Calla Lily Clinical Care is delighted to partner with the University of Warwick for this fully funded (incl student stipend) four-year iCASE studentship from September 2025, available as part of Warwick’s MRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).

Vaginal microbiota play a key role in women’s reproductive health. Disruption of the normal vaginal microbiome is associated with inflammation and conditions such as vaginal infections and complications in pregnancy. However, the mechanisms by which vaginal microbiota protect against inflammation are not understood and current therapeutic interventions are largely ineffective.

The aim of this MSc + PhD project is to understand the mechanisms underlying the activation of the pro-inflammatory signalling pathways in the vagina and to help develop our Callavid® technology that allows the delivery of live-biotherapeutics to restore a healthy vaginal microbiome and decrease local inflammation. To achieve this the student will integrate microbiology, bioengineering and 3D epithelial cell culture systems.

The DTP programme involves a one-year MSc in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, followed by a three-year PhD project co-supervised by Dr Alexiane Decout (Warwick Medical School), our Professor Andrew Lewis (Calla Lily Clinical Care) and Professor Siobhan Quenby (Biomedical Research Unit in Reproductive Health, University of Warwick), and involving a 9-month placement at Calla Lily Clinical Care’s R&D Labs.

The successful candidate will join a dynamic DTP community, which includes advanced workshops, transferable skills training, careers support and cohort learning events and conferences with ~50 other students.

For queries, please contact mrcdtp@warwick.ac.uk

Please click here to submit an application (deadline 30 November 2024)