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2020–21
2020–21
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Welcome
I am delighted to welcome you to the Health Sciences Doctoral Training Centre (HSDTC). The HSDTC is funded by King’s College London and is here to support your training and career development during your research degree.
We offer a range of opportunities in research, professional and personal development skills, through online courses and tools, and practical and interactive workshops.
We also aim to build communities and foster collaboration across the Health Faculties at King’s through our Annual Research Symposium, Buddy Scheme, PGR Student Forum Fund, and more.
In this brochure you’ll find more information about who we are and what we do, including details of training and other opportunities such as bursaries and our annual prize competitions. This year we plan to run most of our training online, although practical training may still take place in person if it’s safe to do so.
If you have any suggestions for additional training or support that the HSDTC could provide to you, we’d love to hear from you.
I look forward to meeting you during your doctoral studies.
Dr Fiona WardleDirectorHealth Sciences Doctoral Training Centre
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About the Health Sciences Doctoral Training Centre
The HSDTC provides training, development and careers support for the 1,800 doctoral research students in the four Health Faculties1 at King’s College London, irrespective of funding stream. The HSDTC:• is structured around seven interdisciplinary research themes• delivers a comprehensive training programme for doctoral
research students• encourages collaboration and cohort building across
the Health Faculties via a range of bursaries and prizes, the HSDTC Buddy Scheme, and the HSDTC Annual Research Symposium
At the heart of the HSDTC is our training programme, which includes online, blended learning, and interactive face-to-face and wet lab-based courses, across four broad areas:
1 The four Health Faculties at King’s College London are: the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences; the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine; the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care; and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience.
Research Methods & Skills
Communication & Impact
Doctoral EssentialsCareers & Employability
How to book coursesYou’ll find brief course outlines and booking links on the following pages in this brochure and on our online course listings, which will be updated regularly throughout the year. You can also search for HSDTC courses directly on SkillsForge.
Most courses can be booked easily through SkillsForge, but please see our training FAQs if you have any queries about bookings.
Delivering training during COVID-19
Most HSDTC courses will be delivered online during the 2020-21 academic year. As COVID-19 physical distancing requirements become more relaxed, however, there may be the opportunity for some classroom- or lab-based courses, and these will then be advertised accordingly.
In the meantime, find out about additional online resources provided by or through King's College London or offered for free by other organisations.
Training partnersThe HSDTC also partners with other training providers across King’s College London and King’s Health Partners:• Centre for Doctoral Studies• LISS Doctoral Training Partnership• MRC Doctoral Training Partnership• Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative
Medicine
• Department of Biostatistics & Health Informatics
• Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre
• Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre
King’s is also part of the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network.
CLINICAL ACADEMIC RESEARCHERSKing’s College London and our health partners provide a world-leading centre for clinical academic training. Navigating both a research and a clinical career path poses unique challenges, so this year we will be launching a bespoke programme of support for clinical academic researchers, at King’s, including:
• Support networks and events to allow clinicians to connect and share experiences, as well as provide practical advice on juggling multiple commitments and navigating the clinical academic pathway;
• Opportunities to hear from clinical academics further on in the career path;
• Information on funding for your clinical academic research.
Clinical academic doctoral researchers can also participate in the HSDTC Buddy Scheme and be matched with a more experienced doctoral researcher.
Staying in touchAll doctoral research students in the Health Faculties at King’s are automatically registered with the HSDTC, and receive a monthly newsletter highlighting upcoming courses, events, and other opportunities; please let us know if you’re not receiving your newsletter or if you would like to be added to our mailing list.
