The School of Mathematical Sciences invites applications for the PhD projects listed for each Research Centre (CeCANT, CS, GAnG, PSD)
Each project includes information on eligible funding applicants, expected start dates, and submission deadlines. Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and funding opportunities may be filled before the listed deadlines.
The School also welcome applications year-round from students with alternative sources of funding, such as self-funding, Doctoral Loans, Commonwealth scholarships, or other funding options. If you are considering a PhD using funding not listed below, we encourage you to contact the relevant academic to discuss potential projects.
Visit our School Research Centres to check ongoing Research interests in our school.
Read more on the Fees and Funding
The Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory (CeCANT) encompasses a broad spectrum of research with a long and distinguished history at Queen Mary. CeCANT includes over 20 academic staff in the School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS). The centre includes a vibrant community of PhD students, fully embedded in our research culture, and has strong research connections with other centres in SMS and beyond.
The Centre also welcomes applications year-round from students with alternative sources of funding, such as self-funding, Doctoral Loans, Commonwealth scholarships, or other funding options. Contact the relevant academic to discuss projects alternatively if you are considering a PhD using funding not listed below, we encourage you to contact the relevant academic to discuss potential projects.
Project
The Project is eligible for:
Cell complexes and resolutions from tropical cycles
Supervisor: Prof Alex Fink
-CSC Studentship - apply by 29th Jan 25 - start date expected by 1st Sep 2025.
-S&E Faculty Studentships (EPSRC) - apply by 29th Jan 25 - start date expected by 1st Sep 2025.
-S&E DRS Underrepresented Groups 2025/26 - apply by 29th Jan 25 - start date expected by 1st Sep 2025.
-Other funding (self-funded, Doctoral Loan, others)
Zeros of Graph Polynomials and Computational Phase transitionsSupervisor: Dr Viresh Patel
- EPSRC (Principal): apply by 29th Jan25 – start date expected before 1st May 2025.
Chern classes of tropical manifoldsSupervisor: Dr Felipe Rincón
Number Theory, automorphic forms and representations, L-functions
Supervisor: Prof Abhishek Saha
The Centre for Complex Systems is one of the largest in the UK working on statistical mechanics aspects of dynamical systems and stochastic systems, and on complex systems and complex networks.
The Centre has a broad range of research interests in mathematical foundations of dynamical systems theory, in statistical physics and stochastic modelling methods as applied to non-equilibrium situations, and in the mathematical description and modelling of the architecture and dynamics of complex systems and networks. A significant part of the research work has applications in an interdisciplinary context.
Dynamic Mode Decomposition for Chaotic Dynamical Systems
Supervisor: Dr Oscar Bandtlow
Generative AI modelling with jump-diffusions
Supervisor: Dr Adrian Baule
Stochastic modelling of frequency fluctuations in power grids of the futureSupervisor: Prof Christian Beck
--S&E Faculty Studentships (EPSRC) - apply by 29th Jan 25 - start date expected by 1st Sep 2025.
The dynamics of higher-order networks
Supervisor: Prof Ginestra Bianconi
Modelling stochastic processes in cancer evolution and healthy tissue with driver mutations Supervisor: Dr Weini Huang
The Typically Periodic Optimization Conjecture in Dynamical Systems
Supervisor: Prof Oliver Jenkinson
1. Understanding creativity and success in modern innovation ecosystems
2. Contagion and cascading failures in complex interacting systems
Supervisor: Prof Vito Latora
1. Local and global geometry of graphs and applications
2. Random matrix approaches to quantum graphs
Supervisor: Dr Anna Maltsev
Non-conformal self-affine fractalsSupervisor: Dr Ian Morris
Analytical and computational model of the emergence and evolution of spatial patterns in networks with coloured nodesSupervisor: Dr Vincenzo Nicosia
Including socioeconomic indicators into mathematical epidemic models
Supervisor: Dr Nicola Perra
1. Quantum Monte Carlo methods for simulations of complex geometric clusters
2. Fighting fish - scaling functions for near-planar lattice models of vesicles
Supervisor: Prof Thomas Prellberg
Topological invariants for symbolic dynamical systems with sparse irregularitiesSupervisor: Dr Reem Yassawi
The Centre for Geometry, Analysis and Gravitation is a world-leading multidisciplinary research centre on geometric analysis, partial differential equations, topology and all aspects of gravitation. The Centre for Geometry, Analysis and Gravitation is leading the research on gravitational waves and quantum gravity at Queen Mary University of London, and it has become a reference centre in the UK and worldwide. Its members are a unique blend of pure and applied mathematicians working on different aspects of general relativity, numerical and mathematical relativity quantum gravity and gravitational aspects of string theory and holography.
