for all students and provides an opportunity to improve science communication and presentation skills; students are also encouraged to volunteer and join the committee to plan & organise the Symposium. Opportunities are regularly available for postgraduate students to present their work within their Department and wider School network, at national and international scientific meetings. Our postgraduate students also have the opportunity to assist with teaching of undergraduates as demonstrators in practical classes or by leading tutorials.
UK requirements
|
Minimum UK requirements |
|
Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours in an appropriate subject. A 2:2 degree may be considered only where applicants also offer a Master's degree with Merit or above. |
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
D
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
1. Application procedure
Studentships will be advertised in findaphd.com, Naturejobs, the College’s Health Schools Studentships website or on www.jobs.ac.uk.
All applicants are required to complete the KCL online application form. Short-listed applicants will be interviewed by at least two academics.
You may also apply if you have government/commercial sponsorship, departmental funding, a clinical fellowship or are self-funded. Prior to making an application with us, you must identify an eligible first Supervisor from our School and have confirmation from them that they will supervise you for the duration of your project. To find out more about the School’s Academics please see here.
The first supervisor role for a research degree student can be undertaken by:
- a. a member of academic staff of the university appointed by the faculty;
- b. adjunct academic staff who are employed by one of the King’s Health Partner Trusts;
- c. a career development fellow, who has full salary support from a personal award with 4 years or more duration, including research funding, with an expectation of leading an independent research programme and equivalent status to Lecturer or above.
For applications not advertised by KCL: If you are a PhD/MDRes applicant with funding (confirmed or agreed in principle), you must complete this interest form at least 9 days before the closing date for your preferred entry point to ensure Admissions can process your application: https://forms.office.com/e/uZBEVBkBaG
Proposed research projects must be approved by the School Postgraduate Research Committee as well as Admissions before an offer can be made.
This is done via a Project Approval Form supported by evidence of funding to cover the project. Approval is not an automatic process and can take anywhere between 2 – 6 weeks, dependent on the speed of response between the Supervisor, Student and other parties involved. This includes those with Clinical Fellowships or fixed start dates. You are strongly advised to send a draft of the PAF as early as possible to allow enough time for the School to meet the final Admissions deadline for recommendations (see section 5).
2. Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents for your application to be considered:
|
Personal Statement |
Yes |
A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages). |
|
Research Proposal |
Yes |
The proposal should explain in some detail precisely the field of study that you want to contribute to and current research gaps, what you want to do and how you propose to do it. For advice on how to write a winning application, please visit the following page. |
|
Previous Academic Study |
Yes |
A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
|
References |
Yes |
Two references are required with at least one academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. |
|
Other |
Optional |
You may also wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application. |
3. Course intake
No set number.
4. Joint PhDs - Application advice
Applicants for the Joint PhD programme must contact the relevant departments at both universities before submitting an application in order to discuss the suitability of their topic for the joint programme and to locate potential supervisors. Applications should initially be submitted to the proposed home institution only, ie where the student will start and finish their programme. Students should note that acceptance onto the programme may take slightly longer than for single-institution PhDs because of the additional steps involved.
Applicants who choose King’s as their home institution should apply through the online system, selecting the appropriate Joint PhD option from the drop-down list. In addition to the standard supporting documentation, applicants should submit a travel plan form indicating how they intend to divide their time between the two partner institutions. Students must spend at least 12 month in each institution, details of which can be found in the ‘Notes’ section of the travel plan form.
It is recommended that students submit applications for the Joint PhD programme by the end of March to begin the following September.
The programme will be jointly awarded, so will result in one qualification awarded equally by both partners. Applications must be approved by both universities, so the process can take slightly longer than for a single PhD.
The Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine offers the following joint PhD degree programmes, which you can select on the Admissions Portal:
Clinical Medicine Research with University of Hong Kong MPhil/PhD
Life Sciences and Medicine Research with National University of Singapore MPhil/PhD
Medicine Research with Hong Kong University MPhil/PhD
Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science Research with Pontifical Catholic University of Chile MPhil/PhD
Pharmaceutical Discovery, Development and Use with University of Sao Paulo MPhil/PhD
Cardiovascular Science with Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen MPhil/PhD
Metabolic Disease with Technische Universitat Dresden MPhil/PhD
5. Application closing date
We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed. We may need to request further information from you during the application process. In addition, if you receive an offer, this programme requires all non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (with some exceptions) to have an ATAS certificate before they can enrol at King’s and this can take some time. We therefore advise applying as soon as possible to avoid any delay in obtaining this certificate.
The final application deadlines are detailed below; on these dates, the programme will close at 23:59 (UK time) and we will open for the corresponding intake in 2026 soon after the same intake has passed in 2025.
