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• How to Apply for A PhD Abroad – International Study
• Applying to a PhD

So you’ve decided to enrol onto a doctoral degree and study abroad at the same time. This is a great opportunity to develop yourself both personally and academically. However, do you actually go about securing a PhD as an international student? To help answer this for you, we’ve created this guide to explain how to apply for a PhD in foreign universities.

Why Do Your PhD Abroad?​​​​​​​

There are many benefits to studying abroad.

Some PhD students do so as a way to develop a new language, discover more about a different culture, and to meet new people.

Besides personal reasons, undertaking a doctorate degree abroad can also for academic purposes. For example, in some countries, a particular research field may not be very popular and so there may not be many doctorate options available. In these cases, undertaking a PhD abroad will open up many more opportunities. It could also offer greater funding, lower tuition fees, better laboratory equipment and more experienced supervisors. Not only would these factors result in a more enjoyable PhD, but they could also contribute to greater career prospects. For example, you will likely have more opportunities to write publications, attend conferences and collaborate with other researchers. All of these will help you establish yourself as a respectable researcher within your field.

Is It Difficult to Apply to PhDs Abroad?​​​​​​​

It’s not as difficult as you would imagine when it comes to applying to a PhD in a foreign country. Regardless of whether you’re applying to a university within the EU, such as the UK, Finland or Spain, or to universities within the US or Asia, the processes are relatively similar.

The differences in the application process can be categorised into three areas.

• the documents you need to provide,
• the prerequisite tests you need to sit,
• how much you need to communicate with the potential supervisors before applying.

We’ve provided a basic outline of the application processes below. Although this will provide you with a good starting point, we highly recommend you look at the university websites for specific instructions and guidance before applying.

Will I Need a Student Visa?​​​​​​​

This will depend on what country you are applying to. For example:

• In the UK, applicants from outside the EU will need a Visa Tier 4 (Student). This will allow them to undertake a full-time PhD. However, due to UK visa restrictions, international students are unlikely to be able to enrol onto a part-time degree.
• In Germany, most students will not require a student visa but will require a residence permit.
• In the US, applicants will need to hold an F-1 Student Visa.
• In Asia, the requirements differ depending on the specific country. For example, in China, you will require an X1 Student Visa whereas in Singapore you will require a Student Pass.

Because of the significant differences between countries, we highly recommend it is highly that you check the requirements on an individual case-by-case basis. This is best done by checking the government website of the country you wish to apply to.

General Process for Applying to PhDs Abroad​​​​​​​

When applying to a PhD position, most universities regardless of where they’re located will require:

• Online Application – An electronic form to provide your details and attach all supporting documents. You will also need to make any application fees during this process if required.
• Academic Transcripts – Most universities need a scanned copy of your transcripts when applying. You will only have to submit official hard copies once they have accepted your admission.
• CV – This should include details of your previous education, undergraduate degree and any experiences revenant to the field you’re applying to.
• Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement – A letter which outlines why you’re applying to the PhD and why you believe you’re suitable for the project.
• Letters of Recommendation – this should preferably be provided by your undergraduate degree course tutor or a professor who knows you well.

Language Tests

If your PhD is to be undertaken in English and English isn’t your first language, most universities will require you to sit an English language proficiency test. The most common tests, in order of popularity, are:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• PTE (Pearson Test of English)

The minimum test scores will change from university to university. They will also vary depending on the research field. For example, research projects related to English Literature or Law will require relatively high scores whilst projects in Science and Engineering will require slightly lower scores. To provide an example, the University of Leicester in the UK requires a minimum overall IELTS score of 7 for Law PhDs but has a lower overall score requirement of 6 for Engineering PhDs.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

How to Apply for PhDs in EU Countries​​​​​​​

For UK universities, there are generally two ways of applying. You can either apply directly through the university’s website or you can make an application through the UCAS Postgraduate system .

In Spain, Italy and Germany, before applying to a PhD you will first need to pass a pre-application process. This involves checking that your qualifications meet their eligibility requirements. Before undergoing this pre-screening process, it would be beneficial to first speak to your government. They may offer advice on how your countries qualification system corresponds to the qualification system in the country hosting the PhD.

Once you’ve made your application, the university will review it and get in contact with you. For most EU institutions, they will invite you for a Skype or telephone interview with them if they believe you may be a suitable candidate.

If you require a student visa to study in an EU country, it’s recommended that you submit your application at least 3-4 months before the proposed PhD start date.

How to Apply for PhDs in USA

In addition to the English language exams mentioned previously, international applicants will also need to sit additional exams to be eligible for PhDs in the USA. These are the GRE General Exam and GRE Subject Exam(s). The GRE Subject Exam(s) you will need to undertake will be specific to your field and will be specified by the university as part of their edibility requirements.

Securing a PhD position in the United States is considered relatively difficult compared to other countries. As a result, it is commonly recommended that you apply to at least 9 different universities to increase your chances of securing a position.

How to Apply for PhDs in Asia

As Asia covers a wide range of countries such as China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, UAE and India, their application processes naturally differ from one another. Therefore, check the specific application process for each university you’re interested to get the most accurate information.

To summarise:

• China – uses two centralised application services, CUAC and CUCAS. Both these services help international students find and apply to a PhD project in China. Students can also apply directly to a University if they wish to.
• Singapore – rather than applying to a specific research project, you will have to apply to a faculty or department within a University. Only once you have been accepted into the university department will their research projects become available to you. Like US universities, most universities in Singapore will have required you to have sat a GRE Exams prior to applying to them.
• UAE – you must apply directly to your chosen university. To be eligible for a PhD in UAE, you must hold a Master’s degree and it must be from a university recognised by their government. You will also be required to undertake GRE Exams before making your application.

How to Apply for PhDs in Australia

To apply to a PhD in Australia, you will first be expected to find and email a potential supervisor. If you’re an international student and you make an application directly to the university without doing this first, it’s highly likely that you won’t be considered for the position.

Upon discussing the project with the supervisor, they will instruct you to put in a formal application. This formal application will require the information previously outlined above.

Similar to EU institutions, if an Australian university believes you’re a strong candidate, they will likely invite you to a Skype or telephone interview.

Unlike EU universities, PhDs in Australian universities can start at any time of the year. Therefore, unless a specific funding requirement is attached to the project, there are usually no deadlines associated with applying to their PhDs. However, try to apply 3 to 4 months before you intend to start your studies.

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The Best PhD programs in the World 2023 – top universities and courses

In today’s competitive job market, choosing the right PhD program is more crucial than ever. Our in-depth analysis of the best PhD programs in the world for 2023 highlights the top universities and courses to help you make an informed decision.

While factors such as prestige, academic excellence, and cutting-edge research facilities are essential, it’s crucial to remember that the best degree is ultimately subjective and depends on your individual career goals and aspirations.

Choosing the best universities in the world (such as Cornell University, Harvard, Standford and Princeton University) is only the start. Choosing the best graduate school and doctoral program goes beyond the world university rankings as higher education is a tricky beast to try to understand. 

Here’s what you need to know about The Best PhD programs.

Best PhDs to get in highly ranked universities

The table presented below outlines the top four PhD degrees in 2023, considering factors such as average salary and job openings on LinkedIn.

However, it is important to remember that the “best” degree is ultimately subjective and depends on your individual career goals and aspirations. These rankings are based on data provided, but personal passion, aptitude, and lifestyle preferences should also be considered when choosing the right PhD program for you.

The top universities mentioned in the table are merely examples of prestigious institutions offering these degrees. As you evaluate your options, carefully weigh the benefits and challenges of each program to make an informed decision that aligns with your long-term objectives.

Please note that the salary and job opening numbers are approximate values and may vary depending on various factors. The top universities listed are examples and not an exhaustive list of all institutions offering these degrees.

Highest paying PhDs from any school in the world

The following table provides a comprehensive overview of the highest paying PhDs and professional degrees across various disciplines.

This information is crucial for individuals considering advanced studies and looking to maximize their earning potential.

Please note that the annual salary figures are approximate and may vary based on factors such as experience, location, and employer.

