Research in the School of Life Sciences encompasses a wide range of disciplines from pure to applied science, integrating areas from structural biology, molecular genetics, applied microbiology and biotechnology at one extreme to human performance, Chinese medicine, Public Health Nutrition and Wellbeing at the other.

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, the research outputs of a number of staff were judged to be at the levels of World Leading (4*) and Internationally Excellent (3*). Research Assessment Exercise

Research is undertaken in the University of Westminster's Cavendish site's laboratories using state-of-the-art instrumentation. Research is undertaken also in the University Polyclinic.Experienced and research-active staff in the School work in close collaboration with bio-industry, the NHS, research institutions within the UK, Europe and the US.

Research within the School is grouped into “Research Groups” and students may register for MPhil and PhD research degrees in full-time or part-time modes. The School has an excellent track record of student success, with the majority of students completing in four years.

If you are interested in applying, do take the time to read the profile of a recently graduated PhD student. Read our profile of a PhD student.

For information on the specific projects available, contact the e-mail address given for each project. You may contact Professor Taj Keshavarz, Research Director, School of Life Sciences (T.Keshavarz@westminster.ac.uk) for further information.

New Projects for 2011

Constructing men, performativity and distress: the role of the helping professions
Contact Dr Damian Ridge (d.ridge@westminster.ac.uk)

The critical fibroblast – keratinocyte interactions in scarring and fibrosis
Contact Professor Mark Eastwood (eastwood@westminster.ac.uk)

Do bacteria and cancer cells have similar glycosylation patterns and could this be harnessed for cancer diagnosis and therapy?
Contact Dr Pamela Greenwell (greenwp@wmin.ac.uk)

Parasite DNA ligase inhibition
Contact Dr Mark Odell (m.odell@westminster.ac.uk)

Pro-survival signalling in B chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) cells, mediated by the microenvironment through CD180 receptor
Contact Dr Nino Porakishvili (n.porakishvili@westminster.ac.uk)

Understanding and mapping narratives and practices in male food consumption: towards new health promotion interventions
Contact Dr Alizon Draper (a.draper@westminster.ac.uk)

Drug discovery of novel melanocortin based therapeutics for treatment of steroid-insensitive asthma.
Contact Dr Stephen Getting (s.j.getting@westminster.ac.uk)

Molecular characterization of antibodies associated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Is there a link between epitope specificity and clinical outcome?
Contact Dr Ian Harmer (i.harmer@westminster.ac.uk)

An investigation into the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Chinese medical products in preventing fatty liver disease
Contact Dr Vinood Patel (v.b.patel@westminster.ac.uk)

Previous Proposals

1. Cancer cell motility and invasion: the interplay between protease and glycosidase enzymes.

Contact Dr Miriam Dwek (dwekm@westminster.ac.uk)

2. Can inhibitors of glycosidases and glycosylation be used as potential drugs for the treatment of Trichomonas vaginalis infections? 

Contact Dr Pamela Greenwell (greenwp@westminster.ac.uk)

3. Synthetic Biology Accessing Antibodies.

Contact Dr Angray Kang (kanga@westminster.ac.uk)

4. Building artificial cartilage – Mechanotransduction and Ingetrin signalling

Contact Dr Mark Kerrigan (M.J.Kerrigan@westminster.ac.uk)

5. Do Microbes talk to our cells?

Contact Professor Taj Keshavarz (T.Keshavarz@westminster.ac.uk)

6. Chondrocyte function and arthritis – the effects of mechanical stress on chondrocyte activity and survival.

Contact Dr Ian Locke (i.c.locke@westminster.ac.uk)

7. Pro-survival and pro-apoptotic cross-signalling mediated by B cell receptor (BCR) and RP105/CD180 toll-like receptor in normal B cells and B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) cells

Contact Dr Nino Porakishvili (N.Porakishvili@westminster.ac.uk)

8. Adrenal Rhythmicity regulates Ageing by favouring a shift towards Cortisol synthesis at the expense of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).

Contact Dr Derek Renshaw (renshad@westminster.ac.uk)

9. Elucidating the Emergent Interface Between Systems Biology and Traditional East Asian Medicines: A Multi-Sited Ethnography.

Contact Dr Volker Scheid (scheidv@westminster.ac.uk)

To apply for one of the above projects, please click here How to apply for a PhD.