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What are you looking for in a PhD student?

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• You should either have already or be on target to achieve a strong distinction level master's degree or strong 1st class honours in an undergraduate degree from a reputable university, in a subject such as Mathematics/Statistics/something related

• You should be able to demonstrate clear understanding of the modules that you have studied

• I am not necessarily expecting you have to have specific prior knowledge, that depends on the student, but some relevant prior modules that might interest me are:

  • ​For more theoretical students probability theory, real analysis, functional analysis, Markov processes, measure theory, numerical analysis

  • For more methodological students statistical modelling and inference, Bayesian methods, and computational approaches such as Monte Carlo and MCMC

• I am also looking for students who are organised, have a good work ethic​, are passionate, and are willing to take responsibility for their own learning to some degree (this is necessary during a PhD)

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How long does a PhD last? What does it entail?

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• A typical PhD in a UK university will last anywhere from 3-5 years. Usually it takes around 3-4 years to complete the supervision process and then another 6 months to write up and complete the viva examination

• During the supervision process you will meet regularly with the supervisor(s), e.g. once per week for an hour, but this can vary.

  • Initially you might build up background knowledge by reading textbooks/sitting in on lectures/reading tutorials, which we will discuss together during meetings.

  • But we will quickly try to focus on a particular research project and set tasks each week to be completed. This will be similar in nature to any undergraduate / MSc research project / research internship that you might have undertaken.

  • The goal is to write research papers that can be published and also then attend conferences to present work (students typically attend 1 international conference per year)

• After around 1.5 years you will prepare an upgrade report (around 50-80 pages) and undertake an oral exam (around 2 hours with 2 examiners)

• After the supervision period is ended you will prepare your thesis (typically 80 - 180 pages long), submit this and then undertake another oral exam (2-3 hours) with 2 examiners (1 of which will be external to UCL)

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How would I support myself financially during a PhD?

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• Most students fund their studies through a scholarship. This covers tuition fees and also provides you with a tax-free monthly stipend. The exact amount varies depending on the scheme, but it's usually just about enough to live off

• I am aware of the main scholarships (also called studentships) to apply for and can advise on this and support you through the application process if I consider you to be a good candidate. If you are interested in this then it's better to contact me earlier (scholarship deadline usually range from December to March/April)

• Many students choose to supplement their income. This can be done by assisting with teaching and marking within the department, as well as private tutoring/consulting opportunities as they arrive

• You can also self-fund a PhD. This means you won't receive a scholarship and need to pay tuition fees for your supervision. You will still need to apply to the PhD program but need not apply for a scholarship

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What is the application process?

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• You should contact me by e-mail in the first instance. Keep this short (e.g. 100-200 words) and briefly state your interests and background. Please attach to the e-mail a copy of your transcript to date. You can also send a short CV, but I prefer transcripts to see the full range of modules taken and marks received

• In the e-mail please state whether or not you are looking for a scholarship, and whether you qualify as a home or overseas student (as the scholarships are different)

• I will then contact you to arrange some discussions/an interview. If it's a good match then I will support your application, and will help you to apply for scholarships

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What are examples of possible PhD projects? Why should I work with you?

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• Generally it's better to find a supervisor whose research interests match your own. You can read about my interests on this website or by reading some of my papers (you can find them on google scholar)

• It's better not to contact me with a fully planned research project several pages long. I have project ideas already, I am looking for someone to help me realise them

• Some example areas we could work in are:​​

  • Convergence and mixing of Markov processes, with applications to MCMC sampling algorithms

  • Theory and methodology of adaptive MCMC​

  • Projects at the intersection of mathematical & computational statistics (e.g. using asymptotic statistical theory to better understand MCMC mixing times)

  • Computational Bayesian modelling in health (e.g. survival analysis, epidemic modelling, modelling microbiome data)

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What are some common misconceptions of a PhD?

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• It's very different from a taught degree. You will not spend much time taking courses and sitting exams. The closest experience you might have had is a research project of some sort

• You do not need to fund your own studies and living costs while studying, provided that you have secured a scholarship a PhD is closer to a job than a taught course in this way

• Some students can do very well in taught courses but not really be a great fit for research. The personalities that general do well are those who are self-motivated, have attention to detail and personal pride in their work, a hunger for knowledge and some humility/conscientiousness.  There are many intelligent people who would struggle in a PhD, and similarly those with PhDs are not necessarily more intelligent than others, they just have particular skills and interests

• A PhD takes a long time, so if the goal is to get a promotion at work or something similarly short term, then this is probably not the right motivation

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Are you currently looking for students?

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• Yes, for home students!  I am currently open to enquiries from students that qualify for home scholarship funding for PhDs beginning in October 2026.  For those requiring overseas scholarships it will be very difficult for me this year, as I received overseas funding in 2025 and will therefore be mostly excluded from typical departmental routes.  If you are interested, therefore, you will also need to have a proposed funding scheme that we can apply for together (that is not run by UCL Department of Statistical Science).

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