Primary supervisor: Dr Wren Green

Other supervisors: Dr Saimon M Silva

We are excited to announce a PhD scholarship opportunities for a highly motivated candidates to join our research team focused on developing an innovative optical biosensor platform for the continuous monitoring of biomarkers in harsh and highly fouling environments (e.g. blood, wastewater). You will have the unique opportunity to work closely with leading industry partners in a commercialization focused project and will gain invaluable insights and experience that will enhance your research and professional development. Join a dynamic research team that fosters creativity and innovation. You will have access to advanced facilities and resources, enabling you to push the boundaries of current biosensor technology.
The scholarship includes a competitive stipend, tuition fee scholarship, and access to research funding to support your project.
We are seeking a candidate with an academic background in chemistry, materials science, or a related field to develop and validate biosensor chemistry
We are also seeking a candidate with an academic background in engineering or physics to develop optical instrumentation and hardware interfaces.
Candidates with excellent problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset are preferred.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Julia Gilmartin-Thomas

Other supervisors: Professor Nicholas Taylor

Australia’s public hospital system is experiencing alarming rates of Allied Health workforce shortage, with difficulty recruiting and retaining Allied Health staff leading to high staff turnover. Existing Allied Health staff have been grappling with reduced capacity to manage patient caseloads, which can lead to poor staff and patient outcomes. Optimising existing Allied Health hospital workforce capacity via innovative workforce design is vital to ensure that patient care is not compromised. This PhD project will work towards future-proofing the Allied Health workforce and ensuring it is fit for purpose via 3 complementary streams: 1. Understand the current Allied Health public hospital workforce capacity; 2. Quantify the impact of current capacity on staff and patient outcomes; and 3. Explore the utility of innovative workforce design on current capacity limitations.  We are seeking a candidate with a background in an Allied Health profession, health care, health services research, or other relevant discipline/background. The successful applicant will collaborate with the Project Lead (Associate Professor of Allied Health - a joint position between La Trobe University’s School of Allied Health, Human Services & Sport and Alfred Health), to develop a project that reflects the interests and aspirations of the individual. The PhD project is based at The Alfred Centre (99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne). The successful candidate will be supervised by the Project Lead and work in collaboration with their wider network of Professors and Associate Professors of Allied Health, who are based at Melbourne Health, Eastern Health and Northern Health.

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor:  Professor Joanne Kemp

Other supervisors: Dr Melanie Lloyd (Monash Uni), Dr Sally Coburn

This project will evaluate the health and economic burden of hip dysplasia in adolescents and young adults, and the impact of interventions on that burden. This is a prospectively registered multisite, superiority RCT comparing PAO surgery + 12 months of co-designed rehabilitation to 12 months of co-designed rehabilitation. 126 participants aged 10-40 years with hip dysplasia who are eligible for PAO surgery will be recruited across four states in Australia. This PhD will evaluate the burden of hip dysplasia and the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the interventions. The successful candidate will also be trained in clinical trial project management and will assist with the day-to-day running of the trial.

Applicants should demonstrate strong quantitative and/or health economics skills. Clinical trial experience is considered an advantage.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Tal Araten-Bergman

Other supervisors: Professor Christine Bigby

Ageing people with intellectual disability are a rapidly growing group within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), yet there are limited evidence and guidance about how best to support healthy ageing for this population. This ARC Linkage Project, based at the Living with Disability Research Centre, will address this gap by developing an evidence-based, lived-experience-informed Agenda for Action to guide policy, service design, and practice for supporting healthy ageing among NDIS participants with intellectual disability.

The project will explore how ageing NDIS participants with intellectual disability understand ageing well , what supports they need, how formal and informal supporters respond to changing needs, and what changes are required in disability services and policy.

The PhD candidate will undertake a complementary project investigating the dynamics of support dyads between ageing people with intellectual disability and their direct support providers, and the implications of these relationships for ageing well. The candidate will use a subsample from the larger ARC project and will contribute to qualitative data collection, analysis, and knowledge translation activities. The PhD will provide an opportunity to develop advanced skills in qualitative research, inclusive and accessible research methods, disability research, and applied policy and practice translation.

