Research Degrees

The Master of Science by Dissertation (MSD) involves a minimum of one year of full-time research or two years part time followed by production of a dissertation. Students enrolled on an MSD programme can upgrade to an MPhil or PhD subject to satisfactory progress.

An MPhil involves a minimum of two years of full-time research or four years part-time followed by the production of a thesis. If you are progressing satisfactorily you can choose to change to a PhD in your second year.

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree consists of a three year (full-time) or six year (part-time) programme followed by the production of a doctoral thesis. You will defend your thesis during an oral exam known as a viva. Following the first submission of the thesis for examination, the viva will take place within 2 months. Depending on the examination outcome, correction period time can vary between 2 to 6 months.

All PhD students are initially registered as MPhil/PhD students and are transferred to a PhD degree in the first half of the second year, subject to satisfactory progress.

A research degree can be a significant commitment, particularly if you are thinking of a PhD. For many this can be a significant barrier to undertaking further study.

All of our research degrees can be undertaken on a part-time basis, in which the standard time for study is doubled. An MSD is two years, an MPhil is four years, and a PhD is six years.

While this may seem like a greater commitment than a full-time course, it means that you have greater scope to fit your research around other life commitments, such as caring responsibilities or employment.

• "Serial crystallography of industrially important metalloenzymes using synchrotron and XFEL diffraction", Dr Mike Hough, Dr Richard Strange, Dr Jonathan Worrall
• "Dissecting the role of cell polarity regulation in breast cancer", Dr Metodi Metodiev
• "Novel copper proteins in ammonia oxidising archaea and their role in production of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide", Dr Mike Hough, Dr Jonathan Worrall and Dr Corinne Whitby
• "Back to the future - Ancestral reconstruction of enzymes for biofuel production", Dr Jonathan Worrall
• "Copper storage in infectious diseases", Dr Jonathan Worrall
• "Recombinant expression of human ACE-2:  the cellular receptor of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for COVID-19", Dr Phil Reeves and Dr Mike Hough
• "Understanding the molecular defects arising from mutations in human rhodopsin responsible for Retinitis Pigmentosa", Dr Phil Reeves
• "Structure and Function of Human Androglobin, a recently discovered unique multi-domain hemoglobin associated with ciliogenesis", Dr Brandon Reeder
• "Understanding the interaction of ACE-2, cytokines and SARS-2 virus", Prof Nelson Fernandez
• "Comparative study of trophoblast phenotypes and invasion in pregnancy: a model for cancer?", Prof Nelson Fernandez
• "Biochemical and Structural Characterisation of Bacterial Electron Transfer Proteins", Dr Marcus Edwards
• "Generation of a novel cell therapy vector to treat pancreatic cancer", Dr Andrea Mohr
• "Cytokine mediated tumour progression", Dr Andrea Mohr
• "The role of DNA-damage response factors in apoptosis induction in cancer cells", Dr Ralf Zwacka, Dr Andrea Mohr
• "Targeting Mycobacterim tuberculosis heme peroxidases for drug discovery", Dr Jonathan Worrall
• "Creating new metallo-biocatalysts for societal benefit through ancestral sequence reconstruction", Dr Jonathan Worrall
• "Seeing protons: Mechanistic studies of heme peroxidases using neutron crystallography", Dr Jonathan Worrall
• "Using serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography to investigate enzyme mechanism", Dr Jonathan Worrall

• "Modelling epigenetic regulation in cell differentiation and cancer", Dr Vladimir Teif
• "Nucleosome repositioning in cancer", Dr Vladimir Teif
• "Analysis how cellular metabolism coordinates gene expression using single cell transcriptomics",  Dr Patrick Varga Weisz
• "How does the microbiome communicate with the host genome in the gut?", Dr Patrick Varga Weisz
• "Animal models of Eph/ephrin signalling in human pancreatic cancer for drug screening", Dr Joaquín de Navascués
• "Modelling radiotherapy chronic injury in Drosophila", Dr Joaquín de Navascués
• "Transcriptional control of Intestinal Stem Cell regulation", Dr Joaquín de Navascués
• "Epigenetic modifiers and microbiome regulation in the intestine of Drosophila", Dr Joaquín de Navascués and Dr Patrick Varga Weisz
• "Transcriptional networks in ageing and neurodegeneration", Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis
• "The impact of cytoarchitecture in cellular physiology and ageing", Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis
• "Liquid biopsy: developing new diagnostic medical assays based on cell-free DNA", Dr Vladimir Teif
• "Comparative sequence analysis of the pig sex chromosomes", Dr Ben Skinner
• "Investigating long-term transgenerational memory of environmental stress in fission yeast", Dr Charalampos (Babis) Rallis
• "Use of morphometrics in diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST)", Dr Ben Skinner
• "Analysis of cell-free DNA to advance liquid biopsies for cancer diagnostics", Dr Vladimir Teif

