Applied Mathematics: Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Agent-Based Infection Modelling for HIV Treatment Optimization

HIV remains one of the most persistent and challenging infections to cure due to its ability to lie dormant in reservoirs within the body: T-cells that are infected but no actively replicating virus. This allows the virus to evade standard treatment approaches. Despite years of antiretroviral therapy (ART), complete eradication of the virus is hindered by the presence of these reservoirs, which require continuous lifetime treatment. Recent efforts to cure HIV infection have focused on developing latency reversing agents as a first step to eradicate the latent reservoir and animal models are being studied to understand these dynamics. 

This project proposes a novel pipeline of ideas to generate tools and techniques to simulate HIV infection dynamics using a multiscale agent-based modelling technique (cells, viruses, drugs, antibodies, human lymph system, seconds, days, years). 

This project is in collaboration with GSK and we will work closely with experts from GSK. 

The Departments of Mathematics is part of the Computational Foundry, a world-class centre for computational research, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government. The brand-new building of the Computational Foundry provides an ideal environment for doing a PhD. 

Funding Comment

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £20,780 for 2025/26). 

Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per year will also be available.

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