Drug Targets, Cells and Developmental Bioscience
Uniting cell, developmental and molecular biology with pharmacology to reveal core biological processes and drive new approaches to treating health challenges.
Department of Life Sciences research
Our research spans a diverse range of areas, from drug discovery science and healthcare, to evolutionary biology and biodiversity.
Research divisions
These research themes bridge across the Department, enabling new opportunities for wider collaboration.
Evolution, Biodiversity and Conservation
Uniting expertise in evolution, biodiversity and conservation to explore fundamental and applied questions about life’s origins, diversity and future.
Infection, Immunity and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
We advance infection, immunity and AMR research, exploring microbes to drive breakthroughs in public health, sustainability and the One Health agenda.
Life Science Education
We develop and share innovative, evidence-based teaching, support professional growth, strengthen our academic community, and promote educational research.
Medicines Discovery & Development
We advance global health with innovative medicines, integrating molecular design, structural biology, and novel delivery systems for safer, effective therapies.
Systems Medicine and Population Health
We advance drug delivery, precision health and medicine safety using innovative methods integrating bioinformatics and clinical data to improve equity and care.
Our research centres
Our research centres build a lively research community across intra- and interdisciplinary fields.
We transform innovation, arisen from basic research, to diagnostics and prognostics, medicines design and delivery, leading to personalised medicine.
Milner Centre for Evolution
We are a unique, cross-faculty research centre bridging biology, health and education.
Cancer Research at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
Our mission is to improve cancer patient outcomes by fostering links between ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s scientists and clinicians.
Centre for Mathematical Biology
From cell behaviour to ecosystem dynamics, we use mathematical modelling to help better understand living systems, making predictions and informing experiments.
Neuroscience network
An interdisciplinary group from psychology, biology and biochemistry, pharmacy and pharmacology, physics and computer science and local hospital research teams.
Research impact Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing & Pharmacy
99% of our submitted research activity was ranked as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2021).
Treatment for drug addiction: how do patients cope in lockdown?
Despite big changes to their medication regimens, people being treated for drug addiction appear to be coping well in the pandemic.
New tool identifies which cancer patients are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy
A new prognostic tool developed by an international team led by CTI-ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø paves the way for personalised medicine for cancer patients.
Easy to overdose on paracetamol if you’re selenium deficient, says research
People low on selenium are at risk of paracetamol overdose, even when they follow dosage recommendations, according to research involving ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
New drug discoveries are closely linked to the quality of lab procedures
High-quality lab procedures are even more crucial to identifying effective drugs than previously thought, new research from the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø reveals.
Injections are two-and-a-half times safer when nurses use revamped guidelines
The NHS is changing the way it writes its guidelines for giving injections in hospitals, following groundbreaking research from the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
Scientists behind needle-free diabetes monitor are finalists in a prestigious competition
A ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø team has been shortlisted for this year’s Emerging Technologies Competition run by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Research impact Biological Sciences
100% of our research environment achieved a 4* or 3* rating, defined as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2021). Learn more about how our research helps to shape a better future.
Simplifying the search for successful antibodies
CiteAb, a new impartial citation-based search engine, is shaking up the $2 billion antibody industry.
Research boost to find treatments for 'undruggable' cancers
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø researchers collaborate with Sapience Therapeutics to find new treatments for cancer cell targets that don't respond to other drugs.
Unique protein structures could hold the key to treatment for Parkinson’s disease
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø scientists have discovered a series of protein structures that are thought to be highly relevant to the onset of Parkinson’s disease.
Nanodevices show how cells change with time, by tracking from the inside
For the first time, scientists have added microscopic tracking devices into the interior of living cells, giving a peek into how development starts.
Intensive farming increases risk of epidemics, warn scientists
Overuse of antibiotics, high animal numbers and low genetic diversity from intensive farming increase the risk of animal pathogens transferring to humans.
We are mutating SARS-CoV-2, but it is evolving back
Scientists at the Milner Centre for Evolution looked at the evolution of the virus that causes Covid19; their findings could help the design of a new vaccine.
Our facilities
Explore our state-of-the-art facilities available for teaching, research and industry with expert support from University staff.
Light Microscopy Research Network at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
The light microscopy network at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø provides its users with advanced level confocal and fluorescent microscopes as well as training and advice.
Biotechnology Facility
A multi-user facility providing protein expression and purification services to researchers across the University and beyond.
This GW4 facility is located in Bristol and provides access to cryo-microscopy and analysis tools to study molecular processes responsible for cell function.
Doctoral training
We offer projects over a broad spectrum of subject areas. Projects are available as part of Doctoral Training Partnerships as well as on an individual basis.
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø hosted multidisciplinary CDT, exploring the boundaries between chemical sciences and engineering.
Delivering excellent training and research at the interface of applied mathematics, numerical analysis, probability, and statistics.
The GW4 BioMed MRC Doctoral Training Partnership aims to develop both medical and non-medical students into the next generation of medical researchers.
NERC GW4+ DTP in environmental sciences is a community of Earth, Environmental and Life Scientists.
SWBio DTP in food security & bioscience trains PhD students in the biosciences for leadership positions in academia, industry and beyond.
Postgraduate research degrees in Life Sciences
Find out about our PhD degrees, funding opportunities and how to apply.