Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biomedical Sciences

The Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biomedical Sciences is a doctoral programme offered at KEMRI Graduate School in collaboration with JKUAT and at the University of Nairobi through the Faculty of Health Sciences. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in molecular biomedical sciences, molecular diagnostics and translational medicine. The programme addresses Kenya's biomedical research and molecular medicine development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in molecular biomedical sciences, molecular diagnostics, translational research, molecular pathology, immunology, molecular epidemiology, biomarker discovery, molecular therapeutics, genomics and proteomics in disease and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops molecular biomedical insights for Kenya's disease burden and health challenges.

Kenya's infectious disease burden, non-communicable disease rise, molecular diagnostics needs, personalised medicine potential, biomarker discovery, translational research and the demand for biomedical research create demand for doctoral-level molecular biomedical sciences expertise. The programme supports Kenya's biomedical research and translational medicine goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At KEMRI Graduate School, PhD in Molecular Biomedical Sciences is offered through JKUAT/KEMRI collaborative training. School of Biomedical Sciences includes departments of Medical Microbiology, Medical Virology, Medical Mycology, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine.

Application fee KSh 3,500 for PhD. Duration 3 years with coursework, research and thesis. JKUAT PhD total approximately KSh 510,500.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, biomedical researchers, molecular diagnosticians, translational medicine specialists and clinical research scientists. They work in universities, KEMRI, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and research institutes.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 432,000
Private, up to: Ksh 288,000
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 3 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Advanced Molecular Biomedical Sciences
Molecular Diagnostics and Pathology
Translational Research and Personalised Medicine
Molecular Immunology and Immunodiagnostics
Molecular Epidemiology of Diseases
Biomarker Discovery and Validation
Molecular Therapeutics and Drug Development
Genomics and Proteomics in Disease
Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases
Research Methods in Biomedical Sciences

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Molecular Biomedical Sciences
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Biomedical sciences, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Molecular Diagnostics and Pathology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Molecular diagnostics, covering pathological principles, diagnostic techniques, and their application in disease investigation.
Translational Research and Personalised Medicine
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Translational research, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Biomarker Discovery and Validation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Biomarkers, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Molecular Therapeutics and Drug Development
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Molecular therapeutics, exploring development theories, sustainable practices, and their application in addressing contemporary challenges in Kenya and beyond.
Research Methods in Biomedical Sciences
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research design and methodology, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level research in the field.
Departmental Seminars
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Research presentations and peer review of doctoral work, providing a platform for doctoral candidates to present research findings, engage with peer feedback, and explore contemporary debates in.
Thesis Research
Year 3Semester 26 creditsCore
Doctoral thesis research and dissertation writing, involving original research, literature review, data analysis, and the production of a doctoral dissertation contributing new knowledge to the.

Specialisations

Translational Medicine
Research on translational medicine
Molecular Therapeutics
Research on molecular therapeutics
Biomarker Discovery
Research on biomarkers
Molecular Diagnostics
Research on molecular diagnostics

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting biomedical research, running molecular diagnostics, analysing genomic and proteomic data, reviewing biomedical literature, attending seminars on translational medicine, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KEMRI, hospitals and CDC for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's disease burden creates strong research demand
Access to KEMRI, CDC and WHO Kenya
Research contributes to translational medicine

Against it

Requires expensive molecular biology equipment
Ethical approvals for biomedical research can be lengthy
Requires multidisciplinary knowledge

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public170k to 432k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology432k at University of Nairobi

Private144k to 288k

144k at Kenya Methodist University288k at Kabarak University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

JKUAT ~170k/yr verified. UoN ~432k/yr (UoN pattern). KeMU 144k, Kabarak 288k/yr verified (kabarak.ac.ke).

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. NACOSTI provides research grants. KEMRI-Wellcome Trust offers research funding and training.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
NACOSTI Research Grant
KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme

Scholarships

4 recorded

NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme
FellowshipKenyan
Health researchers in Kenya
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At JKUAT/KEMRI: Bachelor's degree Second Class Upper Division + MSc in relevant biomedical field. Application fee KSh 3,500 for PhD. School of Biomedical Sciences. Total approximately KSh 510,500 over 3 years. Duration 3 years, coursework, research and thesis.

MSc in Biomedical Sciences, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, laboratory projects and seminar presentations
Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before faculty panel
Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at KEMRI Graduate School (JKUAT/KEMRI collaborative, School of Biomedical Sciences, total approximately KSh 510,500, application fee KSh 3,500) and University of Nairobi (Faculty of Health Sciences). KEMRI School of Biomedical Sciences includes departments of Medical Microbiology, Medical Virology, Medical Mycology, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Biochemistry, Molecular Medicine.

Accredited by

Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board
Professional
Regulates medical laboratory professionals in Kenya
Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Biomedical Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research at KEMRI and research institutes
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in biomedical departments
Translational Medicine Specialist
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Translational research at pharmaceutical companies
Molecular Diagnostician
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Molecular diagnostics at hospitals

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, biomedical researchers, molecular diagnosticians and translational medicine specialists. They work at KEMRI, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Molecular biomedical sciences is just about lab tests.
The field covers translational research, biomarker discovery, molecular therapeutics, genomics and personalised medicine.
There is no demand for biomedical PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's disease burden and translational research create strong demand.
Biomedical research is purely laboratory work.
The programme uses genomics, bioinformatics, clinical research and epidemiology.
Only medical doctors study this PhD.
The programme attracts biochemists, microbiologists and biotechnologists.