Transformative Technologies in Pharmaceutical Science

The BBSRC GSK TTPS ("tee-tips") Doctoral Programme is a collaboration between world-leading researchers and supervisors at GSK and from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Southampton, developing novel methods in pharmaceutical sciences.

The programme provides four years of doctoral training leading to a DPhil at Oxford or a PhD at Cambridge (from 2026) or Southampton (from 2027). During the first six months you will be based at the Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) at the University of Oxford and receive training in the fundamentals of pharmaceutical science. Short intensive training modules will equip you to take advantage of cutting edge in silico approaches, including machine learning/AI and new data-generating technologies.  Further information on the course structure can be found here: Course Structure | Transformative Technologies for Pharmaceutical Science.

 

Applications are now open to commence study in October 2026 

Apply via the Oxford course page here: Transformative Technologies in Pharmaceutical Science (BBSRC CDT) | University of Oxford  

Deadline 15 May 2026. 

 

Entry route

For those applying for entry in 2026, there is one entry route regardless of the academic institution where you will be carrying out your research. Applications to Oxford and Cambridge will be administered via the University of Oxford's admissions portal.  Applicants selected for a place at Cambridge will then be asked to apply through the Cambridge course portal to secure an offer.

Example project areas

The example projects below provide an idea of the kinds of research topics available at Cambridge, and students will also be invited to explore the wide range of Cambridge academics pursuing computational and/or pharmaceutical science-related projects. TTPS welcomes applicants from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds including mathematics, statistics, computer science, physics, engineering, and the life sciences.

Please note that, as a BBSRC-funded programme, TTPS cannot support research focused on specific human diseases and human disease processes or abnormal conditions. More details on the BBSRC remit areas can be found on Remit, programmes and priorities – BBSRC – UKRI.

 

  • Project name: Novel drivers of disease emergence in antimicrobial resistance priority pathogens 

    Supervisor: Kate Baker 

    GSK supervisor: Makrina Totsika 

  • Project name: Mechanistic modelling of innate immune signalling

    Supervisors: Brian Ferguson and David Thomas

    GSK supervisor: Candice Clarke

  • Project name: A foundational causal model of gene regulation in human immune cells

    Supervisor: Sarah Teichmann and Ioannis Sarropoulos

    GSK supervisor: Jo Betts
     

Transformative Technologies in Pharmaceutical Sciences programme