Cardiovascular Science - VascularRewind
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.
VascularRewind: Secondary Prevention of Vascular Dysfunction and Disease – a collaboration between Oxford and Cambridge.
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.
Oxford-based supervisors may include:-
Prof Nicola Smart (Programme Director)
A/Prof Naveed Akbar (Programme Deputy-Director)
Prof Kim Dora (Programme Deputy-Director)
Dr Ioannis Akoumianakis
Prof Daniel Anthony
Prof Keith Channon
Prof Robin Choudhury
Dr Giovanni Luigi De Maria
A/Prof Anuj Goel
Prof Neil Herring
Prof Leanne Hodson
A/Prof Robin Klemm
A/Prof Adam Lewandowski
Prof Claudia Monaco
Prof Chris O'Callaghan
Prof Angela Russell
A/Prof Weston Struwe
Dr Tanveer Tabish
Prof Ellie Tzima
Prof Cornelia van Duijn