The table ranks the degrees in descending order of annual salary, also specifying the degree acronym and approximate number of graduates for each program. It is important to note that the salary figures are approximate and may vary based on factors such as experience, location, and employer.

From medical and dental degrees to computer science and engineering, this table offers valuable insights into the financial rewards associated with pursuing advanced degrees in these fields.

Best PhD Programs in the World

In 2023, the best PhD programs can be found at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world, including Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, and the University of Oxford. These top-ranked universities, consistently featured in the QS World University Rankings, offer a wide range of PhD programs and courses for international students. Acquiring a PhD degree from one of these renowned schools is another level of educational achievement, making them a popular study destination for prospective PhD students.

Harvard University, a private institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of the best research universities worldwide. The university offers a diverse range of graduate and postgraduate degree programs, making it one of the best schools for studying a PhD. Similarly, MIT, a world-famous university in Massachusetts, is well-known for its research programs and PhD degrees in computer science, engineering, and robotics.

Stanford University, located in California, is one of the most prestigious schools in the world, offering top PhD programs in computer science, engineering, and business. Its proximity to Silicon Valley provides unparalleled access to cutting-edge technology companies and research centers. Meanwhile, the University of Oxford, one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom, boasts a long history of academic excellence and rigorous research. It offers a wide range of PhD studies, including courses in humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields.

Other notable institutions of higher learning for pursuing a PhD include Yale University, a private institution in Connecticut, the University of Paris, and ETH Zürich, which is well-known for its architectural exchange program. Northwestern University, founded by the American Baptist Education Society, and Duke University, established by James Buchanan Duke, are also among the best universities in the world for doctoral degree programs.

The search for the best PhD program should consider factors such as program reputation, faculty expertise, research facilities, and the institution’s overall commitment to innovation and collaboration. Prospective students should reach out to current graduate students and alumni, attend open houses or virtual events, and consider studying at institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the University of Oxford, both located in countries with a long history of student activism and scientific discovery.

The best PhD program for you is ultimately the one that aligns with your unique interests, career goals, and aspirations. By carefully exploring your options and considering top universities like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Oxford, you can find the perfect program to help you achieve your academic and professional goals in 2023.

Are PhDs and research programs from top universities better?

Deciding whether to pursue a PhD at a top university is a critical choice that comes with both benefits and challenges. The prestige of institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Harvard, and MIT can certainly boost one’s academic career. There is a clear correlation between obtaining a PhD from a top university and securing academic positions worldwide.

However, the competitive environment in these universities can have negative impacts. Pressure to excel may be amplified, and competition among students could lead to unethical behavior, such as sabotaging other students’ work. Furthermore, the expectations of some professors in these universities can create unfavorable conditions for PhD students, as they may demand excessive competition and display egotistical behavior.

While prestige plays a role in the quality of a PhD, it should not be the only consideration. A well-rounded evaluation of potential universities should include factors such as the experts and resources available, the location of the institution, and the financial support offered. It is crucial to ensure that the university is well-known and respected in the specific field of study.

PhD candidates should also consider the city and country they will be living in for several years. Finding a place that offers a good work-life balance and supports mental well-being can significantly impact the success of a PhD journey.

Pursuing a PhD at a top university can be advantageous for one’s career, but it comes with increased pressure and competition. Candidates should carefully consider all aspects of their potential university, including its reputation in their field, the resources available, the location, and the financial support offered.

The decision should be based on a comprehensive evaluation of the university and how well it aligns with the candidate’s goals and personal well-being.

How to get into the world’s best PhD degrees

Securing a place in an Ivy League or top PhD program, such as Stanford University, Harvard University, or Columbia University, can be an intimidating challenge in 2023.

Nevertheless, with the proper preparation and guidance, you can successfully navigate the application process and join the ranks of some of the best universities in the world.

We’ll share invaluable insights from a recent successful applicant who gained admission to prestigious institutions like Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, and John Hopkins. These top universities consistently rank highly in the QS World University Rankings, making them highly sought-after destinations for students pursuing a doctoral degree.

As you embark on your journey towards higher education, consider exploring study abroad opportunities at other renowned institutions, such as the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Princeton University, the University of Tokyo, the University of Edinburgh, and Imperial College London. By setting your sights on these esteemed universities and committing to a rigorous PhD program, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a PhD degree from a world-class institution.

• Carefully craft your personal statement: Your personal statement is an opportunity to showcase your passion for your field of study, your unique experiences, and your goals. To make it stand out, focus on a strong narrative that highlights your strengths, aspirations, and commitment to the subject. Remember to tailor your statement to each program, demonstrating your understanding of the institution and its values.
• Be strategic with recommendations: Choose recommenders who can provide a well-rounded view of your abilities and character. Ideally, select individuals from different aspects of your life, such as academic mentors, work supervisors, and community leaders. Help your recommenders by providing them with specific examples of your achievements and qualities, making it easier for them to write a compelling letter.
• Develop a strong narrative throughout your application: In addition to your personal statement, weave your story through the rest of your application. This includes short essays, resume, and any additional materials. Be consistent and authentic in presenting yourself, ensuring that the admissions committee gets a holistic picture of who you are and how you can contribute to their program.
• Plan ahead: Applying to multiple Ivy League PhD programs is time-consuming and requires exceptional organization. Create a calendar or a Gantt chart to help you keep track of deadlines and tasks. This will allow you to allocate ample time for each component of your application and seek feedback from trusted friends or mentors.
• Take advantage of early admissions: If a program offers early admissions, consider applying early to reduce the pressure of multiple deadlines. This will allow you to focus on other applications and help you manage your time more effectively.

Remember, these tips come from a successful applicant who navigated a competitive application cycle. By carefully crafting your personal statement, strategically selecting recommenders, developing a strong narrative throughout your application, planning ahead, and utilizing early admissions when possible, you’ll increase your chances of gaining admission to an Ivy League PhD program.

Stay persistent and focused, and your hard work will pay off in the end.

Ivy League Application Cheat Sheet

Use this to give an advantage over others applying for the same positions:

• Early decision may offer an advantage.
• Inquire with the specific school you’re interested in.
• Focus on authentic interests, not just box-checking.
• Communicate your passion and commitment effectively in your application.
• Crucial for confirming intangible qualities.
• Standout letters are those with genuine enthusiasm from teachers or counselors.
• Admissions officers use this document to understand your academic context.
• Advocate for yourself by explaining any discrepancies or missing information.
• Every piece of the application matters for a holistic review.
• Collaborate with other admissions officers if unsure about an application.
• Sports, legacy, and minority status may have varying levels of impact.
• Prioritize genuine interests and diversity over specific activities.
• Choose a curriculum that is appropriate for you.
• Aim for the highest grades possible in a challenging course load.
• Ask questions about the college’s investments and expansion plans.
• Pay attention to the experiences you might have on campus.
• Be thorough in explaining your school system and its unique aspects.
• Be a “squeaky wheel” – communicate your continued interest and update on your activities.
• Maintain high grades at your current college.
• Use their first name and a respectful tone.
• Consider freshman or sophomore year teacher recommendations.
• Read campus newspapers and watch YouTube channels to get insights into college life.

Remember, the key to a successful Ivy League application is authenticity, passion, and a focus on finding the right college fit for you.

Wrapping up

Selecting the ideal PhD program is a crucial step in your academic journey, and our analysis of the best PhD programs in the world for 2023 is here to guide you.

As you explore your options, remember that the ultimate choice should be based on your unique interests, goals, and aspirations.

Consider not just the rankings, but also the personal and professional connections you will forge, the resources available, and the environment you will be immersed in during your studies.

By conducting thorough research, engaging with current students and alumni, and participating in open houses or virtual events, you can make an informed decision that leads to a fulfilling and successful academic and professional future.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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Doctoral Program

Prospective doctoral students who would like to train with faculty from the Global Health and Population Department should apply to the Doctor of Philosophy ( PhD ) Program in Population Health Sciences and choose Global Health and Population as their Field of Study.

What is the PhD program?