We are seeking a candidate with a background in social sciences, human services research or another relevant discipline. Applicants should have a strong interest in intellectual disability, ageing, inclusive research, and improving service systems and practice. Experience in qualitative research, working with people with intellectual disability, disability or ageing services will be highly regarded.

The successful applicant will be based at La Trobe University and work as part of the Living with Disability Research Centre. They will engage with people with intellectual disability, families, supporters, service providers, and policy representatives.

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor: Professor Matthias Ernst

Other supervisors: Dr  Moritz Eissmann,  Dr Annalisa Carli

Targeting Hck as a therapy for COPD and associated lung malignancies.
Based on our insights of the contribution of excessive HCK activity to chronic pulmonary inflammation in mice harbouring a constitutive active isoform of HCK (referred to as HckCA), we have recently identified that a functionally equivalent somatic mutation confers a similar (and ultimately lethal), steroid treatment-resistant phenotype in patients. Thus, this project will assess the validity of HckCA mice as a clinically relevant model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and for COPD-associated susceptibility for (cigarette smoke-induced) non-small cell lung cancer, based on our discovery of profound and accelerated lung cancer development in HckCA;KrasG12D mice. These studies will include collaborations with R.Vlahos/S.Botzinovski (RMIT)/K.Sutherland (WEHI).

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor:  Dr Delphine Merino

Other supervisors: Professor Matthias Ernst

The recent development of high-throughput sequencing, single cell technologies and high-resolution imaging revealed that tumours are highly complex ecosystems, in which cancer cells and normal cells are coexisting, competing or cooperating. The resulting equilibrium is responsible for cancer fate, and therefore, patient outcome.

The objective of this project is to study the network of cellular and molecular events driving tumour progression in the most common and deadly solid cancers - breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer and pancreatic cancer. We will focus on the heterogeneity of aggressive tumours and use the cellular barcoding technology to identify the unique properties of cancer clones able to successfully coerce the tumour microenvironment (TME) in metastatic sites. We will also study the heterogeneity of the surrounding tissues, and how targeting the TME can also impact cancer clonality. We bring together complimentary cancer models (transgenic models, patient-derived xenografts and patient samples), and state-of-the-art technologies (including single cell sequencing, ATAC-seq, 3D imaging and cellular barcoding).

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Professor John Mariadason

Other supervisors: Dr Lisa Mielke

Colorectal cancer claims the lives of over 5000 Australian’s each year.  Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are routinely used to treat these tumours, however not all patients respond to these treatments. This PhD project will seek to develop new ways to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy by testing new therapeutics in cell line, organoid and mouse models of this disease, and investigating their underlying mechanisms of action. It also involves the use of genetic screens such as CRISPR/Cas9 to discover new drivers of drug resistance.  The project will provide the candidate with extensive knowledge of cancer biology, and the transcriptional and signaling pathways which drive the respnse to drug treatment. The candidate will also gain expertise into the use of cutting-edge discovery tools such as molecular profiling, CRISPR screening and drug screening, and the use of mouse models and clinical samples to address critical questions that can improve outcomes in cancer patients.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor:  Dr David Ju Head of Nanomedicine and Gene Therapeutics Laboratory

Nanomedicine and Gene Therapeutics Laboratory at Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute is seeking a new PhD student.

mRNA lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have revolutionised SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and hold great promise for treating many intractable diseases. The LNPs used in approved mRNA vaccines consist of four lipid components: (i) ionisable lipids, (ii) phospholipids, (iii) polyethylene glycol (PEG)-lipids, and (iv) cholesterol. This project aims to develop next-generation LNPs to enhance targeting efficiency and therapeutic efficacy. It will integrate particle engineering, comprehensive proteomics analysis, whole human blood immune assays, and animal models to investigate the relationships between nanoparticle design, protein corona composition, and the stealth and targeting performance of nanoparticles.

