PhD Studentship under Supervision of Prof. Sir Shankar Balasubramanian

The University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry invites applications from creative and motivated individuals to join Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian's group for a 4-year PhD studentship. The position involves working on multidisciplinary projects exploiting both chemistry and biology to explore fundamental mechanisms of genome function. The research focuses on developing and using cutting edge technologies in chemical biology, molecular biophysics, structural biology and particularly genomics. The main area of interest is on the structure and function of DNA and RNA secondary structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s), which are important for the control of transcription, translation and other key biological mechanisms. The studentship commences in October 2026 and provides a maintenance grant and tuition fees at the UK rate. Outstanding overseas students may be supported in their application for a suitable scholarship. The student will be highly motivated, capable of independent thought and have excellent communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively, with a strong background in biochemistry/chemistry and/or molecular biology.