The PhD in Population Health Sciences is offered under the aegis of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and is awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Students in this program will gain broad, interdisciplinary knowledge in quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry for understanding the health of populations, and developmental approaches to population health science. In addition, students will belong to one of the following Fields of Study associated with the departments of: Environmental Health , Epidemiology , Global Health and Population , Nutrition , or Social and Behavioral Sciences .

Through students’ explicit selection of the Field of the Study, the new PhD program will retain elements of the former SD program including the ability to choose an “Area of Specialization” within any given Field of Study, while introducing new curriculum aspects including a rigorous program-wide methods course, training in scientific communication, and seminars providing a broad understanding of population health.

Global health and population.  The field of global health and population addresses the interdependence of health threats and responses across countries and communities. It is deeply transdisciplinary and applies advanced quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry from demography, epidemiology, economics, decision science, survey science, health systems research and political analysis to understand the origins of health and disease and to establish the causal impact and social value of health interventions and systems reforms. Particular areas of research focus are health systems and health services; and population and family health related to reproductive maternal, child, and adolescent health and nutrition, and both infectious diseases, such as HIV, TB and malaria, and non-communicable conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health.  PhD in Population Health Sciences students with global health and population as their primary field of study may choose to focus in one of two secondary fields of study: health systems or population and family health .

For further details on the PhD program, please visit this website .  Prospective doctoral students may also continue to browse the departmental website for information on faculty expertise, research, and course offerings.

What is the admissions process for the PhD program?

Applicants may wish to visit the GSAS Admissions website for general information on how to apply.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Additional Information

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook
• Admissions & Aid

The Harvard Ph.D. in Education trains cutting-edge researchers who work across disciplines to generate knowledge and translate discoveries into transformative policy and practice.

Offered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in Education provides you with full access to the extraordinary resources of Harvard University and prepares you to assume meaningful roles as university faculty, researchers, senior-level education leaders, and policymakers.

As a Ph.D. candidate, you will collaborate with scholars across all Harvard graduate schools on original interdisciplinary research. In the process, you will help forge new fields of inquiry that will impact the way we teach and learn. The program’s required coursework will develop your knowledge of education and your expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative methods needed to conduct high-quality research. Guided by the goal of making a transformative impact on education research, policy, and practice, you will focus on independent research in various domains, including human development, learning and teaching, policy analysis and evaluation, institutions and society, and instructional practice.   

Curriculum Information

The Ph.D. in Education requires five years of full-time study to complete. You will choose your individual coursework and design your original research in close consultation with your HGSE faculty adviser and dissertation committee. The requirements listed below include the three Ph.D. concentrations: Culture, Institutions, and Society; Education Policy and Program Evaluation; and Human Development, Learning and Teaching . 

We invite you to review an example course list, which is provided in two formats — one as the full list by course number and one by broad course category . These lists are subject to modification. 

Ph.D. Concentrations and Examples

Summary of Ph.D. Program

Doctoral Colloquia  In year one and two you are required to attend. The colloquia convenes weekly and features presentations of work-in-progress and completed work by Harvard faculty, faculty and researchers from outside Harvard, and Harvard doctoral students. Ph.D. students present once in the colloquia over the course of their career.

Research Apprenticeship The Research Apprenticeship is designed to provide ongoing training and mentoring to develop your research skills throughout the entire program.

Teaching Fellowships The Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity to enhance students' teaching skills, promote learning consolidation, and provide opportunities to collaborate with faculty on pedagogical development.

Comprehensive Exams  The Written Exam (year 2, spring) tests you on both general and concentration-specific knowledge. The Oral Exam (year 3, fall/winter) tests your command of your chosen field of study and your ability to design, develop, and implement an original research project.

Dissertation  Based on your original research, the dissertation process consists of three parts: the Dissertation Proposal, the writing, and an oral defense before the members of your dissertation committee.

Culture, Institutions, and Society (CIS) Concentration

In CIS, you will examine the broader cultural, institutional, organizational, and social contexts relevant to education across the lifespan. What is the value and purpose of education? How do cultural, institutional, and social factors shape educational processes and outcomes? How effective are social movements and community action in education reform? How do we measure stratification and institutional inequality? In CIS, your work will be informed by theories and methods from sociology, history, political science, organizational behavior and management, philosophy, and anthropology. You can examine contexts as diverse as classrooms, families, neighborhoods, schools, colleges and universities, religious institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and more.

Education Policy and Program Evaluation (EPPE) Concentration

In EPPE, you will research the design, implementation, and evaluation of education policy affecting early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary education in the U.S. and internationally. You will evaluate and assess individual programs and policies related to critical issues like access to education, teacher effectiveness, school finance, testing and accountability systems, school choice, financial aid, college enrollment and persistence, and more. Your work will be informed by theories and methods from economics, political science, public policy, and sociology, history, philosophy, and statistics. This concentration shares some themes with CIS, but your work with EPPE will focus on public policy and large-scale reforms.

Human Development, Learning and Teaching (HDLT) Concentration

In HDLT, you will work to advance the role of scientific research in education policy, reform, and practice. New discoveries in the science of learning and development — the integration of biological, cognitive, and social processes; the relationships between technology and learning; or the factors that influence individual variations in learning — are transforming the practice of teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings. Whether studying behavioral, cognitive, or social-emotional development in children or the design of learning technologies to maximize understanding, you will gain a strong background in human development, the science of learning, and sociocultural factors that explain variation in learning and developmental pathways. Your research will be informed by theories and methods from psychology, cognitive science, sociology and linguistics, philosophy, the biological sciences and mathematics, and organizational behavior.

Program Faculty

The most remarkable thing about the Ph.D. in Education is open access to faculty from all Harvard graduate and professional schools, including the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Learn about the full Ph.D. Faculty.

Jarvis R. Givens

Jarvis Givens studies the history of American education, African American history, and the relationship between race and power in schools.

Paul L. Harris

Paul Harris is interested in the early development of cognition, emotion, and imagination in children.

Meira Levinson

Meira Levinson is a normative political philosopher who works at the intersection of civic education, youth empowerment, racial justice, and educational ethics. 

Luke W. Miratrix

Luke Miratrix is a statistician who explores how to best use modern statistical methods in applied social science contexts.

Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor studies the economics of education, with a particular interest in employer-employee interactions between schools and teachers — hiring and firing decisions, job design, training, and performance evaluation.

Paola Uccelli

Paola Ucelli studies socio-cultural and individual differences in the language development of multilingual and monolingual students.

View Ph.D. Faculty

Dissertations.

The following is a complete listing of successful Ph.D. in Education dissertations to-date. Dissertations from November 2014 onward are publicly available in the Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) , the online repository for Harvard scholarship.

• 2022 Graduate Dissertations (265 KB pdf)
• 2021 Graduate Dissertations (177 KB pdf)
• 2020 Graduate Dissertations (121 KB pdf)
• 2019 Graduate Dissertations (68.3 KB pdf)

Student Directory

An opt-in listing of current Ph.D. students with information about their interests, research, personal web pages, and contact information:

Doctor of Philosophy in Education Student Directory

Introduce Yourself

Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.

Program Highlights

Explore examples of the Doctor of Philosophy in Education experience and the impact its community is making on the field:

The Human Element of Data and AI

Gahyun Callie Sung's journey to HGSE and the LIT Lab is reflected in her research into data and using AI to improve student outcomes

Improving the Teacher Workforce

With her research work, doctoral marshal Mary Laski, Ph.D.'24, is trying to make teaching in K–12 schools more sustainable and attractive

Map Options

PhD Percentage by Country / Number of Doctorate Degrees per Country 2024

1. slovenia.

Slovenia is the highest-ranking country in the number of Ph.D. degrees earned by adults between the ages of 25 and 64. 5% of the entire population in Slovenia has a Ph.D. The distribution between Ph.D. adults in Slovenia finds more female doctorates than males. About 4.5% of adult females have a Ph.D., compared to about 3% of adult males in Slovenia.

