Kinetic operational models for receptor-mediated signalling in mathematical pharmacology

This studentship is based in the College of Arts, Technology and Environment.

This project is in the exciting and growing field of mathematical pharmacology, and will employ mathematical techniques including modelling, differential equations, numerics and asymptotic analysis. The student’s work will be supported by an interdisciplinary team of academic and industrial collaborators.

In the pursuit of drug discovery and therapeutics, pharmacological analysis is required to probe mechanisms of action of drug molecules (ligands) at cell surface receptors and to understand downstream signalling dynamics. Mathematical modelling is now providing new insights and tools for quantifying receptor behaviour and predicting time-dependent cellular responses to drugs.

Models for cell signalling dynamics often employ a “systems biology” approach where each reaction is modelled explicitly, resulting in a high-dimensional differential equation system with a large number of parameters which cannot be quantified using experimental data. An alternative modelling approach replaces the systems biology detail with simplified lumped schematics which capture the overall “operational” signalling behaviour. New kinetic operational models, which predict time-dependent cellular responses to ligands, are therefore largely based on low-dimensional ordinary differential equation systems which are more tractable analytically and potentially more useful towards estimating pharmacological parameters from data sets [1]. From this starting point, a comprehensive suite of kinetic operational models will be developed and analysed for important ligand-receptor interaction scenarios which are yet to modelled in this way [2,3,4]. These models will be analysed with respect to the validity of their assumptions on parameter regimes, their ability to quantify drug efficacy, and the viability of implementation in end-user software packages. The models will be informed and validated using experimental data provided by expert external collaborators, towards potential impact in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry.

The student will contribute new results to a growing field, and will gain skills in scientific computing, mathematics, bio-modelling and interdisciplinary collaboration which will be applicable across a broad range of disciplines.

• [1] Hoare, S. R., et al. "Analyzing kinetic signaling data for G-protein-coupled receptors." Scientific reports 10.1 (2020): 12263.
• [2] Bridge, L. J., et al. "Modelling and simulation of biased agonism dynamics at a G protein-coupled receptor." Journal of theoretical biology 442 (2018): 44-65.
• [3] Hoare, S. R., et al. "Kinetic operational models of agonism for G-protein-coupled receptors." Journal of Theoretical Biology 446 (2018): 168-204.
• [4] White, C., et al. "Insights into the dynamics of ligand-induced dimerisation via mathematical modelling and analysis." Journal of Theoretical Biology 538 (2022): 110996.

If you have any questions about the studentship, please contact Dr Lloyd Bridge at lloyd.bridge@uwe.ac.uk.

• Applicants must have a good first degree in Mathematics, equivalent to first or upper second class honours. Ideally, applicants will have a Masters-level qualification (either postgraduate or undergraduate).
• A background in applied mathematics, including differential equations, modelling and computation is required.
• Familiarity with asymptotic analysis would be helpful.
• Programming in MATLAB/Python or similar will be a central component of the project.
• A background in biology or pharmacology is not required but an interest in these fields would be helpful.

The studentship is available from 1 October 2026 for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress and includes a tax-exempt stipend, which is currently £20,780 (2025/26) per annum.

In addition, full-time tuition fees will be covered for up to three years (Home).

Please submit your application online. When prompted use the reference number 2627-OCT-CATE14. 

Application deadline

The closing date for applications is 22 May 2026.

Apply now

Supporting documentation

You will need to upload your research proposal, all your degree certificates and transcripts and a recognised English language qualification is required.

You will need to provide details of two referees as part of your application.

Interview dates

It is expected that interviews will take place on weeks commencing June. If you have not heard from us by July, we thank you for your application but on this occasion you have not been successful.