Hiring PhD

If you’re interested in pursuing a PhD in computational biology with CompBioClub, please read the information below carefully and follow the instructions.

General Requirement

  • GPA 3.6+/4.0, average grade 85+ (Compulsory)
  • IELTS 6.5+ (Compulsory)
  • Has at least one first or co-first JCR top 10% journals (Preferred)
  • Having background from programming/algorithm side (Computer Science, Data Science, Artifical Intelligence, Software Engineering, etc.) or domain side (Biology, Bioinformatics, etc.)
  • Passion for Learning: We are looking for individuals with a strong desire to expand their knowledge in both computer science and biomedical science.
  • Desire for Lifelong Research: Our ideal candidates aspire to make a significant impact in research and view a PhD as the beginning of a lifelong research career.

Available PhD Programme

  • Self-financed and industry-sponsored students are welcome!
  • PhD Programme in Biomedical Sciences at CityU HK.
    • Monthly stipend of around 19,000 HKD (4 years).
  • Highly competitive applicants may apply for Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS).

How to Apply

Step 1: Email to lingxi.chen@cityu.edu.hk
  • Submit a Cover Letter that clearly outlines your education experience, research experience, and future research interests. Attach your CV and transcripts (Bachelor’s and, if applicable, Master’s).
  • For applicants with a primary background in computer science: describe your active coding contributions to open‑source projects in your Cover Letter.
  • For applicants with a biomedical background: explain how your domain expertise can contribute to the development of our algorithms in your Cover Letter.
  • Explicitly include your GPA, IELTS score, and (co)-1st publications in the email.
  • Incomplete inquiries (missing any of the above materials) will not be considered.
  • Please use Gmail or institutional (education) email, not QQ, 126, 163, etc., to avoid spam/trash filtering and sign‑in barriers when downloading attachments.
  • If you do not receive a response within one week, please feel free to pursue other opportunities.
Step 2: Interview

We will screen candidates and send interview invitations in late August or early September. Please feel free to prepare in whatever way works best for you.

Tips for Preparation:

  • Select a computational biology paper from Nature Biotechnology or Nature Methods that provides the public codes, and send email to inform us your choice and schedule the online interview time.
  • Read it closely and be ready to discuss during the interview, we will asked questions related to:
    • The background problem and motivation,
    • The research gap the paper addresses,
    • The algorithm’s design,
    • How the code is implemented,
    • The benchmarking strategy,
    • How the authors present real‑world case studies.
  • It’s fine to consult AI tools or colleagues if you encounter unfamiliar concepts, just as you would in day‑to‑day research.
  • In the interview, we will focus on your critical thinking, debugging/problem‑solving skills, code comprehension, and ability to communicate and discuss research effectively.
  • Please treat it like a typical research group meeting, similar to what you’d experience in our lab during PhD training.

We will identify the top candidates whose research style and critical thinking best fit our lab in late September and assist them with submitting their PhD applications through CityU’s online system.