Cardiovascular Science: VascularRewind

Visit the Graduate Admissions Course Page and Apply.

This is a four-year course. The first year will include training in the first six months through a series of taught courses covering a wide range of topics including essential research skills, laboratory and safety training, along with foundational principles in cardiovascular science. This will be followed by two 12-week training projects in distinct disciplines, interspersed with a bespoke selection of project-relevant specialised training courses. In years 2-4 students will undertake their main DPhil project.

Vascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, stroke and aortic aneurysm, remain leading causes of death and disability worldwide. While acute care has advanced significantly, therapeutic innovation aimed at preventing disease progression and reversing established pathology has stagnated. We will identify new targets for secondary prevention and disease regression, ultimately reducing cardiovascular risk in vulnerable populations. Recent transformative technological advances, including multi-omics and AI-enhanced imaging, provide unprecedented new opportunities to gain novel mechanistic insights and develop urgently needed treatments.

In a truly multidisciplinary programme, students will work across four interconnected research themes:

1. Defining disease – Deep phenotyping, imaging and patient stratification
2. Elaborating mechanisms and biomarkers – Multi-omics and genetic discovery
3. Modulating cell death and inflammation – Systems immunology and therapeutic targeting
4. Maintaining vascular stability – Cell biology, biomechanics and regenerative approaches

This programme will provide a rigorous and enriching 4-year training experience that will equip students with skills to tackle complex challenges in vascular disease. It is built around a multidisciplinary framework combining molecular biology, data science, engineering, imaging, and clinical research. The structure of the programme ensures that students receive broad foundational training in Year 1 before progressing to focused research projects in Years 2–4.  During all four years of the course you will receive a tailored programme designed to broaden your research and professional skills.

Year 1

All students will begin with a cohort-wide induction covering essential research skills, laboratory and safety training, along with foundational principles in cardiovascular science. This is followed by two 12-week training projects in distinct disciplines, interspersed with a bespoke selection of project-relevant specialised training courses. The training projects - ranging from wet-lab biology to computational modelling, imaging, bioengineering, or placements with academic or industry partners - enable students to explore diverse approaches and environments before starting their main project.

Throughout the year, students will take part in joint Oxford–Cambridge hybrid format tutorials covering experimental design, grant writing, research ethics, scientific communication, and translational science, as well as journal clubs co-led by supervisors, postdocs and 3rd year programme students. We will work with Oxford Edge (www.chch.ox.ac.uk/oxford-edge) and Cambridge Enterprise, who will provide tailored workshops on scientific entrepreneurship, with exposure to case studies of spinouts and interaction with innovators and funders. These offerings aim to build students' awareness of innovation ecosystems and develop commercialisation skills. Students will present each rotation project at cross-institutional mini symposia and develop a detailed proposal for their main DPhil project.

Years 2 - 4, Main project and advanced training

Students will undertake their main DPhil research project under the co-supervision of investigators from both Universities. Most projects will also involve a third supervisor with orthogonal interests and expertise to enhance the interdisciplinary training. Students will continue to benefit from joint activities across institutions, including an annual in-person symposium for the entire consortium, as well as peer feedback sessions, and transferable skills workshops. They will be encouraged to attend national and international conferences and pursue additional specialised training aligned with their project goals, and career-oriented training courses in latter years.