• "Improving photosynthesis by manipulating stomatal conductance", Prof Tracy Lawson
• "The role of the endoplasmic reticulum as a communication bridge between chloroplasts and the nucleus", Prof Phil Mullineaux and Dr Philippe Laissue.
• "High-resolution imaging of biofilms and hot-spots in riverbed sediments", Dr Philippe Laissue, Dr Corinne Whitby, and Dr Boyd McKew
• "Understanding the role of glycative stress in plant stress signalling!", Dr Uli Bechtold
• "How does primary metabolism coordinate gene expression under abiotic stress?", Dr Uli Bechtold
• "Decoupling physiological and biochemical limitations of photosynthesis using synthetic biology", Dr Amanda Cavanagh, Prof Tracy Lawson
• "Does increased photosynthesis alter the plant microbiome?", Dr Amanda Cavanagh, Prof Tracy Lawson
• "Mining variation in photosynthetic enzymes for crop enhancement", Dr Amanda Cavanagh

• "The effect of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles on plant and soil microbial processes", Dr Corinne Whitby and Prof Ian Colbeck
• "Effect of oxidative stress on the biochemistry of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP)-lyase enzymes in tropical reef organisms", Dr Michael Steinke, Dr Mike Hough, Dr Jonathan Worrall
• "Understanding how microbes survive inside salt", Prof Terry McGenity
• "Biogenic gases from extremely saline environments – how can they inform us about life elsewhere in the Solar System", Dr Michael Steinke, Prof Terry McGenity
• "Impacts of thermal adaptation and warming on predator-prey interactions", Dr Eoin O'Gorman
• "Effect of microplastics on microbial communities and their processes in the environment", Dr Corinne Whitby and Dr Philippe Laissue
• "Impacts of conventional and biodegradable plastics on community structure and biogeochemical cycling", Dr Eoin O'Gorman, Dr Boyd McKew, Dr Corinne Whitby, Prof Terry McGenity.
• "Larval settlement and adhesion of the biofouling hydrozoan, Clytia hemisphaerica", Dr Nick Aldred
• "Trophic control of ecosystems: top predator effects on microbial-driven carbon and nitrogen cycles in northern boreal forest lakes", Dr Tom Cameron, Dr Natalie Hicks, Dr Corinne Whitby.
• "Investigating if natural drinking water biofilms (DWB) have the potential to degrade unwanted organic micro-pollutants (e.g. plasticizers, phenols, pesticides etc) from our drinking water", Dr Corinne Whitby, in collaboration with Dr Torben Lund Skovhus, and Dr Ditte Andreasen Søborg (VIA University College and Aarhus Water, Denmark).
• "Demographics and behaviour in wild birds – research masters in field ornithology with a range of options to work on hirundines, corn buntings, nightingale or waterfowl", Dr Tom Cameron, Dr Kim Wallis (Essex & Suffolk Water) & Dr Chas Holt (BTO)
• "Shifting ecological and trophic status in managed freshwater reservoirs in SE England", Dr Tom Cameron, and Dr Kim Wallis (Essex & Suffolk Water)
• "Do functional traits of restored shellfish habitats lead to ecosystem services", Dr Tom Cameron and Dr Corinne Whitby, in collaboration with Zoological Society London
• "Modelling the global peaks of microbial biodiversity", Prof Alex Dumbrell and Dr Dave Clark
• "Mining microbial metagenomes to understand environmental change", Prof Alex Dumbrell and Dr Rob Ferguson
• "Revealing the  environmental drivers of antimicrobial resistance hidden in metagenome data", Dr Rob Ferguson and Prof Alex Dumbrell
• "Geodiversity-biodiversity relationships in microbial communities", Dr Dave Clark and Prof Alex Dumbrell
• "Modeling the New Zealand strontium isoscape to track fish migrations and responses to environmental change", Dr Anna Sturrock
• "Anthropogenic influences on salmon phenotype and genotype in California", Dr Anna Sturrock
• "Recombinant production of a barnacle lysyl oxidase for development of bio-inspired adhesives", Dr Nick Aldred and Dr Phil Reeves
• "Bioremediation of coastal oil pollution", Prof Terry McGenity, Dr Boyd McKew
• "Metabolic drivers of life history choices in salmonid fish", Dr Eoin O'Gorman, Dr Tom Cameron, Dr Anna Sturrock
• "Long-term impacts of oil rigs on benthic food web structure in the North Sea", Dr Eoin O'Gorman, Dr Natalie Hicks, Dr Gareth Thomas
• "Carbon decompositon across natural and man-made habitats", Prof Alex Dumbrell
• "Does body-size regulate microbial community assembly?", Prof Alex Dumbrell
• "Are results of microbial biodiversity studies determined by choice of data analytics?", Prof Alex Dumbrell
• "Ecology of the world’s most southerly seeps (sedimented hydrothermal vents)", Dr Michelle Taylor, Dr Lucy Woodall (Univ. Oxford/Nekton)
• "Functional traits and ecosystem services of native, restored and non-native shellfish habitats", Dr Tom Cameron, Dr Corinne Whitby, Prof Alex Dumbrell, Alison Debney (Zoological Society London) and Alex Baker (Natural England) (Field and lab based – driving licence required)
• "Demographics and behaviour in wild birds – research masters in field ornithology with a range of options to work on hirundines, corn buntings, nightingale or waterfowl", Dr Tom Cameron, Dr Kim Wallis (Essex & Suffolk Water) & Dr Chas Holt (Abberton Reservoir Ringing Group / British Trust Ornithology) – Field project and/or desk based data project
• "Shifting ecological and trophic status in managed freshwater reservoirs in SE England", Dr Tom Cameron, and Dr Kim Wallis (Essex & Suffolk Water) (Field and lab based – driving licence required)
• "Effects of the recently discovered non-native invasive invertebrate predator Hemimysis anomala on the ecology of SE England drinking water reservoirs", Dr Tom Cameron, Dr Kim Wallis (Essex & Suffolk Water) (Field and lab based – driving licence required)
• "Trophic control of ecosystems: top predator effects on microbial-driven carbon and nitrogen cycles in northern boreal forest lakes", Dr Tom Cameron, Dr Natalie Hicks, Dr Corinne Whitby (Some Fieldwork opportunities)
• "Icefish nest ecology in the deep waters of the Weddell Sea", Dr Michelle Taylor, Dr Lucy Woodall (Univ. Oxford/Nekton)
• "Structure and evolution of desmocytes and the dynamics of tissue attachment in stony corals", Dr Philippe Laissue, Dr Ben Skinner
• "Quantifying the dynamics of biomedically relevant Candida albicans biofilms using high-resolution bio-imaging and image analysis", Dr Philippe Laissue
• "Anthropogenic influences on salmon phenotype and genotype in California", Dr Anna Sturrock and Mariah Meek (Michigan State University)
• "Release of harmful gases from seaweed beachings (green and golden tides)", Dr Michael Steinke
• "Effect of microplastics on zooplankton", Dr Michael Steinke