To find out more, please visit the HSDTC website or follow us on Twitter. If you have any queries, feedback, or suggestions, or want to get in touch about anything else, please feel free to email us.
kcl.ac.uk/healthsciences@Kings_HSDTC [email protected]
‘Many thanks to the HSDTC for providing me with an excellent range of training courses – they have made a difficult task easier and have allowed me to learn essential skills for completing my PhD!’ Stuart, PhD Student Basic & Clinical Neuroscience
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‘The HSDTC PGR Student Forum Fund helped us set up a whole new series of PhD student seminars that brought together students from different universities and departments within King's and gave them the opportunity to present their work in a relaxed and fun environment.’ Anastasia, AEFS PhD Seminars Group
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Research Methods & Skills
CLINICAL RESEARCH & ETHICSPrinciples of Clinical Research (HSDTC2)Build a comprehensive understanding of the principles of clinical research best practice, from design to delivery to closure. For researchers who develop and deliver clinical research projects with human subjects.
Clinical Research Protocol Development (HSDTC3) Build a comprehensive understanding of research protocols and how to develop one in accordance with best practice. For researchers who develop and deliver clinical research, including CTIMPs.
Managing Early Phase Clinical Trials: Principles and Practice (HSDTC25) This one-day interactive course is for doctoral researchers who want to learn about the principles and practice of managing early phase clinical trials, with a combination of presentations, discussions and exercises.
Informed Consent for Research (HSDTC4)Explore the concept and principles of informed consent for research, from historical development to an understanding of legislative and ethical considerations for research practitioners.
Research Ethics and Integrity (HSDTC8)Explore the principles underlying research ethics while considering the ethical questions posed by contemporary medical research, and get an overview of good research practice in data management.
Successful Medical Device Product Development for Regulated Environments
(HSDTC77) This course for doctoral researchers examines the regulatory and documentary requirements as well as the specific processes which need to be followed for clinical translation and to ensure success in this market.
Exploring the Clinical Academic Pathway (HSDTC78) This event is aimed at clinical academic doctoral researchers, or academic clinical fellows aiming to apply for a research degree, from all faculties at King’s.
Research Integrity: The Fundamentals of Research Excellence at King’s (RIO1) This is a short, introductory session designed to strengthen attendees’ awareness of research integrity issues through discussion of scenarios, and has been organised by Research Integrity Office at King’s.
Maudsley BRC Training: Basic Neuroanatomy (HSDTC84) For doctoral researchers with little prior knowledge of neuroanatomy. No prior experience in neuroanatomy or neuropathology is needed.
Maudsley BRC Training: Basic Neuroanatomy (Brain Bank Visit) (HSDTC85) For doctoral researchers with little prior knowledge of neuroanatomy. No prior experience in neuroanatomy or neuropathology is needed.
Maudsley BRC Training: Introduction to Psychiatry (HSDTC86) This course is for doctoral researchers investigating a mental health related topic, and includes introductions to psychiatric patients, classification approaches, and interviewing.
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Maudsley BRC Training: Service User Involvement in Mental Health Research (HSDTC87) For doctoral researchers who are carrying out biomedical research in mental health, especially those whose research involves direct service user involvement.
BIOINFORMATICS & STATISTICSDataCamp Subscription (HSDTC20)DataCamp is one of the leading online resources for learning to programme in the main languages used in data analysis. Look out for announcements for the next round of subscriptions.
Introduction to Python for Biologists (HSDTC102) This introductory level course is for doctoral researchers in the health sciences with a biological
background but with no previous programming experience, with an emphasis on practical problem-solving.
Advanced Python for Biologists (HSDTC103)A more advanced course for health sciences doctoral researchers with a basic knowledge of Python who want to write more complex programs, deal with larger datasets, or contribute to existing software projects.
Data Science for Biologists using Python (HSDTC104) This course, for biological sciences doctoral researchers who know Python and need to explore big datasets and quickly visualise patterns and relationships, focuses on using Python's scientific software libraries.
‘This was one of the most enjoyable and engaging training sessions I have ever been to – a lot of thought had obviously gone into its preparation and delivery.’ PhD Student, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine
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Introduction to R (HSDTC60) For wet lab-based doctoral researchers who want to handle tabular datasets using R, and so develop new ways of thinking, test new hypotheses, and generate new concepts. No prior knowledge of R required.