2. Switzerland

Switzerland has the second-highest rate of Ph.Ds. globally, with nearly 3% of the adult population holding this advanced degree. In Switzerland, men are more likely to hold a Ph.D., representing 4% of the total doctorate population, compared to about 2.5% for female doctorates.

3. Luxembourg

In Luxembourg, 2% of the total population holds a Ph.D. There are several countries tied for 2% of the population with a Ph.D., and almost all of the highly educated countries are in Europe . In Luxembourg, 2.5% of Ph.D. holders are male, compared to 2% female.

4. United States

The United States is tied with European countries when it comes to being a highly educated population. About 2% of the U.S. population holds a Ph.D. Men are more likely than women to have a Ph.D. in the United States, with 2.5% of the Ph.D. candidates male and about 2% female.

Like other countries on our list, Sweden is tied with 2% of the total population holding a doctorate degree. In this country, males and females are just about equal when it comes to this advanced degree. Around 2.5% of males have a Ph.D., while 2.2% of females hold a Ph.D. in Sweden.

6. The United Kingdom

Rounding out our list of highly educated countries with the most Ph.Ds., the United Kingdom has about 2% of the population holding a Ph.D. In the United Kingdom, males and females are pretty close to equal in higher education. Males account for more Ph.D. degrees, with about 2.5%, while females are close behind with nearly 2.3% Ph.Ds.

Another European country on our list of the most Ph.Ds., Germany, has about 2% of its population with a Ph.D. This country sees a more significant discrepancy between males and females when it comes to higher education. About 1.75% of males account for Ph.Ds. awarded, while only about 1% of females have their Ph.D. in Germany.

8. Australia

Breaking up the stranglehold at the top of our list between Europe and the United States, Australia makes the list with the 8th most Ph.D. citizens per capita. In Australia, 2% of the population holds a doctorate degree. Males and females are almost identical regarding Ph.Ds., with males just slightly earning a Ph.D. more frequently. Males account for 1.1% of Ph.Ds. in the country, while females account for 1.0% of the Ph.Ds. awarded in Australia.

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What country has the highest percentage of PhDs?

Frequently asked questions.

• What are the characteristics and outcomes of doctoral graduates? - OECD
• These countries have the most doctoral graduates - World Economic Forum
• List of countries by number of doctorates awarded - Wiki

Global Challenges PhD theme announced for 2025

UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) has announced the 2025 Global Challenges PhD theme is ‘Drugs inspired by nature’. 

PhD candidates can now receive extra financial support as they find new solutions inspired by nature to current global challenges.  

Looking to soil and marine microbes, nutrients, and venoms from plants and animals, scholars will work with some of the world’s leading researchers to develop drugs that cross the blood brain-barrier and treatments for cardiovascular disease, UTIs, breast tumours, dementia, malaria, antimicrobial resistance and much more. Explore projects here . 

Why apply for a Global Challenges top-up? 

The IMB Global Challenges PhD top-up scholarship offers successful candidates $5,000 per year on top of the UQ Graduate School Scholarship of $35,000 per year – all tax free. Over the duration of the program, there is also $5,000 support available for an industry placement opportunity and $2,000 as part of the IMB Student Development fund.  

The goal of IMB’s Global Challenges projects is to give PhD scholars the opportunity to deep-dive into a specialised topic of global significance where solutions are urgently needed. Projects are also undertaken as part of a gold-standard cohort-style training program offering support throughout the person’s candidature and a chance for collaboration and enhanced opportunities. 

The program includes training in drug discovery methods, research techniques, tailored transferable skills training and support to conduct an industry placement with the goal of creating job-ready graduates. 

There are multiple Global Challenges top-up scholarships on offer and they are open to Domestic and International (onshore) candidates. PhD applications open 15 July 2024 and scholars commence Research Quarter (RQ) 1, 2025.  

How to apply 

Explore IMB's list of Global Challenges PhD projects and to be considered, please complete the expression of interest form by 1 September 2024 . For more information on applying for a PhD at UQ, please see the UQ website and consider subscribing to IMB’s PhD alerts to stay up to date on the application process. 

Researching at IMB 

IMB is Australia’s #1 research institute according to the Nature Index and is leading the way in harnessing nature to improve global health and wellbeing.  

At IMB, you will be surrounded by world-leading researchers who are at the cutting-edge of discovery and translation. You will have access to first-class facilities, benefit from a collegial, supportive advisory team and create connections with other students through the Student of IMB Association (SIMBA) . 

For a full list of our available PhD projects at IMB, please visit the IMB website . 

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Educational Programs

News & events, epidemiology, phd student profiles, natalie boychuk.

• [email protected]

Natalie Boychuk is interested in the social and structural determinants of postpartum complications and particularly the impact of social policies (such as paid family leave) on postpartum health outcomes. A secondary area of interest includes the influence of chronic gynecological conditions (PCOS, endometriosis, adenomyosis) on life course reproductive health. She received her MPH from Columbia Mailman, where she worked on a project revising WHO metrics for emergency obstetric and newborn care. She has spent the last two years working as a data analyst for Dr. Teresa Janevic , where she has worked on studies related to racism and postpartum cardiometabolic health, prediction modelling for postpartum hospital utilization, diabetes trajectories after gestational diabetes, and an evaluation of a community-based doula program. A proud Canadian, Natalie obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto. In her free time, she loves to bake, explore the city with her partner Harry, and spend time with their cat, Shelby. 

Research Interests

• Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health
• Social Epidemiology
• Health Services
• Epidemiologic Methods

Stanford Chihuri

• [email protected]

I am an epidemiologist with experience in patient and population-based research utilizing large database schemas. At Columbia University Medical Center, I helped design and conduct studies on substance use and injuries. My research focuses on the intersection of substance use, policies, and harm outcomes, such as injuries from motor vehicle crashes, falls, and self-harm, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults, amputees, and pregnant women. I have guest-lectured on injury research methods at Columbia University and directed the Injury Lab at the Columbia University Center for Injury Science and Prevention.

Previously, I utilized statistical methods such as hierarchical modeling, longitudinal data analysis, and structural equation modeling to assist researchers investigating the health impacts of medication and product exposures. This includes studies on prenatal anesthesia exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes, epidural use and maternal mortality and morbidity, and allogeneic blood transfusion and postoperative infections.

I hold an MPH in epidemiology with a certificate in advanced epidemiology from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. In my free time, I enjoy reading true-crime novels, cooking, playing soccer, and listening to podcasts.

• Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders
• Injury Prevention
• Research Methods 

Alexander Furuya

• [email protected]

I am a Columbia University graduate student pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. I have an extensive background in data analysis, statistical programming, and public health research. My goal is to understand social determinants of health among those in the LGBTQ+ community and immigrant communities, and I hope to identify effective interventions to improve health.

I currently work with Dr. Dustin Duncan in analyzing data form the Trying to Understand Relationships, Networks and Neighborhoods in Trans women of color (TURNNT) Cohort. Specifically, I am looking into determinants of HIV prevention and treatment and identifying factors that affect them.

• LGBTQ+ Health
• Health of the Aging Community
• Intervention Science
• HIV Treatment and Prevention
• Biostatistical Methodologies
• Chronic Disease Epidemiology
• [email protected]

I am a first year doctoral student, first year fellow on the Global HIV Implementation Science Research Training Fellowship with ICAP, and an infectious disease epidemiologist. I received a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2014, an MPH in Epidemiological Methods and Applications from the University of Michigan in 2016, and prior to coming to Columbia, spent about seven years at the San Francisco Department of Public Health in the HIV Epidemiology Section. My research interests are centered around infectious disease prevention and treatment interventions, and I have past work pertaining to HIV care navigation, hepatitis C treatment, mpox vaccination, and COVID-19 coinfection among people with HIV. Apart from my role as an analyst, as a database administrator and developer, I designed, carried out, and evaluated a surveillance system modernization project to increase the accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility of HIV test results for department case investigators and outreach staff. My current projects relate to PrEP demand creation among women in South Africa and HIV care retention patterns in Côte d'Ivoire.

