Location:
The University of Exeter’s College of Medicine and Health is inviting applications for a fully-funded PhD studentship to commence in January 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter. For eligible students the studentship will cover Home tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £16,062 for 3.5 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in the College of Medicine and Health at the Research, Innovation, Learning and Development (RILD) Building (Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital) in Exeter.
Project Description:
A PhD studentship is available to study the molecular underpinnings of schizophrenia using single-cell RNA sequencing and bioinformatics.
Exeter’s Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Science performs leading research into the genomics of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders using interdisciplinary methods combining human genomics with studies of gene regulation. This PhD project will focus on modelling the effects of major schizophrenia risk variants in mice and quantifying their effects on neuronal synapses as the brain develops. State-of-the-art approaches for sequencing gene activity in single cells will be used in conjunction with ribosome profiling and electrophysiological characterisation. Analysis of the resulting large-scale datasets will enable the student to develop skills in bioinformatics, taking advantage of high-performance computing provision at Exeter.
Schizophrenia is a leading cause of disability among young adults and many patients remain poorly treated by current antipsychotics. Large-scale genetic studies have revealed hundreds of genomic regions that influence susceptibility to schizophrenia. Identifying common biological processes affected by these genetic variants is key to identifying new therapies. There is growing evidence for the importance of synaptic genes in schizophrenia, whose activity is dynamically regulated during brain development through local protein synthesis. The PhD project will use rodent models to build on recent discoveries in psychiatric genetics to predict when and where sets of synaptic RNA transcripts may be most affected in schizophrenia.
The studentship will be linked to a research Fellowship (Career Development Award) funded by the Medical Research Council to Dr Nicholas Clifton. We are fortunate to work with several leading international researchers and consortia with access to cutting edge datasets, giving the chance for travel and collaboration.The student will be part of an active and supportive research group with opportunity for publishing work in top scientific journals.
This award provides annual funding to cover Home tuition fees and a tax-free stipend. For students who pay Home tuition fees the award will cover the tuition fees in full, plus at least £16,062 per year tax-free stipend. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply, but should note that the award will only provide payment for part of the international tuition fee and no stipend.
International applicants need to be aware that you will have to cover the cost of your student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD.
The conditions for eligibility of home fees status are complex and you will need to seek advice if you have moved to or from the UK (or Republic of Ireland) within the past 3 years or have applied for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Entry Requirements:
We are interested in receiving applications from individuals who can demonstrate an enthusiasm to pursue research into psychiatric genomics and have some experience in molecular biology and/or bioinformatics.
Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology.
If English is not your first language you will need to meet the required level (Profile C) as per our guidance at https://www.exeter.ac.uk/pg-research/apply/english/
How to apply
In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents.
• CV
• Letter of application (outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project).
• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained (this should be an interim transcript if you are still studying)
• Names of two referees familiar with your academic work. You are not required to obtain references yourself. We will request references directly from your referees if you are shortlisted.
• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your proficiency in English.
The closing date for applications is midnight on 30th June 2022.
If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email [Email Address Removed] or phone 0300 555 60 60 (UK callers) +44 (0) 1392 723044 (EU/International callers).
Project-specific queries should be directed to the main supervisor ([Email Address Removed]).
For further information and to submit an application please visit - https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/award/?id=4473
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