Data Science and Bioinformatics: Fully Funded SURES PhD in Integrating Genomic and Clinical Data to Provide Patient Specific Insights for Precision Oncology in Wales

PhD Opportunity: Multi-Omic Integration for Precision Oncology; Transform cancer care through genomics, data science, and translational biology. 

Swansea University are pleased to offer a fully-funded Swansea University Research Excellence Scholarship (SURES) for a full-time doctoral student commencing in October 2025. Investigating functional genomic and multi-omic data analysis and integration to advance therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for oesophageal and pancreatic cancers, two malignancies with a significant disease burden in Wales and worldwide.  

This interdisciplinary supervisory team brings together expertise in health data science, microbial genomics, and cancer bioinformatics. Th selected student will work under the supervision of Dr Arron Lacey, a specialist in machine learning and natural language processing, Dr Matthew Hitchings, who will offer cutting-edge insight into high-throughput sequencing and a strong background in comparative genomics and bioinformatics and Professor Lewis Francis, a leader in pharmacogenomics and functional analysis to inform advanced diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Together, they provide a robust foundation for advancing precision oncology in Wales through integrated genomic and clinical data approaches. 

This exciting doctoral project focuses on advancing personalised treatment strategies for two of Wales’ most pressing cancer challenges—oesophageal and pancreatic malignancies. You’ll develop innovative workflows to integrate and analyse large-scale multi-omic datasets from Genomics England’s 100,000 Genomes Project, including whole-genome sequencing, bulk and single-cell RNA-seq. 

These methodologies will be refined and later applied to Welsh genomic resources (SAIL/AWMGS) to identify patient subgroups, uncover disease-driving mechanisms, and discover therapeutic targets relevant to Welsh populations. You’ll also help translate your computational insights into lab-based validation using experimental models, paving the way for new diagnostics and targeted therapies. 

Funding Comment

Each SURES scholarship includes tuition fees and a stipend – reviewed annually at the UKRI standard rate and a £1,000 annual training allowance to support immersive training experiences, conference attendance, engagement with industry and international collaborative  opportunities. Each scholarship is offered for a maximum period of 3 years; SURES students are expected to submit their theses within this timescale.  

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