• Infectious Disease
• Health Interventions
• Implementation Science
• Global Health

Hoisum Nguyen

• [email protected]

Inspired by the stories of immigrants and social justice movements in the United States, Hoisum's research centralizes psychiatric and mental health outcomes with a particular focus on trauma and violence as it relates to firearms, racial/ethnic populations, LGBQIA+ communities, and financial means. Equipped with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH, Class of 2020) from Boston University in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, prior training in causal theories from UCLA (2021-2023), and previous work in suicide outcomes and emergency preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic for the county of Santa Clara, CA (2020-2022), Hoisum aims to create research of consequence for policy formulation.

Hoisum is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Epidemiology, a pre-doctoral fellow in Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Fellow (PET-T32), and also a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS) receiving health policy and leadership training from Johns Hopkins University (Class of 2026).

• Mental and Psychiatric Health
• Violence and Trauma Epidemiology
• Firearms Violence
• Health Equity and Social Disparities
• Racial/Ethnic Community Health
• Health Policy

Adam Whalen

• [email protected]

I am a first-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program, jointly managed through the Department of Epidemiology and the Environmental Health Sciences Department. I received my BS in Biology and Public Health Science in 2015 from Santa Clara University, and my MPH in Epidemiology with a Certificate in Applied Biostatistics and Public Health Data Science from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. Previously, I worked as a data analyst at the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, working on research projects related to Hispanic/Latino health as well as women living with HIV. As a member of the Spatial Epidemiology Lab at Columbia, my current research investigates how discrimination against transgender women of color and sexual minority men affects health outcomes. I also examine activity space exposure to different features of the bult and social environment and how they influence criminal legal system involvement, sleep, access to gender-affirming health care, and other outcomes. My research interests include social and spatial epidemiology, novel spatiotemporal methods including GPS-based activity space analysis and geofencing applications, injury and violence outcomes such as transportation and police violence, and sexual and gender minority health.

• Spatial Methods
• Injury/Violence
• Transportation
• Police violence
• Sexual and Gender Minority Health

Erin M. Annunziato

• [email protected]

I am a pre-doctoral fellow in the Substance Abuse Epidemiology T32 Training Program. I am interested in structural-level determinants contributing to substance use-related harms, including racial and ethnic disparities in substance use treatment and drug-related legal outcomes. My current research examines relationships between 1) state policies, such as drug monitoring programs, and legal outcomes, and 2) racial and ethnic disparities in substance use treatment access through the criminal legal system. I have a BS in Biology from Boston College and an MPH in Epidemiology from the Mailman School of Public Health.

• Drug policy
• Drug criminalization
• Racial and ethnic disparities
• Social epidemiology
• [email protected]
• Google Scholar

I am a second year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a second year pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program, jointly managed through the Department of Epidemiology and the Environmental Health Sciences Department. I earned a BS in Biology from Brooklyn College (CUNY) in 2019, and an MPH in Epidemiology with an Advanced Certificate in Public Health and Humanitarian Action from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. Previously, I served as a clinical research coordinator at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, where I managed all aspects of research and administration for the Stroke Division. My previous research has focused on a range of mental, neurological, and substance use issues in humanitarian settings. As a doctoral student, my research efforts are focused on evaluating neurodevelopmental outcomes amidst the complex landscape of mental health and substance use among adolescents and their caregivers in diverse conflict-affected settings. My research interests include global mental health, substance use epidemiology, child development, and disability advocacy. 

• Global Mental Health
• Substance Use Epidemiology
• Child Development
• Disability Advocacy

Nicole Itzkowitz

• [email protected]

I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science T32 Training Program. I entered the program in 2022 with an MSc in epidemiology from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a BA in public health from the University of Rochester. My research interests are broadly concerned with quantifying urban environmental and built environment exposures and exploring their relationship with injury and other non-communicable disease outcomes. My previous work at Imperial College focused on examining the causal relationship between acute noise pollution exposure and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations and creating a composite metric to estimate smoking behavior at small spatial resolutions. I am currently working with Dr. Andrew Rundle and the Built Environment and Health research group on several projects related to pedestrian and micromobility injuries and fatalities in the context of the built environment and alcohol use.

• Environmental Exposures
• Built Environment
• Non-communicable Disease 

German Rivera-Castellar

• [email protected]

I started my PhD in Epidemiology in 2022 after finishing my MPH at New York University GPH. Before moving to NYC, I completed a MS in research and evaluation of health systems and a BS in industrial microbiology at the University of Puerto Rico. Previously, I have worked in evaluation of CDC funded public health programs at UPR Comprehensive Cancer Center, knowledge management at UNICEF HIV/AIDS section, and research regarding HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico and vaccination hesitancy amongst PWID. Currently, I am a fellow in T32 Social Determinants of HIV and my research interest include disparities in HIV amongst racial and ethnic minorities as we as sexual and gender minorities. My current work also addresses changes in the gut microbiome and its effect in the body. 

• Racial and Ethnic Disparities
• Sexual and Gender Minorities
• Spatial Epidemiology

Michelle Smith

• [email protected]

I am a second-year PhD student specializing in Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. I am also a Lead Teaching Fellow at the Center for Teaching and Learning, and am a Trainee Associate Member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. I received my BS in Biology from Stony Brook University and my MPH in Epidemiology from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. My professional experience spans medical research in start-up companies, academic hospitals and research centers. Previously, I worked in start-up companies geared towards cancer outcomes and precision medicine where I focused on data abstraction and analysis of breast, colorectal and lung cancers using electronic medical records. I contributed to research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on integrative medicine techniques addressing chemo-induced neuropathy, and administratively managed multiple projects at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, encompassing population health, neurosurgery, and Alzheimer’s disease research. At SUNY Downstate, I began research on adverse pregnancy outcomes and social determinants of health (SDOH) among predominantly Caribbean and African communities in Brooklyn. My current research focuses on examining the nuances of the breast cancer tumor microenvironment, particularly around pregnancy and hormonal shifts. This work involves spatial analysis, T-cell distribution, proteomics and traditional epidemiologic methods. 

• Breast Cancer
• Cancers of the Reproductive System
• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
• Machine Learning
• Digital and Computational Pathology
• Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
• Health Disparities

Sara Wallach

• [email protected]

I am a second-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a second-year pre-doctoral fellow in the Global HIV Implementation Science Research Training Fellowship. I received my BA in Anthropology and Global Public Health from New York University and my MPH, with a focus on the evaluation of international health programs, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In my work with the New Jersey Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zimbabwe Office, I implemented, managed, and evaluated large-scale HIV programs. My research currently focuses on using novel epidemiologic methods to evaluate the impact of HIV programs using routinely collected data. I also perform research to determine drivers of HIV acquisition and opportunities for prevention in various contexts and populations using population-based HIV impact assessments and other data sources. My research interests include HIV, implementation science, health and human rights, LGBTQ+ health, and infectious diseases.

• Health and Human Rights
• Infectious Diseases

Dana Bezuidenhout

• [email protected]

I am a third-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the Global HIV Implementation Science Research Training Fellowship. I received my BA in Biology, Society, and the Environment from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2016 and my MPH, focusing on Epidemiology and Global Health, from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2018. Previously I worked as a project manager and epidemiologist at The Foundation for Professional Development in East London, South Africa, working on tuberculosis (TB) point-of-care diagnostics, TB stigma, and HIV prevention interventions for adolescent girls and young women. My research currently focuses on incorporating spatial and genomic data as an innovative way to understand community TB transmission and to inform active case-finding strategies in TB-endemic settings. I also perform research assessing the impact of diabetes on TB treatment outcomes. My research interests include TB transmission, spatial epidemiology, and implementation science.

• Tuberculosis Transmission

Sarah Forthal

• [email protected]

I am a PhD candidate and pre-doctoral fellow in the T32 Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program at the Mailman School of Public Health. I am also a biostatistical analyst with the Global Psychiatric Epidemiology Group at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. I received an MPH in epidemiology from Mailman in 2019 and a BA in political science and statistics from Columbia’s undergraduate college in 2015. My core research interests include identifying mental health-protective factors following exposure to traumatic events, global mental health, intervention evaluation, and research with Multiracial populations. My current projects include investigating the role of parental social support in intergenerational trauma transmission, understanding depression risk in Multiracial American adults, developing an accessible guide to Single World Intervention Graphs, and co-authoring a book chapter on the health of Multiracial youth. Prior to entering the PhD program, I held research positions at the Partnership to End Addiction and Columbia-World Health Organization Center for Global Mental Health.