As one of the largest schools at our University, we offer a lively, friendly and supportive environment. A dedicated study room allows all our postgraduate students to have access to a desk and a computer outside of the research laboratories.

This provides a focal point for our postgraduates, facilitating reading and writing as well as good communication and a sense of community. As a postgraduate research student, you’re expected to attend and contribute to School and research group seminars.

A Graduate Forum, organised by our graduate students, is held each September where students present their research to the School. All of our students are encouraged, and funded, to attend national and international conferences. During the later stages of your PhD, you are expected to present your work at such conferences.

Our School is committed to promoting a positive and inclusive environment for our community of students and staff and holds an Athena Swan Bronze Departmental Award in recognition of this.

In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), two-thirds of our research was rated as being of 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' quality.

We receive funding for research from the UK government, medical charities and the European Union (EU).

Our strong focus on research means you are taught by some of the best academics in your chosen subject. They are passionate about what they do and are driven to help you succeed.

A comprehensive training programme is offered to all our postgraduate research students.

The University offers Proficio, an innovative professional development scheme for postgraduate research students, unique to the University of Essex. Proficio provides funding to spend on a variety of courses, from research skills to personal development and career management, with a portion set aside for conference attendance costs.

This is supplemented with tailored training, delivered by the School of Life Sciences. All new PhD research students have the opportunity to teach on our undergraduate courses as paid Graduate Laboratory Assistants to gain teaching and supervisory skills.