- February 2025 entry – 20 October 2024 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2024 for Home fee status
- June 2025 entry – 20 March 2025 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2025 for Home fee status
- October 2025 entry – 25 July 2025 for Overseas fee status and 25 August 2025 for Home fee status
- February 2026 entry – 20 October 2025 for Overseas fee status and 20 November 2025 for Home fee status
- June 2026 entry – 20 March 2026 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2026 for Home fee status
Please note that funding deadlines may be earlier than the application deadlines listed above.
Overseas/Home
The Overseas/Home internal deadlines for the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences to receive documentation are below:
February 2025
Interest form completed by prospective PGR student – 11 October 2024 (Overseas); 11 November 2024 (Home)
Last date that new Project Approval Forms will be considered* – 28 October 2024 (Overseas); 25 November 2024 (Home)
June 2025 (subject to change)
Interest form completed by prospective PGR student – 12 December 2024 (Overseas); 1 April 2025 (Home)
Last date that new Project Approval Forms will be considered* – 12 February 2025 (Overseas); 26 April 2025 (Home)
*Projects are approved on a case-by-case basis, therefore an applicant starting at their preferred entry point cannot be guaranteed.
6. Overseas Applicants – ATAS Requirements
You may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate in order to:
- Apply for a Student Visa
- Enrol on your programme of studies
It can take up to 3 months to receive an ATAS certificate and so it is essential that you apply for this early. Please note the following:
- If you need to apply for a student visa, you cannot submit your visa application until your ATAS certificate has been issued.
- If you are applying for any other visa (including a Visitor visa), you cannot enrol at King’s and start your programme unless your ATAS certificate has been issued.
- If you apply late, you may not be able to join on the expected entry point and your registration may be postponed
Please review the following article for further information on the ATAS certificate and how to apply: Do I need ATAS clearance before I start my course at King's?
Students must have full funding to cover tuition fees, living maintenance and any research/training costs associated with their project as part of their application’s approval. Funding is accepted from a single or mixed sources.
UK Tuition Fees 2024/25
Full time tuition fees:
£6,936 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£6,936 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£6,936 per year (MDRes Clinical)
Part time tuition fees:
£3,468 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£3,468 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£3,468 per year (MDRes Clinical)
International Tuition Fees 2024/25
Full time tuition fees:
£30,240 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£58,470 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£58,470 per year (MDRes Clinical)
Part time tuition fees:
£15,120 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£29,235 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£29,235 per year (MDRes Clinical)
UK Tuition Fees 2025/26
Full time tuition fees:
£7,500 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£7,500 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£7,500 per year (MDRes Clinical)
Part time tuition fees:
£3,750 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£3,750 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£3,750 per year (MDRes Clinical)
International Tuition Fees 2025/26
Full time tuition fees:
£32,400 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£62,600 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£62,600 per year (MDRes Clinical)
Part time tuition fees:
£16,200 per year (MPhil/PhD)
£31,300 per year (MPhil/PhD Clinical)
£31,300 per year (MDRes Clinical)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions.
Base campuses
Guy’s Campus
The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, and the Institute of Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience are based at the riverside Guy's Campus, next to the Shard.
Denmark Hill Campus
Home to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience.
Students work alongside staff researchers and are supervised by two members of academic staff. Each student has a dedicated Thesis Progression Committee that monitors students' progress and gives advice and support. Each department has a local Postgraduate Research Coordinator, and the school has an academic lead for postgraduate research.
Postgraduate training
KCL offers a large number of training and skills development opportunities. Participation in the annual Postgraduate Research Symposium is compulsory for all students and provides an opportunity to improve science communication and presentation skills; students are also encouraged to volunteer and join the committee to plan & organise the Symposium. Opportunities are regularly available for postgraduate students to present their work within their Department and wider School network, at national and international scientific meetings. Our postgraduate students also have the opportunity to assist with teaching of undergraduates as demonstrators in practical classes or by leading tutorials.
UK requirements
|
Minimum UK requirements |
|
Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours in an appropriate subject. A 2:2 degree may be considered only where applicants also offer a Master's degree with Merit or above. |
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
D
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Key information
Award:
PhD
MDRes
Study mode:
Full time
Part time
Campus:
Guy’s Campus
Denmark Hill Campus
Duration:
Full Time (2 - 4 years PhD; 2 – 3 years MDRes) Part Time (4 - 7 years PhD; 4 – 5 years MDRes)
Contact us
For enquiries please contact the email addresses listed below
Studentship Funding Opportunities
View funded studentships currently available
Connect with a King’s Advisor
Want to know more about studying at King's? We're here to help.
Learning in London
King's is right in the heart of the capital.