Catherine Gimbrone

• [email protected]

My research focuses on policy impacts and social disparities within psychiatric epidemiology. I'm passionate about exploring related areas and have been involved in a wide range of projects. These include studies on reproductive health policy, firearm legislation, naloxone access laws, adolescent political beliefs, and suicide trend forecasting. My goal is to identify emerging mental health trends among vulnerable populations, to help improve treatment efforts and inform policy decisions. I've co-authored several publications and enjoy using my skills in statistics to deepen my understanding of these complex issues. I graduated with an MPH from Columbia University in 2020 and, in a past life, worked in filmmaking and fashion.

• Psychiatric Epidemiology
• Policy Research
• Reproductive Health
• Adolescence

Anton Kociolek

• [email protected]

I am a third-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a graduate research assistant at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain. In 2014, I received my BA in Anthropology from the City University of New York and in 2017 received my MA in Anthropology from the same institution, with a focus on historical anthropology of the Caribbean. I received my MS in Epidemiology from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in 2020. Prior to entering the Doctoral program in Epidemiology at Mailman, I worked as a study coordinator for Dr. Yaakov Stern at the Taub Institute, working on observational cohort studies of late-onset Alzheimer's Disease. My research focuses on investigating the relationships between underlying neuropathological processes and clinical signs in Alzheimer's Disease and the application of causal inference and machine learning methods to dementia research. My research interests include dementia and aging, neuroepidemiology, biomarker development and validation, causal inference, and machine learning. 

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Movement disorders
• Neuroepidemiology
• Causal Inference
• Machine Learning 

Megan Marziali

• [email protected]

I am a 3rd-year PhD Candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and a pre-doctoral fellow in the NIDA-funded T32 Substance Abuse Epidemiology Training Program (SAETP). I received my BSc in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of British Columbia in 2018 and my MPH in Epidemiology with a certificate in Advanced Epidemiology from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2021. My research focuses on substance use, including polysubstance use, fatal and nonfatal overdose, social networks, and psychosocial factors (e.g., loneliness). My work is often situated at the intersection of substance use and HIV. In addition, I perform research exploring the impact of various social and substance use policies on substance use outcomes.

• Social Networks
• Social Determinants of Health
• Social Policies
• Substance Use Policies

Melissa Nguyen

Inspired by the stories of immigrants and social justice movements in the United States, Hoisum's research centralizes psychiatric and mental health outcomes with a particular focus on trauma and violence as it relates to firearms, racial/ethnic populations, LGBQIA+ communities, and financial means. Equipped with prior training in causal theories from UCLA (2021-2023), Hoisum hopes to create research of consequence for policy formulation. Hoisum is also a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar receiving health policy and leadership training from Johns Hopkins University (Class of 2026).

• Mental Health
• LGBTQIA+ Populations
• Racial/Ethnic Populations

Navdep Kaur

• [email protected]

I am a fourth-year Epidemiology PhD candidate and predoctoral fellow in the Psychiatric Epidemiology Training Program (Director: Katherine M. Keyes ). I hold an Epidemiology MPH from Columbia University, and a Math BS and Biology BS from SUNY Binghamton University. As a Punjabi woman, I have both witnessed and experienced racialized inequities in US healthcare access. My family was uninsured for over ten years of my childhood, and we struggled to meet basic healthcare needs due to financial constraints and other structural barriers. Our collective struggle has inspired the work I do. My research is dedicated to improving mental healthcare access for BIPOC individuals. I have led studies to understand mental health and treatment utilization trends in BIPOC populations. My dissertation aims to improve mental health provider access for Medicaid recipients residing in low-income and racially segregated neighborhoods. I am also a social activist for the Punjabi community and volunteer at Sakhi, a South Asian survivor-led non-profit that serves gender-based violence survivors in the diaspora. Together, we are developing a psychoeducation program for South Asian caregivers that aims to reduce childrearing stressors and mitigate intergenerational trauma. I am also providing my epidemiologic expertise to develop a mixed-methods evaluation of the program. 

• Health Equity

Aleya Khalifa

• [email protected]

As a PhD Candidate in the Department of Epidemiology, my research aims to improve HIV programs and research methodologies for mobile populations, from truck drivers to cross-border migrants. My dissertation - Unpacking The HIV Epidemic Among People On The Move In Uganda - is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health under the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31). My research employs demographic, missing data, and spatial network methods to relate human movement to HIV outcomes. I have ten years of global experience at CDC, UNICEF, and ICAP designing HIV surveillance studies, modeling the epidemic for children and adolescents, and conducting implementation science to improve service delivery for vulnerable populations. I received my MPH in epidemiology from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with a concentration in infectious diseases.

• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Migrant Health
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Christina Mehranbod

• [email protected]

Christina Mehranbod is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Using geospatial techniques and built environment research, I am interested in examining how the places individuals frequent over time and various environmental characteristics influence health, particularly injury risk and substance use. My doctoral research explores the social determinants of injury and violence (i.e., firearm violence) with a particular focus on neighborhood definitions and spatial analyses relating environmental characteristics to alcohol related harms. I applied for and successfully received an NRSA F31 Award from the National Institute of Health National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to create an innovative GPS-informed measure of alcohol outlet density. I have also received grant funding as a Principal Investigator to study alcohol consumption, environment, and norms in the context of traumatic events in Armenia from the Columbia University Global Mental Health Council. I completed my MPH in Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University and my BA in Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley.

• Neighborhood Health
• Injury and Violence Prevention
• Substance Use

Sasinya Scott

• [email protected]

I am interested in translational epidemiology and reducing health disparities. I would like to bridge genomics and population research with implementation, specifically to expand precision prevention research and bring the benefits of personalized medicine to populations of color. I hope to promote collaborative and equitable research between communities, physicians, and scientists. I would also like to study how the levels of racism influence disparities and the utilization of research in minority populations.

• Health disparities, minority health, translational epidemiology, implementation science, health communication, data visualization

Stephen Uong

• [email protected]

I am a fourth-year pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a former pre-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Training in Environmental Health and Data Science Training Program. My current research interests are in spatial and environmental epidemiology, particularly in the built environment, social infrastructure, housing, and queer and immigrant populations. Methodologically, I am interested in GIS/spatial analyses, making R programming more accessible for public health practitioners, and machine learning applications in public health, particularly in natural language processing. 

I received a BS in Public Health and Microbiology from The University of Texas at Austin and an MPH in Global Epidemiology from Emory University. During my MPH studies, I interned for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists for teams focusing on enteric zoonotic outbreak investigations, HIV, and substance use. Before I entered the PhD program, I was a Consulting Data Analyst at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research focused on racial and ethnic & immigrant health disparities in breast cancer, air pollution and cardiovascular disease, and healthcare delivery science.

• Spatial and Environmental Epidemiology
• Built and Social Environment
• Social Capital and Infrastructure
• Urban Planning and Health
• Immigrant Health
• Natural Language Processing

Sumera Aziz

• [email protected]

I am a medical doctor and an epidemiologist by training. My area of research interest is maternal and child health with a specific focus on preconception nutrition and maternal anemia. I have worked as a PI and Co-PI for various projects to improve maternal and newborn health in rural areas of Pakistan. Examples of such projects include: 1) Bill and Melinda Gates Funded multi-country study- Women First Preconception Nutrition Trial 2) NIH-USA funded multi-country study- Antenatal Corticosteroid Trial; 3) WHO Funded Study-Third Party Evaluation of Measles Supplementary Immunization Activity in Sindh, Pakistan, 4) UNICEF funded study on stillbirths and quality of new born care in Pakistan, and 5) AKU-research council funded study on Out-of-pocket expenditure of vaginal delivery and cesarean section in Public and Private Hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. I am a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship, the Allen Rosenfield Award, and Alberta Innovates Postdoctoral Recruitment Fellowship. I also received funding from an NIH-sponsored capacity development project for my Masters in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Through my research work over the last one decade, I have published 88 scientific papers (30 as the first author) in peer reviewed journals, and I am also an author of two books.