The candidate will receive training in nanoscience, nanotechnology, immunology, and oncology, gaining key skills in the synthesis and characterisation of nanoparticles, bio-nano interactions, and animal experiments.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor:  Dr Andrew Guirguis

The progression from pre-leukaemic syndromes to secondary leukaemia is associated with poor clinical outcomes and limited therapeutic options. This project aims to identify both intrinsic (tumour cell-intrinsic) and extrinsic (microenvironmental) drivers of disease transformation. We will develop and interrogate preclinical models—including patient-derived xenografts—using advanced barcoding and CRISPR-based techniques. In parallel, transcriptomic profiling of patient-derived samples will be employed to uncover microenvironmental factors that facilitate disease progression. Candidate drivers will be functionally validated, with the ultimate goal of translating these insights into novel therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for patients with blood cancers.

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor:  Dr Andrew Guirguis

Pre-leukaemic myeloid blood cancers remain potentially curable through stem cell transplantation. However, unlike lymphoid malignancies, immunotherapy in this context has largely been unsuccessful, and the mechanisms by which myeloid clones evade immune detection remain poorly understood. This project will employ co-culture systems and mass spectrometry to define how myeloid cells present themselves to the immune system, with the aim of uncovering strategies to enhance their immunogenicity. By ‘awakening’ immune surveillance, we aim to eliminate early-preleukaemic clones before they acquire addition mutations that drive transformation. This approach holds significant potential to improve outcomes for patients with blood cancers.

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor: Dr Quentin Gouil, Lab head, Health and Epigenomics Across Life Lab

This PhD project, based in the Health and Epigenomics Across Life (HEAL) lab at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI), investigates epigenetic mechanisms in human populations and how they are disrupted in cancer. X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) and genomic imprinting are classic models of epigenetic regulation, yet their diversity, genetic determinants, and disease-associated breakdown remain poorly understood. With the advent of population-scale long-read sequencing, we can now resolve these processes at full allelic and structural resolution.

The project focuses on characterising normal variation in XCI, escape from XCI, and allele-specific regulation at imprinted loci, and on identifying how these mechanisms are perturbed in tumours, for example through X-chromosome reactivation, somatic loss or duplication of the active or inactive X, and instability at imprinted domains.

Working at the interface of computational and experimental genomics, you may develop pipelines for allele-specific epigenomic analysis, integrate long-read DNA and RNA datasets, analyse cross-individual variation, and design frameworks to detect XCI-aware abnormalities in cancer genomes. Depending on your background, the project can incorporate statistical genomics, machine-learning approaches, pangenome methods, or optional wet-lab training in long-read technologies.

This is a discovery-driven project with broad scope, ideal for candidates interested in epigenetics, long-read sequencing, and cancer genomics.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor:  Dr Robert Ross

Large water storage tanks (>100KL) are key assets which need to be protected from contamination and degradation by water authorities. Regular tank inspection currently performed to assess both structural integrity and ingress points for contaminates or vermin which can cause dangerous degradation to the water supply of a region. Currently, most inspections are performed manually in a time-consuming process which can be slow, subjective, dangerous, difficult to measure degradation over time and difficult to assess all areas of the water tanks requiring inspection. This project would involve created robotic solutions combined with AI to inspect these water tanks in the field and provide a measure of health for these critical assets.

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor: Dr Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan

Other supervisors:  Professor Aniruddha Desai

Flexible pressure sensors have garnered considerable interest from both academic and industrial research communities due to their promising applications in smart systems, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), human–machine interaction, wearable electronics, and tactile sensing in robotics. This project aims to develop a flexible piezoresistive pressure sensing system using screen printing and soft electronics technology with high sensitivity, high durability, low limit of detection (LOD), quick response time, and high stability through advanced design, material selection, innovative fabrication technology, and the use of low-power miniature electronic components.

Special conditions:

We are seeking a candidate with an academic background in background in screen printing, printed electronics, materials science, electronics, or biomedical engineering.

