项目介绍

2021年7月29日

About the course

This programme aims to train students in cutting-edge laboratory research applying techniques in bionanotechnology, biophysics, computational biology, microscopy, molecular biology, structural biology and systems biology to a broad range of fields including cell biology, chromosome biology, drug discovery, epigenetics, host-pathogen interactions, membrane proteins, ion channels and transporters, and RNA biology.

You will be admitted directly to a particular research area led by departmental members who will be appointed DPhil supervisors. If you are admitted to a particular research supervisor you will not normally do laboratory rotations. You will be based in a research lab and undertake research on a subject agreed with your supervisor.

There are no taught courses examined by written papers, however you will have access to a wide range of lecture courses at taught master’s level and foundation or preliminary level, as appropriate. If you have changed fields, this will allow you to fill in gaps in your background knowledge. There is also a wide range of courses and workshops which you can attend to acquire skills that will be necessary for the pursuance and presentation of your research, as well as your professional development as a research scientist.

The length of the programme ranges from three to four years with the exact duration depending on the following factors as judged by your supervisor(s) and assessors:

• focus and rate of your research development and progress
• achievement of acceptable focus and scope of thesis
• publication quality research
• length of available funding

A small proportion of DPhil students (about 5%) submit their theses within 3 years from starting, however on average most students submit within 3 to 4 years. By the end of the fourth year, 70-90% of students have submitted their theses.

Research at the Department of Biochemistry is divided into five main themes:

• cell biology, development and genetics
• chromosomal and RNA biology
• infection and disease processes
• microbiology and systems biology
• structural biology and molecular biophysics.

Supervision

For this course, the allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Department of Biochemistry and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Biochemistry. Information about supervisors connected with this course can also be found at the Department of Biochemistry website.

You will typically meet with your supervisor on a weekly or fortnightly basis. In addition, your supervisor may appoint a senior member of the laboratory as your day-to-day supervisor. Most laboratories also have weekly meetings where members present and discuss their results with other members of the laboratory.

Assessment

You will begin your course as a probationary research student (PRS) and near the end of the first year you will apply to transfer to DPhil (PhD) status. To do this you write a research report and statement of future research plans. This will be assessed by two independent experts, who interview you as part of the process. Continuation in the programme is subject to passing the Transfer of Status exam.

After eight terms of study you will need to apply formally to confirm your DPhil status. This involves writing a short progress report and thesis outline and giving a presentation. The application is assessed by two experts. Continuation in the programme is subject to successfully completing the Confirmation of Status.

The final stage of the research programme is submission of your DPhil thesis, which needs to be done within four years. Your thesis is assessed by two independent experts (one of which will be external to the University of Oxford), who conduct a viva examination with you.

There are no taught courses examined by written papers.

Graduate destinations

Approximately 90% of the department’s alumni who completed in the years 2008 to 2015 have pursued a career within academic or industrial research. Other graduates hold positions within a variety of different sectors including Patent Law, scientific publishing and teaching.

The Department of Biochemistry has an active alumni network, with regular events held in Oxford and London, where past and current members of the department have the opportunity to meet and share ideas.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

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