Doctor of Philosophy – PhD

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy signifies that the holder has undertaken a substantial piece of original research which has been conducted and reported by the holder under proper academic supervision and in a research environment for a prescribed period.

In scope, the thesis differs from a research Masters thesis chiefly by its deeper and more comprehensive treatment of its subject. The thesis demonstrates authority in the candidate’s field and shows evidence of command of knowledge in relevant fields.

It shows that the candidate has a thorough grasp of the appropriate methodological techniques and an awareness of their limitations.

It makes a distinct contribution to knowledge.

Its contribution to knowledge rests on originality of approach and/or interpretation of the findings and, in some cases, the discovery of new facts.

It demonstrates an ability to communicate research findings effectively in the professional arena and in an international context.

It is a careful, rigorous and sustained piece of work demonstrating that a research 'apprenticeship' is complete and the holder is admitted to the community of scholars in the discipline.

Current projects

We are currently offering the following PhD projects

Investigating the genetic basis of AMD
A number of genes are now associated with this disease. The project will investigate these as well as novel genes for their involvement in AMD using a deep patient database repository.

Identifying genes for myopia in twins
We have collected one of the world's largest twin cohorts for the study of myopia. Discordant twin pairs will be genotyped and QTL mapping undertaken to identify regions containing genes involved in refraction and biometric parameters. Epigenetic phenomenon will also be explored in discordant identical twins.

Please contact Paul Baird for further information.

Application procedure and admission requirements

The Department of Ophthalmology welcomes applications from international and local students to study for a higher degree by research. PhD candidature is administered by the School of Graduate Studies, visit: http://www.sgs.unimelb.edu.au/prospectivepg/ for information on how to apply; scholarships; forms; the PhD Handbook; and PhD timeline.

See also the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences for details of research areas; entrance requirements; and information for international students: http://www.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/courses/postgrad/apply.html