PhD Studentship under Supervision of Prof. David Spring

This is a 4-year PhD studentship in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology funded by AstraZeneca, based in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and the AstraZeneca Discovery Centre. The project, jointly supervised by Prof David Spring (Cambridge) and Dr Nicholas Darton (AstraZeneca), focuses on "Improving the Stability of ADCs and their Formulations by Mitigating Degradation Pathways." The research involves Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which have revolutionized targeted cancer therapy by delivering cytotoxic drugs to cancer cells with reduced systemic toxicity. However, their long-term stability is often compromised by aggregation and photooxidative degradation. The project will introduce both photostabilising and hydrophilic functionalities into ADCs, offering a novel route to enhance formulation stability and providing general insights for improving the stability of a wide range of ADCs. The work will involve both organic synthesis and chemical biology skills. Full funding is provided covering maintenance fees at £21,500 per annum and the University Composition Fee, with effect from 1 October 2026. The studentship is open to UK citizens or overseas students who meet UK residency requirements for home fees, or those able to augment funds to cover international student fees. Students will have access to extensive training opportunities, close supervision from primary and secondary PhD supervisors, and mentoring support.