Candidates with excellent problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset are preferred.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Professor Brian Abbey

Other supervisors: Professor Keith Nugent AO FAA, Professor Adrian Mancuso

La Trobe University, in collaboration with Diamond Light Source (DLS), is offering a prestigious PhD scholarship for outstanding candidates in Physics, Engineering, or Computer Science.

The project focuses on synchrotrons and X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFELs)—world-leading research facilities producing intense X-ray beams to study matter across disciplines, from advanced energy materials to biomedicine.

The successful candidate will develop a digital twin of a synchrotron/XFEL beamline. Data will then train machine learning models for automated beamline alignment, improving accuracy and efficiency.

Supervision will be provided by La Trobe experts and international collaborators, with opportunities to travel to the UK and Germany.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Professor Aniruddha Desai

Other supervisors: Associate Professor Hien Nguyen, Dr Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan

This project will develop and evaluate machine vision and AI techniques for drone-based pasture classification to support precision dairy grazing. Using high-resolution aerial imagery captured by autonomous drones, the research will design models to estimate pasture biomass, assess pasture quality, and monitor grazing utilisation. It will also investigate how drone imagery can be integrated with on-animal wearable sensor data and satellite observations to deliver regionally adaptive decision-support tools for pasture management. Expected outcomes include improved pasture utilisation, enhanced feed management, and data-driven tools that can support dairy farm productivity.

Ideal candidates will have a strong academic background in computer science, AI/ML, electronics, or agricultural engineering, together with a passion for applied research and technology development. Excellent problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset are highly valued.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Professor Aniruddha Desai

Other supervisors: Dr Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan, Associate Professor Hien Nguyen

This project will develop low-power wearable sensors and edge AI algorithms for real-time monitoring of dairy cow behaviour, health, and welfare. The research will involve designing wearable devices and analysing sensor data on-device to detect grazing, rumination, activity, and oestrus-related behaviours while reducing communication and energy demands. It will optimise sensor performance, improve behavioural classification accuracy, and support scalable precision livestock management. Expected outcomes include enhanced animal welfare, improved reproductive management, and practical on-animal monitoring technologies that can support dairy farm productivity.

Ideal candidates will have a strong academic background in electronics engineering, firmware development, AI/ML, mechatronics, or agricultural engineering, together with a passion for applied research and technology development. Excellent problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset are highly valued.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Dr Babak Dadvand

Other supervisors: Associate Professor Steve Murphy

This PhD project will investigate schools that successfully retain teachers in high-turnover areas (Teacher Exodus Zones) despite challenging conditions. The research will conduct an in-depth case study examining the individual, school, community-infrastructure, and policy factors that enable teacher retention success. The PhD candidate will contribute to a broader ARC Discovery Project, 'Improving Teacher Retention in High-Turnover Areas: A Geo-Spatial Approach (DP260101755)', examining teacher workforce retention across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland. The research will inform evidence-based strategies to improve teacher stability in disadvantaged settings.

Special conditions:

• The PhD candidate will be embedded within an ARC Discovery Project (DP260101755) and will work collaboratively with the research team
• Fieldwork will involve visiting schools in Teacher Exodus Zones across three states (VIC, NSW, QLD)
• The candidate will receive mentorship in qualitative research methods, including case study methodology
• Opportunities to contribute to project publications and present at national conferences

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor: Dr Tom Ford

Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship forming part of Tom Ford's ARC Future Fellowship. The Fellowship aims to examine poetry's political claims and impacts in colonial Australia. While the PhD project should relate to this broad aim, its topic and field are otherwise open. Proposals will be considered that concern any aspect of Australian colonial writing, its political bearings and/or its broader international contexts.

The successful candidate will be affiliated with La Trobe's Department of Languages and Cultures, and will have funded opportunities to attend domestic and international conferences with Dr Ford, disseminating their findings and building their research networks.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Professor Della Forster

Other supervisors: Dr Touran Shafiei, Dr Robyn Matthews

To conduct a randomised controlled trial to implement and evaluate a midwife‑led, group‑based pregnancy care model designed to influence risk factors and behaviours that contribute to adverse outcomes in pregnancy and beyond.