RNA-seq and ChIP-seq Analysis (HSDTC34)This course is aimed at wet-lab biologists who are embarking upon research projects that will involve RNA-seq and ChIP-seq experiments and the analysis of the data generated.
Ensembl Genome Exploration (HSDTC67)Gain hands-on experience in the use of the Ensembl genome. Learn about the incorporated/interlinked datasets, how to explore the genome of different species, and how to perform different types of analysis.
Introduction to UNIX (HSDTC70) UNIX is a versatile language that’s employed in multiple data analysis pipelines; by the end of this course you should be able to execute simple commands and tasks and navigate through folders in your computer.
Single Cell Data Analysis (HSDTC32) A three-day overview of the existing problems and the available computational and statistical frameworks available for the analysis of scRNA-seq data. Some knowledge of UNIX and R is required.
Health Sciences Data Hackathon (HSDTC61) The Health Sciences Data Hackathon is for everyone at King’s, including students at all levels, postdocs and PIs, who use or wish to use coding for their research, regardless of their level of expertise with programming.
Introduction to Statistics for Researchers (PGR257) The course is for doctoral researchers and research staff who wish to learn more about statistical methods and apply statistical techniques in practice.
Statistical Analysis with R (HSDTC68)This course will allow you to connect the concepts behind statistical tests and their implementation. You’ll use R scripts to analyze data and learn the basics of conducting reproducible research.
Experimental Design and Statistical Methods (HSDTC73) This two half-day course will show you how to design high quality experiments using rigorous but easily accessible statistical thinking, and consists of lecture sessions and a written exercise.
Maudsley BRC Training: Introduction to Big Data in Mental Health Research (HSDTC83) For doctoral researchers using e-health records databases such as Clinical Records Interactive Search (CRIS), or wanting to learn more about big data in mental health research.
Maudsley BRC Training: Big Data Analytics in Python (HSDTC88) This course is an introduction to the Python programming language and is for doctoral researchers from diverse academic backgrounds interested in data exploration.
MICROSCOPY, CELL BIOLOGY & IMAGINGCell Culture for Beginners: Theory & Practice (HSDTC16) Learn about cell culture background, theory and technique over two sessions. Suitable for those who are new to handling cells, as well as anyone wishing to top-up their knowledge.
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Cell Culture for Beginners: Theory Only (HSDTC17) Learn about cell culture background and theory in a single session. Suitable for those who are new to handling cells, as well as anyone wishing to top-up their knowledge.
Icy for Beginners: Bio-Image Analysis (HSDTC35) This course is for doctoral researchers who use microscopy and want to use Icy, a free, open-source community platform for bioimage informatics, to quantify their data. No programming experience necessary.
Icy Intermediate: Bio-Image Analysis (HSDTC57) This course is for doctoral researchers who use microscopy and want to use Icy, a free, open-source community platform for bioimage informatics, to quantify their data. Some experience of Icy is necessary.
Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine 1: Latest Developments (HSDTC72) This session provides an overview of the latest developments and techniques, legal regulation and translational aspects of stem cell for regenerative medicine, and is open to all.
Communication & Impact
How to be an Effective Reviewer (HSDTC90)For researchers who peer review academic articles in the health sciences, and for those who review published articles for journal clubs and would like tips on what to look for in a paper and how to review it.
Writing a Literature Review in the Sciences (PGR259) This session explores the relationship between your research and
the literature, covers the key principles of organising and critiquing published work, and will help you structure your writing about others' work.
Writing Masterclass: Writing a Successful Review Article (HSDTC55) For doctoral researchers who are writing or planning review articles for publication, this session takes you through the process of planning, pitching, structuring, drafting and revising your article.
Writing Masterclass: Writing a Scientific Abstract (HSDTC19) This half-day session for doctoral researchers and postdocs will help you distil your research into an abstract for peer-reviewed journals that is concise, accurate, compelling, and written to the required length.
Turbocharge Your Writing (PGR270) Learn the secret to high output, low stress scholarly writing, using clear and practical strategies that can greatly increase your writing productivity.