• Maternal and Child Health

Christopher Crowe

• [email protected]

My primary goal as an epidemiologist is to facilitate the healthy aging of our population by better understanding how exposure to psychological and social factors throughout the life course may influence health during older adulthood. Under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Tom , my current research aims to evaluate potential causal relationships between structural, functional, and quality aspects of social connection or the lack thereof (e.g., social isolation, perceived loneliness) and cognitive health outcomes (e.g., cognitive decline, dementia) among older adults. 

Outside of my research work, I also have a strong interest in teaching and have experience both designing and delivering course content for undergraduate and graduate students. Most recently, I have worked as a teaching assistant for Epidemiology II: Design and Conduct of Observational Epidemiology under the supervision of Dr. Sharon Schwartz and (Y)our Longer Life under the supervision of Dean Linda Fried and Dr. Dana March Palmer .

Neal Jawadekar

• [email protected]

I am a 5th year PhD candidate in Epidemiology and an NIH F31 predoctoral fellow. Prior to joining Columbia, I earned my BA and MPH degrees at Tufts University, and I also gained valuable experience in data engineering and predictive modeling as a Data Scientist in the healthcare industry. As a PhD student, I am currently employing causal inference methods to investigate the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors, cardioprotective drugs, and dementia. My dissertation focuses on using machine learning methods, notably Bayesian Additive Regression Trees, to estimate the heterogeneous treatment effects of statins on dementia. I am particularly interested in utilizing data-driven approaches to help understand how treatment effectiveness varies across subgroups.

I have also been recognized as a national finalist for the 2023 Epidemiology Tyroler Student Prize Paper Award. My nominated paper, “Practical Guide to Honest Causal Forests for Identifying Heterogeneous Treatment Effects,” highlights my dedication to advancing statistical methodologies within the field of public health. As I continue my academic journey, I remain committed to combining the powers of big data and advanced analytics to help propel medical advancements forward.

• Predictive Modeling
• Heterogeneous Treatment Effects
• Cognitive Aging

Sneha Kannoth

• [email protected]

I am a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University. I have completed pre-doctoral training in the NIEHS Environmental Health and Data Science T32 Fellowship Program, and I am currently supported by the NIAID Global HIV Implementation Science T32 Fellowship. I received a BS in Neuroscience in 2016 from Carnegie Mellon University and an MPH in Chronic Disease Epidemiology in 2018 from Yale University. I am interested in understanding the pathways by which social and physical environmental factors influence infectious and chronic disease morbidity. My dissertation focuses on defining the role of cardiovascular morbidity in the relationship between ambient air pollution exposure and adverse COVID-19 outcomes in New York City. My previous work examined the relationship between physical environmental stressors, specifically ambient air pollution exposure, neighborhood-level vulnerability to environmental exposures, and health outcomes, such as COVID-19 and pediatric asthma morbidity. I have further explored how social environmental stressors, such as ageism, amplifies the incidence and cost of health conditions among older adults. My primary research interest includes examining the relationship between environmental exposures, factors that contribute to greater vulnerability to environmental exposures, and the onset of infectious and chronic disease outcomes among pediatric and elderly populations.

• Environment
• Pediatric Populations
• Older Adult Populations
• mHealth Interventions

Shabnaz Siddiq

• [email protected]

I am a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Epidemiology. I received my BHSc in Health Sciences and MSc in Epidemiology from the University of Ottawa in Canada. I was a fellow in the Environmental Health and Data Science training program from 2020-2023 at MSPH. I currently receive the Kirschstein-NRSA predoctoral fellowship (F31) award under the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. My current research uses existing and novel epidemiologic methods to evaluate the impact of phthalate metabolites and their mixture on maternal-fetal outcomes such as maternal gestational weight gain and fetal growth.

Research Interests 

• Maternal Child Health
• Environmental Health

Brandi Vollmer

• [email protected]

I am in my fifth year in the doctoral program here at Columbia University. I received my BS in biochemistry with a minor in molecular biology in 2014 from Colorado State University, and my MPH in Epidemiology from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016. Previously, I worked as a research assistant in the Department of Neurology at the University of Colorado conducting comparative effectiveness studies investigating therapeutics used in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. Since coming to Columbia University, I have utilized large claims-based data to examine the relationships of influenza-like illness and flu vaccination on stroke risk in young populations. Additionally, I have assisted in the exploration of healthcare utilization on cardiovascular outcomes. My current interests are in the relationship between inflammation throughout the lifetime and cognition or dementia risk. 

• Multiple Sclerosis

Autumn Clemons

• [email protected]

My name is Autumn Clemons, and I am a sixth-year doctoral candidate in Epidemiology. I have an MPH in International Health, where I conducted field research in Uganda, and an MS in Epidemiology. I also have extensive cardiovascular research experience. As a doctoral student, I worked on projects that use latent growth trajectory methods to assess how low-density lipoprotein (LDL) exposures throughout the life course contribute to cardiovascular disease burden and disparities later in life, leading to a manuscript published in JAMA Cardiology. I also worked on pilot projects that examined both chemical exposures and modifiable behaviors (e.g., breastfeeding) that increase breast cancer risk in Black and Hispanic women as an Initiative for Maximizing Student Development predoctoral fellow. My current research with Dr. Pam Factor-Litvak focuses on evaluating the socio-environmental (e.g., phthalate and psychosocial stress exposures) impact on adverse pregnancy outcomes in an ethnically diverse nulliparous pregnancy cohort in the United States. I began this research as a T32 Advanced training in environmental health and data science predoctoral fellow, where I contributed to peer-reviewed publications. During this fellowship, I was also awarded an F31 diversity grant to complete my dissertation to investigate psychosocial stress during pregnancy as a causal mechanism to explain the associations between maternal race and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the United States. 

• Cardiovascular Health
• Environmental Health 

Anna Krasnova

• [email protected]

I am a pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology and a graduate research assistant with the Global Psychiatric Epidemiology group at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. I received a BSc in Computer Science and Statistics from the University of British Columbia and a MHS in Mental Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. My research is currently focused on using novel causal inference methods, including causal mediation, to evaluate the pathways for the unintended consequences of Section 8 housing voucher receipt on adolescent mental health outcomes. In addition, I conduct research to determine the effect of neighborhood and family environments on sleep quality and the risk of obesity among high-risk adolescents. My research interests include epidemiological methods, adolescent mental health, and social determinants of health. 

• Epidemiological Methods
• Adolescent Mental Health

Kathleene Ulanday

• [email protected]

I am a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology. I received my BS in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the UCSD and my MPH in Epidemiology from SDSU. I am interested in cancer control and prevention research, with a focus on health disparities. Previously, as a Cancer Research Training Fellow at the NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, I managed a data harmonization project for trans-NIH health disparities and Native American health research programs, engaged in understudied and small populations research think tanks, and analyzed Department of Defense data examining psychosocial factors and tobacco use among military personnel. At Columbia University, my pre-doctoral research with Dr. Heather Greenlee (NCI-Diversity Supplement funded) gave me valuable experience in the implementation and analyses of a culturally based randomized controlled diet and physical activity intervention for Latina breast cancer survivors. Currently, as a Cancer Trainee Associate Member at the Herbert Irving Cancer Center, I work with Drs. Jasmine McDonald , Lauren Houghton , and Mary Beth Terry conducting cancer etiology research among high-risk groups via prospective cohort studies. My goal is to better understand the social, environmental, and biobehavioral factors, including the cultural and historical contexts, associated with cancer across the life course.

• Environmental Justice

PhD position Navigating the Leadership–Accountability Dilemma

• VU Hoofdgebouw
• Closes on 08-07-2024
• School of Business and Economics

A doctoral degree is a major commitment. Think carefully.

