Inflammatory and Musculoskeletal Disease (Research)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.

The DPhil in Inflammatory and Musculoskeletal Disease is a research course for UK-based medical students, exploring inflammation, rheumatic disease, pain, tissue engineering, clinical trials, and data science through interdisciplinary projects.

Please be advised that this course only accepts applications from UK-based medical students. Students will need to have successfully completed the Pre-clinical Course (First BM) in order to apply.

In the programme, students will receive a world-leading research training experience in musculoskeletal and inflammatory diseases. Students participating in the scheme will be offered:

• a choice of interdisciplinary cutting-edge research projects;

• the opportunity to gain a working in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals of inflammatory and musculoskeletal diseases and patient care through advanced level seminars;

• a world-renowned research environment that encourages the student’s originality and creativity in their research;

• opportunities to develop skills in making and testing hypotheses, in developing new theories, and in planning and conducting experiments; and

• an environment in which to develop skills in written work, oral presentation and publishing the results of their research in high-profile scientific journals, through constructive feedback of written work and oral presentations.

At the end of their DPhil course, students should:

• have a thorough knowledge of the basic principles of research into inflammatory disorders, including the relevant literature and a comprehensive understanding of scientific methods and techniques applicable to their research;

• be able to demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in their field;

• have developed the ability to critically evaluate current research and research techniques and methodologies;

• be able to act autonomously in the planning and implementation of research; and

• have the grounding for an influential researcher of inflammatory diseases in the future.

The course provides research-based doctoral training for University of Oxford medical students. Students will receive a world-leading research training experience that integrates an education initiative spanning patient care, research impact, on- and post-programme mentorship, as well as a specialised, fundamental, subject-specific training tailored to individual research needs.

Additional lectures on a variety of topics will be provided in the first term and return to clinical practice teaching in the final year.