Publishing a Scientific Research Paper (PGR261) Gain insights from a former journal editor who knows scientific journals from many angles and learn how to choose a journal and then write and structure your paper and get it through peer review.
Nature Masterclass in Scientific Writing and Publishing (HSDTC79) Learn how to publish from Nature Research editors. This online course is taught by editors from Nature Research journals and covers the entire scientific publishing process, from writing a paper to publication.
How to Get Published (PGR701) This session provides practical advice on how
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to prepare, structure and submit your manuscript for successful publication. Suitable for doctoral researchers and research staff in the health sciences.
How to Write a Great Research Paper, and Get it Accepted by a Good Journal (HSDTC82) This course is for doctoral researchers and ECRs in the health sciences who are seeking guidance and experience in preparing papers for publication in English in respected journals.
Communicate with Impact for Researcher (HSDTC76) This interactive and applied workshop helps doctoral researchers to 'connect the dots' between effective communication, successful funding applications, societal impact and career success.
Presenting your Research with Confidence in the Health Sciences (HSDTC89) This workshop will provide a clear step-by-step structure that you can use again and
again to give high quality presentations. For doctoral researchers in the health sciences.
Three Minute Thesis (PGR600) Could you explain your doctoral thesis to an audience in just three minutes? The King’s College London Three Minute Thesis competition is open to all doctoral researchers at King’s.
Creating Impact and Engagement for your Research (HSDTC100) This course guides you step-by-step through the processes to maximise the chances of your work fostering real and long-lasting change outside of academia.
Public Engagement through STEM Education (HSDTC69) Run in part by STEM Learning for individuals who would like to become a STEM Ambassador, this training session is a great introduction to the many ways in which researchers can engage the public in their research.
Below: Nicholas Groth Merrild, Faculty of Oral, Dentistry & Craniofacial Sciences, HSDTC Science Image Prize 2020 Runner-up
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Podcast Training (HSDTC9) This course will give you the skills to produce, record and edit a podcast showcasing your research, and will also give you the chance to join the Postdocalypse Podcast team!
Media Awareness (HSDTC11) A comprehensive and engaging introduction to all aspects of the media, including ‘how journalists source stories’ and ‘using social media to become media aware’
Social Media Skills for Health Sciences Doctoral Researchers (HSDTC105) Learn about the power and effectiveness of social media as a researcher and develop your own tailored approach and manageable long-term social media strategy.
What Journalists Look For in a Press Release (HSDTC106) Get a journalist’s take on how to compose a press release with genuine impact. From headlines and embargoes to notes to editors, you’ll learn about every aspect of the press release and distribution.
Science Communication: Writing for a Lay Audience (HSDTC54) Learn how to summarise your research and write really good articles which are understandable to a general audience – invaluable if you’re applying for the HSDTC Science Communication Prize!
Adobe Photoshop for Scientists – Producing High-Quality Figures with Integrity (HSDTC95) For doctoral researchers in the health sciences wishing to prepare and present figures containing image data in papers, grant applications, seminars, posters and theses.
Adobe Illustrator for Scientists (HSDTC96) For doctoral researchers in the health sciences wishing to prepare and present diagrams, schematics, figures and data in papers, grant applications, seminars, posters and theses.
Graphic Design for Scientific Figures: Practice (HSDTC81) For doctoral researchers and research staff in the health sciences who want to learn how to create better figures for use in their work.
Careers & Employability
What’s Next? Career Options in the Health Sciences (HSDTC1) Whatever direction your future career takes, these sessions will give you invaluable insights into your options, whether inside or outside of academia.
Advancing in Academia: Health Sciences (PGR289) A four-week blended learning course for doctoral researchers and postdocs in health and life sciences at King's who are aspiring to a career in academia.
From Bench to Market (HSDTC101) This introductory workshop is for doctoral researchers in the health sciences who are interested in exploring business start-up, spin out and commercialisation.
Connecting with Industry (HSDTC65) This dynamic and interactive programme is aimed at giving doctoral researchers in the health sciences a working knowledge of critical business issues that impact commercial organisations.
