PhD in Food Safety and Biotechnology

Research Strategies

This programme focuses on applied aspects of advanced and emerging analytical technologies to address current issues in food safety, nutrition, and food supply. It covers the entire food chain from farm to fork and places a strong emphasis on the link between improved food safety and nutrition and improved public health.

Research Strengths

• Advanced and emerging technological and analytical platforms (biosensors, isotopic and comics)
• Animal food and feed safety
• Animal health and disease diagnostics
• Global food security
• Food and nutrition metabolomics
• Food and nutrition quality measurements
• Food chemistry
• Food safety detection methodology
• Food traceability and authenticity
• Immunodiagnostics for food contaminant and toxin detection
• Natural compounds and their health applications
• Novel and functional foods
• Therapeutic biomolecules

Special features

• Students will be based in modern, world-class laboratory facilities equipped with state-of-the-art, highly advanced analytical instruments.
• Students will gain excellent practical experience of advanced and emerging analytical techniques for food safety analysis and monitoring.
• The School has a wide range of strong, international links with governments, academia, and industry.

Queen’s University Belfast is ranked in the Top 200 Universities in the World (QS World University Rankings 2019)

140 in the world for graduate prospects (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020)

Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast, one of three Queen's Colleges in Ireland, it became an independent university in 1908 and is the ninth oldest university in the UK. Today, Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos.

Queen’s is ranked 8th in the UK for Research Intensity (REF 2014/ Times Higher Education) with over 75% of its research assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in REF 2014.

We’re A Global University

Students enjoy being educated by world-leading academics working at the forefront of their disciplines and a significant investment in the student experience has resulted in high levels of student satisfaction and employability rates.

Global Research Institutes

Building on its disciplinary excellence, the University has created four flagship Global Research Institutes which bring leading academics together to tackle some of the greatest global challenges of our time in the areas of: Global Peace, Security and Justice; Cyber Security; Health Sciences; and Food Safety.

The Faculty Of Medicine, Health & Life Sciences

The Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences at Queen’s deliver high quality, leading-edge education, through world-class staff, focused on the needs of society. We provide an educational experience that is research-led and enriches our students intellectually, socially and culturally.

Our hope is that students from around the world will join with us to both learn and also bring new ideas and approaches to help drive forward our ambitions to enhance and advance life. Queen's is at the heart of Belfast's culture, as well as its art and social scenes. We're proud to be part of a bustling, cosmopolitan city boasting a vibrant social life and rich cultural heritage.

Addressing Global Challenges

Through our education and research, we strive to address some of the world’s greatest challenges, our academic staff undertake world-leading research through our Schools and Global research institutes in Health Sciences and Global Food Security. This has resulted in new treatments for patients and greater levels of protection for the food we eat.

Faculty Schools

The School of Biological Sciences The School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences The School of Nursing and Midwifery The School of Pharmacy