Don't miss our weekly PhD newsletter | Sign up now Don't miss our weekly PhD newsletter | Sign up now

  PhD Opportunity - Synaptic plasticity deficits in schizophrenia


   College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences

  Prof Brian Morris  Applications accepted all year round  Self-Funded PhD Students Only

About the Project

'TO APPLY, PLEASE CLICK INSTITUTION WEBSITE'

Project outline: Schizophrenia is a common and severe disease with a strong genetic influence. A number of functionally-related genes are believed to interact with environmental factors, such as stress or infection during early development (in utero), to cause the disease. We have recently identified a gene involved in glutamatergic signalling in the CNS that shows strong genetic association with schizophrenia. This gene becomes especially interesting, considering that it is also activated during maternal exposure to infection during pregnancy. This project aims to test the hypothesis that dysfunction in this gene mediates stress and immune influences on disease risk, and contributes to the neurochemical and cognitive impairments of the disease. 

Summary aim: To determine the extent to which the gene is involved in synaptic plasticity in the CNS, and in stress and immune responses, and whether gene deficiency produces cortical GABAergic deficits, impairs glutamatergic signalling or produces behavioural changes characteristic of schizophrenia (deficits in working memory and attentional processing).

Techniques to be used: A variety of molecular, cellular and systems level techniques will be used, including

  • Neuronal and microglial cell cultures
  • gene transfection
  • immunofluorescence
  • RT-PCR
  • western blotting
  • mouse behavioural analysis.

APPLY VIA UofG WEBSITE

Biological Sciences (4) Medicine (26)

Where will I study?

Search Suggestions
Search suggestions

Based on your current searches we recommend the following search filters.