King’s Careers & Employability Workshops & Webinars See what else is on offer from
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the King’s Careers & Employability team to help you to weigh up your career options.
Discover Careers Comprising short talks followed by a Q&A, each of these sessions focuses on a sector such as mental health research or software engineering. Search ‘Discover’ in the events listings on King’s CareerConnect.
Careers In Your Ears A podcast from the King’s Careers & Employability team, featuring interviews with postdocs and providing insights into their career journeys.
Careers and Professional Skills Programme for Researchers Further online resources from the King’s Careers & Employability team which have been specially curated for doctoral researchers.
Doctoral Essentials
How to Structure a Working PhD Thesis Folder (HSDTC92) If you’re a basic science or clinical science doctoral researcher, find out how to create and structure your digital PhD thesis ‘folder’ in this informative and invaluable session. Advancing through Collaboration: Teamwork in an Online World (HSDTC99)For doctoral researchers and ECRs in the health sciences who want to learn how to make collaborative and multi-disciplinary working more productive and personally rewarding.
Starting Your PhD in the Sciences (PGR100) Get an overview of the PhD: what it is, what to expect and how to manage a research project effectively; aimed at first year students in biomedical and health sciences, medicine, dentistry, etc.
Preparing for the Upgrade in the Sciences (PGR174) For PhD students in the sciences going into their upgrade, this session will provide guidance on how to construct your upgrade report and help to prepare you for your interview/presentation.
Writing Up the Thesis in the Sciences (PGR103) For PhD students in the sciences who are entering their writing-up phase, this session will address the structure and content of a thesis and will explore writing strategies and how to cope with ‘writer's block’.
The Seven Secrets of Highly Successful Research Students (PGR237) Find out what doctoral researchers do to finish on time, overcome isolation, doubt and writer’s block, and enjoy the process, while spending time with family and friends and perhaps even having holidays!
Above: Kathryn Dalrymple, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, HSDTC Science Image Prize 2020 Winner
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Other opportunitiesThe HSDTC encourages collaboration and cohort building across the Health Faculties via a range of bursaries and prizes, the HSDTC Buddy Scheme, and the HSDTC Annual Research Symposium.
BURSARIESHSDTC Advanced Training FundUp to £300 to support training in a method, technique or application to advance your doctoral research project.
HSDTC Biostatistics & Health Informatics BursariesUp to £225 towards a short course at the Department of Biostatistics & Health Informatics delivered at the IoPPN at Denmark Hill.
HSDTC Doctoral Summer School BursariesUp to £375 to support your attendance at doctoral Summer Schools delivered across King’s.
PGR Student Forum FundUp to £750 to support your new or existing PGR Student Forum. Recently funded groups include AEFS PhD Seminars, the Denmark Hill PGR Association and the FANS & CAP PhD Student Forum.
PRIZESHSDTC Science Communication PrizeHow well can you communicate your research and its significance to non-experts? Submit your entry in a newspaper style article for the chance to win £300 and be featured on our website.
HSDTC Science Image PrizeAn annual contest to find the best images that represent the excellent doctoral research that goes on across the Health Faculties at King’s, culminating in an exhibition and awards ceremony.
HSDTC BUDDY SCHEMEThe HSDTC Annual Research Symposium is your chance to meet and network with fellow doctoral researchers from other departments and faculties, to showcase your research through a science poster, and to gain valuable new skills and insights through mini-masterclasses.
POSTDOCALYPSEA podcast produced by King’s health sciences doctoral researchers which includes interviews and discussions of topical science issues. Listen now, and sign up for our Podcast Training course if you want to get involved!
Image on following page: HOW to make a terrarium, Poushali Ganguli, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Hands-On Workshops (HOW)/HSDTC PGR Student Forum Fund 2020
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16 HEALTH SCIENCES DOCTORAL TRAINING CENTRE 2020–21kcl.ac.uk/healthsciences Design by Susen Vural Design
Portraits by Jo MieszkowskiApproved by [email protected] September 2020