I appreciated reading Kara Miller’s The Big Idea column “PhD: Pretty heavily disappointed” (Business, May 22), about people with doctoral degrees struggling to build careers in academia. It made me think back to a conversation I had when I was about to graduate from high school.

I happened to run into a former track coach of mine, and as we were reminiscing he asked me what I planned as a major in college. “History,” I responded. He said, “Why don’t you take some computer classes also? It never hurts to be able to do something useful.”

I did not reflect on his motivation at the time, but my track coach was a young guy, and he was probably giving me advice straight from his own life, as a parent trying to raise his own young children. I did take computer classes in college and ultimately received a PhD in chemical engineering. I always remember that conversation as being a kind of turning point.

Earning a doctoral degree is a life commitment of great proportion. It can take, as Miller notes, between four and seven years. If we think of working life as roughly between the ages of 22 and 65, then a PhD requires more than 10 percent of a person’s working life. People need to think carefully about that investment.

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Two powerful arguments in favor of the path of science, technology, engineering, and math are that there tend to be more STEM jobs for PhDs, and many universities’ STEM departments are generous in covering their PhD students’ tuition and cost of studies, including a stipend toward food, rent, and other expenses.

Stuart Gallant

Not much has changed in 30 years

As I prepared to graduate in 1995 with a doctor of education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, my mother memorably said to me, “Of my four children, you are the one with the most education and the smallest salary.” Apparently not much has changed in 30 years.

I must congratulate these students, however, on following their passion rather than following the money. I can’t help but think that their lives, though stressful, may contain greater happiness.

Peggy Clark

Lawyers & electricians & philosophers, oh my!

Kara Miller’s column on the career challenges for people with doctoral degrees generated more than 260 comments on Boston.Globe.com. The following is an edited sample of readers’ reactions:

Lots of law school grads are underemployed as well. (PL)

So true, PL. The market in Massachusetts is flooded with talented lawyers seeking work. (Roforma)

Supply and demand, the market at work. (guk)

Investing in education and research in all fields is the hallmark of a society with staying power. Disinvesting from these endeavors signals decline and decay. (Massachusetts citizen)

Electricians, plumbers, mechanics, and other skilled technical professions have no problems getting $100k jobs with great benefits. (ramsen)

Not enough turnover from tenured professors, leaving little space for new faculty. Although the tenured, well-established professors are needed, it’s the junior faculty who are hungry and with new ideas that help build new programs. The whole graduate program model is a bad model. I worked two jobs, had my tuition and some type of minimal student health insurance and could barely cover the rent with my stipend, and the second job paid for everything else. Though I was working on many faculty projects, it was the faculty who said this would be good for me. Never did they say it was also good for them. (TravelerofNJ2)

I just retired from a tenured faculty position in science. I’m in my early 70s. I have colleagues who are still doing what they do well into their 70s, a couple approaching 80. There is no active incentive from the university to move the older faculty on, to make way for a new generation. (Lola-lola)

The next step is for adjuncts to go on strike across the nation and hold colleges and universities accountable. The current system is completely absurd. (Wordsmith2358)

Universities should be required to release disclosure data about the fate of their PhD graduates. (davidman820)

I knew an attorney who managed a Cheesecake Factory. She had worked in food services through school. As an attorney, she really did not make that much money and was not doing the field of law of her choice. How many real estate closings can you do without dying of boredom? She went into management in the food industry and makes the same salary. (Antietem)

It was always a question and puzzling to me why people study philosophy. (Blazer27)

Globe Opinion

USask Engineering graduate heading to Stanford for her PhD

A University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Engineering graduate has been accepted to study in an innovative new PhD program at one of the world's best medical schools.

Katie Sofko, who graduates this week with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, is one of six students who will join the   Biomedical Physics (BMP) Graduate Program   in September at the Stanford University School of Medicine. More than 100 people from around the world applied for a spot.

“It really focuses on the intersection of engineering and physics with medicine and applying that to real-world medical problems,” Sofko explained in a recent interview. “That is what drew me to the program. I just love that idea; it’s what I've wanted to do for most of my life.”

Stanford Medicine is the world’s fourth-ranked medical school in the latest   QS World University Rankings ; Stanford University placed sixth in the overall rankings.

Sofko’s success is based on an impressive blend of enthusiasm and aptitude, said Dr. Emily McWalter (PhD), an assistant professor in USask Engineering who has supervised Sofko’s undergraduate research for more than three years.

“It’s a rare combination when someone is that intelligent and has that much drive and vision for what they want. When you have that in one package, the sky’s the limit,” McWalter said of Sofko, who earned the Harold J. Bosche Most Distinguished Prize in Mechanical Engineering for achieving the highest average among students graduating in the discipline this spring.

Sofko also served as president of the Mechanical Engineering Students’ Association during her final year in the college.

“She’s definitely one of the top students I’ll ever have the opportunity to work with,” McWalter said.

Sofko grew up in Saskatoon and attended Walter Murray Collegiate Institute. She thought she would study medicine or orthodontics but discovered during her Biology 30 class in Grade 12 that she wasn’t very interested in dissection – a big part of a medical degree – so she pivoted to engineering.

She chose to major in mechanical engineering but kept her eyes open for opportunities to pursue biomedical engineering. Halfway through her second year, she sought out McWalter, whose research focuses on using novel, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to understand knee joint and soft tissue function in degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis. Working with McWalter, as part of the college’s Goodfellow Undergraduate Research Award program, was the catalyst for Sofko’s enthusiastic and ongoing fascination with MRI technology.

“They’re incredible machines,” she said. “When I started learning about the technical aspects of MRI and the physics that goes into being able to produce the images that you get, I just loved them.”

“The images are quite striking. The quality of soft tissue contrast, the internal structure that we can see from MRI isn't something you see as much in other imaging modalities.”

In 2022, Sofko became the first USask Engineering student to do an international co-op work placement when she secured an internship at Siemens Healthineers, one of the top medical technology companies in the world.

“The experience was incredible,” she said of working at company headquarters in Erlangen, Germany. “I mean, I was at the factory where MRI were being made. I use MRI in my research, so it was really exciting to get to experience hands-on what goes into developing MRI and improving the different hardware of MRI.”

In her research, Sofko has explored the repeatability of two methods for assessing changes in the cartilage of the knee with the application of load, using quantitative MRI.

During her undergraduate research career, Sofko twice had abstracts accepted at the annual meetings for the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and presented at the conferences.

“Getting that experience on an international level was completely foundational in establishing myself as a researcher and getting to know the research community,” she said.

McWalter, who spent five years at Stanford as a post-doctoral fellow and research associate, marvels at how Sofko has made the most of her opportunities to connect with academics in her field.

“Her networking is excellent not because she’s talking to lots of people and getting her name out there, but because she has meaningful, scientific conversations with senior professors.

“They love talking to her because she’s so engaged and asks great questions,” McWalter said.

After she applied for the Stanford PhD program, Sofko was one of 24 people selected for interviews, which were held online and covered three full days. She said she was surprisingly relaxed during the process because she knew the outcome would not deter her from her ultimate path.

“One of my main messages was that biomedical physics is what I want to do with my life, no matter what, and that specifically their program really appealed to me because of its translational aspects in that they have a close relationship with their hospital on campus and opportunities for clinical application.”

Her acceptance and impending move to Palo Alto, Calif., is very exciting for her parents, siblings, and her grandparents.

“I have a very supportive family and I have been so incredibly fortunate to have Emily as my supervisor. She provided me with so many opportunities that allowed me to develop as a researcher.”

Sofko is also grateful for the USask Best and Brightest $24,000 entrance scholarship that she received, as well as College of Engineering awards she earned while studying for her undergraduate degree. “I’m really grateful to USask for all of that support.”

Sofko expects to earn her PhD in five years and, at this point, envisions a career doing research and development in the medical field.

McWalter said Sofko has made the most of her opportunities and positioned herself well for the next step in her academic career.

“They’re looking for the best of the best, and Katie is among that best.”

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