The Centre has received funding from prestigious sources such as the European Research Council (ERC), Royal Society University Research Fellowships, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, various EPSRC standard grants, STFC Ernst Rutherford Fellowships, and STFC Consolidated grants.
Project: TBC
Supervisor: Dr Michalis Agathos
De Sitter matrix models and field theorySupervisor: Dr Tarek Anous
-Faculty Research Support Fund (RSF) 3 yrs Home Fees and Stipend only – apply anytime by 29th Jan 25 – start date to be discussed with Supervisor
Numerical relativity for fundamental physicsSupervisor: Dr Katy Clough
Gravitational waves in higher derivative theories of gravitySupervisor: Prof Pau Figueras
p-evolution equations with low-regular coefficientsSupervisor: Prof Claudia Garetto
Quantum Riemannian geometry to mathematical physics and quantum gravity
Supervisor: Prof Shahn Majid
Geometric Flows
Primary Supervisor: Dr Huy Nguyen
Second Supervisor: Dr Shengwen Wang
Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Supervisor: Dr Hong Qi
Control and Asymptotics of Critically Singular Partial Differential Equations
Supervisor: Dr Arick Shao
Geometric partial differential equations Supervisor: Dr Shengwen Wang
The Centre for Probability, Statistics and Data Science covers three broadly overlapping main areas of research: probability, statistics and data science. Probability theory is a core topic within mathematics and a foundational aspect in much of the work of the centre. A broad range of areas within probability and applied probability are investigated from stochastic processes, understanding the properties of random mathematical structures including many applications to areas such as statistical physics, finance, etc. The centre also has a strong group of statisticians developing both statistical theory, e.g. Bayesian inference, methodologies, e.g. modelling of spatio-temporal data, and applications, e.g. biostatistics. Finally, the centre has in expertise of other aspects of data science including the foundations of machine learning, solving inverse systems as related to data, topological techniques, and others.
Mathematical foundations for AI Supervisor: Prof Omer Bobrowski & Prof Primoz Skraba
Applications of Universality in Topological Data AnalysisSupervisor: Prof Omer Bobrowski
Advanced Inference methods for High-Dimensional and Functional DataSupervisor: Dr Nicolás Hernández
Bayesian Spatio-temporal Modelling for BiodiversitySupervisor: Dr Silvia Liverani
Optimal stopping in higher dimensions
Supervisor: Prof John Moriarty
Statistical modeling of high-dimensional financial time series
Supervisor: Dr Alexander Shestopaloff
Learning graphical models for heterogeneous functional data with applications in neuroscience
Supervisor: Dr Eftychia Solea
For any general enquiries regarding the above PhD studentships please contact maths-phd@qmul.ac.uk.
Dr Reem Yassawi, is the Director of Graduate Studies and Dr Alex Shestopaloff, the Deputy Director of Graduate Studies.
If you have already secured funding for your PhD studies and therefore do not wish your application to be considered within the studentship competition please state this on the appropriate part of your application form.
It is highly recommended that first you make up your mind in which area of mathematics you wish to work and, ideally, to even think of prospective PhD supervisors at our School. It is important that your supervisor shares your research interests such that he/she can successfully guide you in your research. Many PhD students in mathematics do not pursue targeted research projects specified at the outset. Instead, they develop an agreed programme of study in discussion with their supervisor during their first year here. This programme tends to evolve in response to what has been learned during preliminary studies.
With this in mind, the important question for a prospective student is: Are my interests aligned with those of the School? The following links provide information on the four Research Centres within our School:
From time to time, we have projects available which are co-sponsored by an industrial partner, or which are run jointly with colleagues in another department at Queen Mary. Recent examples of the latter include the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, and the Wolfson Institute of Population Health.