A new doctoral training centre will train cohorts of graduates from different scientific backgrounds together in a single interdisciplinary programme that combines physical sciences, computer sciences and biomedicine. The centre addresses a specific gap: most PhD scientists are trained within a single discipline, but the UK’s healthcare challenges—rebuilding the ageing and diseased body, understanding cardiovascular disease, and improving trauma and emergency medicine—require researchers who can move fluidly between physics, computing, and medicine. Industrial partners report that they need flexible, innovative workers who can shift between projects and disciplines as company priorities evolve, but such people are currently scarce. If successful, the centre will produce a generation of researchers who can communicate and collaborate across the cultural and language barriers that typically separate physical scientists from biomedical scientists and clinicians. This could accelerate the translation of fundamental physical science discoveries into new medical diagnostics, treatments, and devices. The programme also includes public engagement activities, so the benefits may extend beyond the lab into broader public understanding of how physical sciences underpin healthcare.
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We will train cohorts of graduates from different scientific backgrounds together in a unique interdisciplinary programme that combines physical sciences, computer sciences and biomedicine and breaks down the boundaries between these disciplines. They will apply this interdisciplinary training to develop underpinning new physical science research to address three key UK healthcare challenges: - Rebuilding the ageing and diseased body - Understanding cardiovascular disease - Improving trauma and emergency medicine The research programme will be underpinned by a multi-disciplinary taught programme and enhanced by transferable and project management skills training, as well as Knowledge Transfer and Public Engagement of Science activities. The CDT builds on our four years experience of CDT training of physical scientists at the biomedical interface and harnesses the existing and dynamic research community of excellent physical scientists, distinguished for their ability to and commitment to research at the life science interface, together with a team of leading biomedical scientists and clinicians, with whom there are already established collaborations. This new CDT represents an evolution in our activities and new biomedical foci, while retaining the expertise, ethos and track record of promoting a change in culture at the Physical Science / Biomedicine interface, and of nurturing the next generation of researchers to develop the skills and experience required to explore new physical sciences for biology and healthcare, without the perceived cultural and language barriers. The CDT addresses an identified need from our industrial partners for PhD scientists trained at the interface with biology and medicine, and able to communicate and research across these disciplines, such that they are flexible and innovative workers who can move between projects and indeed disciplines as company priorities evolve and change. This need is reflected in the involvement in and commitment to our bid from our industrial partners. They will co-fund students, offer placements and site-visits, deliver lectures as part of the training and monitor and advise on the training programme. The programme will also benefit from public sector involvement including the Diamond Light Source, local hospitals and Thinktank Science Museum.
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