University of Warwick awarded prestigious MRC funding to train future leaders in biomedical research

The University of Warwick has secured a highly competitive Medical Research Council (MRC) Doctoral Landscape Award to deliver a pioneering doctoral training programme combining biomedical science, artificial intelligence, computation and innovation. This award continues 14 years of Warwick’s successful MRC-funded PhD programmes. Each annual cohort will include 11 doctoral researchers, supported through a combination of MRC and University of Warwick funding, with opportunities to undertake industry collaborations and translational medicine projects and gain international research experience.

The new 3i Biomedical Research Programme, led across Warwick Medical School and School of Life Sciences, has been designed to address demand for scientists who can combine expertise in biomedicine with computational, quantitative and artificial intelligence approaches that are transforming modern biomedical research. Prof Gavin Perkins, Dean of Warwick Medical School, says “This programme will develop outstanding researchers with the skills, creativity and partnerships needed to improve human health and deliver meaningful societal impact.”

The innovative training approach brings together students from different scientific backgrounds, including biomedical science, mathematics, computer science and engineering, to deepen our understanding of the molecular basis of human disease and develop new methods to combat infection. This cross-disciplinary training will reach across the University of Warwick. Dr Marie Holt, the programme co-director, says “What we are particularly proud of is the community of students and supervisors we have built. It is that supportive environment that enables the students to thrive and undertake interdisciplinary biomedical research of the highest quality”.

Enabling innovation is core to the programme ethos. Students will receive training in innovation throughout the programme and have opportunities to engage with industrial partners. Rt Hon Greg Clark, Executive Chair of Warwick Innovation District and chair of the programme’s External Advisory Board, says “Life Science and AI and computation are two of the eight key sectors of UK Industrial Strategy and where they meet is one of the most exciting areas of research and practice. This new programme, with its emphasis on innovation, will develop and train the researchers who will make an impact on human health and our economy.”

Alongside scientific research and innovation, the new programme will train scientists in building effective partnerships with the NHS. We are expanding on our successful partnership with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, to include South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. This offers exciting opportunities for students to engage with cutting edge research that can improve patient outcomes.

At Warwick, we are looking forward to building on our strong track record in interdisciplinary doctoral training, ensuring that Warwick continues to deliver world-leading training for future biomedical scientists.