The study aims to compare the effectiveness of midwife-led group antenatal care, education and peer support with standard individual-based care options on 1) clinical and psychosocial outcomes for women and infants, 2) health service use and cost effectiveness , and 3) care provider satisfaction.

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor:  Dr Anne-Marie Laslett

Other supervisors:  Professor Amanda Cooklin,  Dr Koen Smit, Dr Sarah MacLean, Dr Jason (Heng) Jiang

Child maltreatment, where familial alcohol or other drug use is involved, is responded to by multiple systems, including child protection, health, family services, juvenile justice and police. This public health research project will use individual and/or linked service system and/or survey data to study outcomes and pathways for intervention and support for children and families in systems (e.g. child protection) that are involved when harms to children from their families' alcohol and drug (AOD) use occur.

This PhD scholarship, established by La Trobe University, is linked to substance use, public health and sociology fields of research. It is related to a new public health project funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) in conjunction with: Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA); Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF); Australian Institute for Family Studies (AIFS),   Youth Affairs Commission - Victoria (YACVic); Uniting;  Monash Health; Queen’s University Belfast;  University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and the Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS).

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor: Dr Anna Booth

Other supervisors: Dr Felicity Painter, Professor Jennifer McIntosh

This PhD opportunity will deepen enquiry into factors that support improved and sustained safety for First Nations parents and children during and beyond involvement with the family court system. Using existing cohort data and in-depth case studies, the research will examine the experiences of families identified as high risk at entry to court, with a particular focus on what supports ongoing safety once active court involvement ends, and the gaze and oversight of court process ceases.

This opportunity is part of an Australian Research Council funded project involving an established partnership between La Trobe University, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and Relationships Australia South, Australia (DP260103244; Enhancing Safety from Family Violence Through and Beyond Family Court Litigation).

For further information please contact Dr Felicity Painter; f.painter@latrobe.edu.au

Special conditions:  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who meet other eligibility requirements for PhD candidature are eligible to apply. In the absence of a First Nations candidate, applications will also be considered from students whose work aligns with the project goals, in the support of Indigenous Australian families.

Available to domestic applicants only.

Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Amy Pennay

The Alcohol Harm Paradox describes a phenomenon in the alcohol field, whereby those of higher socioeconomic status tend to drink more alcohol but those of lower socioeconomic status experience more harms and problems from alcohol use. This PhD will investigate the mechanisms that underpin the Alcohol Harm Paradox using qualitative or quantitative methods (depending on the candidate’s expertise). It is hoped that findings will advance our understanding of alcohol-related inequalities and provide a path forward for reducing these inequalities.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Dr Donna Whelan

Other supervisors: Dr Cathryn Hogarth

How do cells find and repair damaged DNA with remarkable speed and accuracy? This project will use cutting-edge imaging approaches to study the dynamic behaviour of DNA repair proteins at high spatial and temporal resolution. Combining cell biology, microscopy, and image analysis, the project offers opportunities to develop expertise in quantitative biology while addressing important questions relevant to cancer, ageing, and genome stability.

The successful applicant must be onshore in Australia and able to commence by 30 June 2027.

Available to domestic and international applicants.

Primary supervisor: Dr Donna Whelan

Other supervisors: Dr Cathryn Hogarth

This project will develop and apply cutting-edge single-molecule biophysical approaches to understand how proteins locate homologous DNA sequences during homologous recombination. Using single-molecule FRET, alongside complementary imaging technologies and quantitative analysis, the successful candidate will investigate the dynamic molecular mechanisms underlying homology search while advancing new experimental tools with broad applications in genome biology. The project is ideal for students interested in working at the interface of biology, physics, and technology development.

The successful applicant must be onshore in Australia and able to commence by 30 June 2027.

Available to domestic and international applicants.