Cardiff University Biological Sciences PhD Research Projects PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

31 May 2024 PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

This is a Self-Funded/Sponsored PhD opportunity. FUNDING REQUIRED. Full UK/EU or International Tuition Fees. UK Living Expenses. Bench Fees. Read more

Supervisor: Dr B Spiller

Cardiff University Cardiff School of Healthcare Sciences

EPSRC DTP studentship in The Neuromechanics of Human Balance and Walking

EPSRC DTP studentship - 3.5 years full time starting 1st October 2024. Project summary. The School of Healthcare Sciences at Cardiff University are delighted to offer a fully funded EPSRC studentship starting in October 2024. Read more

Supervisors: Dr J Davies, Dr C Holt, Dr DW Williams

19 June 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

The role of extracellular vesicles and intercellular signalling in inherited kidney cancer

31 May 2024 PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

This is a Self-Funded/Sponsored PhD opportunity. FUNDING REQUIRED. Full UK/EU or International Tuition Fees. UK Living Expenses. Bench Fees (£60,000 total). Read more

Supervisor: Dr E Dunlop

Investigating the genetic determinants of ultra-complex telomere fusion

3 May 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

We are seeking a motivated molecular biologist to study the mechanisms by which telomere dysfunction impacts cancer genomes. Read more

Supervisor: Prof D Baird

Eliminating Harmful Cells to Maintain Homeostatis and Prevent Tumorigenesis

Supervisors: Dr F Hamaratoglu, Dr C Hogan

Hamaratoglu Lab studies cell-cell signalling in development, homeostasis and tumourigenesis. We take advantage of outstanding genetic tools in Drosophila, and use larval imaginal discs as model epithelial organs. Read more

8 May 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Activity driven mechanisms of cerebral cortex development in the pathogenesis of intellectual disabilities and schizophrenia

Supervisor: Dr FB Bedogni

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Using early developmental predictors to understand heterogeneity in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

Supervisor: Dr J Martin

Cardiff University Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics

Biologically plausible computational models of reasoning [SELF-FUNDED STUDENTS ONLY]

This project aims to develop a biologically plausible computational model of how the brain processes reasoning, including deductive and ampliative reasoning. Read more

Supervisors: Dr H Kido, Dr MWA Caminada

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Cardiff University Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics

Biologically plausible computational models of reasoning

This project aims to develop a biologically plausible computational model of how the brain processes reasoning, including deductive and ampliative reasoning. Read more

Supervisors: Dr H Kido, Dr MWA Caminada

6 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Integrative Image-Based Clustering for Robust Disease Stratification in Psychiatric Disorders

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

Supervisor: Dr C McNabb

Effects of FADS2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms on clathrin-mediated endocytosis in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons

Supervisor: Prof A Harwood

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Novel MEG-measures of oscillatory dysconnectivity in psychosis and risk of psychosis

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

Supervisor: Prof K Singh

Effect of Probiotics on Dysregulated Complement Mediated Synaptic Pruning Mechanisms relevant to complement C4 risk alleles for Schizophrenia.

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

Supervisor: Dr T Hughes

A role for cortical niche environment in interneuron maturation and diversification

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

Supervisor: Prof M Li

Uncovering mechanisms of associative learning and memory in the male and female brain relevant to psychiatric disease

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

Supervisor: Prof J Hall

Immune and metabolomic profile of Copy Number Variation associated with high risk of psychiatric and cardiometabolic conditions

Supervisor: Dr M van den Bree

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Dissecting the effects of common risk allele for mental disorders on brain's neuroanatomy

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

Supervisor: Dr X Caseras

Reward processing deficits in the cacna1c rat model of genetic risk for psychiatric disorder: biological bases and potential pharmacological rescue.

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

Supervisor: Prof D Dwyer

Novel data analysis approaches to improve genome wide analyses of schizophrenia and enable drug target identification

Supervisor: Dr AFP Pardiñas

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

How does early life influence the brain and behavioural profile of a mouse model for schizophrenia

Supervisor: Prof A R Isles

Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience. “Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”. Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute. Read more

7 May 2024 PhD Research Project Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Cardiff University Cardiff School of Optometry & Vision Sciences

Engineering extracellular vesicles/exosomes for the treatment of ocular disease

Extracellular vesicles, also referred to as exosomes, are membrane‐bound particles containing huge numbers of proteins as well as genetic material in the form of RNA (mRNA and miRNA). Read more

Supervisor: Dr B Mead

5 August 2024 PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Cardiff University Cardiff School of Physics and Astronomy

Flexible textile-based self-powered energy harvesting and storage system for smart wearable electronics

Smart wearable electronics that are fabricated on fabrics or textile substrates are of importance for next-generation portable electronic device systems. Read more

Supervisors: Dr B Hou, Prof O Williams

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Phylogeography of Caribbean Herpetofauna

Supervisors: Dr P Orozco Ter Wengel, Dr F Hailer

The Caribbean region consists of the Caribbean Sea that is enclosed by northern South America, the eastern cost of Central America and a range of islands from Cuba on the north until the lesser Antilles and Trinidad and Tobago on the East. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Short and long-distance communication in cancer: Feedback regulation of Ras signalling in tumourigenesis and cachexia

Supervisors: Dr F Hamaratoglu, Dr C Hogan

Hamaratoglu Lab studies cell-cell signalling in development and tumourigenesis. We take advantage of outstanding genetic tools in Drosophila, and use larval imaginal discs as model epithelial organs. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Cardiff University Cardiff School of Chemistry

Design and engineering of peptides and proteins to create artificial metalloenzymes

The Rhys lab is an exciting new lab looking to recruit new students to design and engineer peptides and proteins for new applications (rhyslab.com). Read more

Supervisor: Dr G Rhys

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Investigating the role of P2X7 receptor intracellular domains in cell signalling

Supervisors: Dr M Young, Dr J Parker

Project description. P2X7 receptors are ion channels that are found on the surface of immune cells, where they respond to the binding of extracellular ATP, a damage signal released by dying cells in infection and injury. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Building new nano-biosensors for healthcare: Linking biology to the world of carbon nanotechnology through synthetic biology

Supervisors: Prof D Jones, Dr M Palma, Dr WK Kelton

Project Descriptions. Proteins are nature’s very own molecular machines carrying out functions ranging from catalysis to molecular recognition to energy conversion. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Better together: constructing tuneable fluorescent protein sensors for cellular imaging of protein-protein interactions

Supervisors: Prof D Jones, Dr PD Watson, Dr G Menzies, Dr R Clarkson

Project Description. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) commonly occur in biology with ~650,000 contributing to processes critical to human life. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Improvements of asparaginase-based treatment for Childhood ALL

Supervisors: Dr O V Gerasimenko, Dr J Gerasimenko

Project Description. Most popular current treatments for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in clinic are based on asparaginase (Raja et al 2012). Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

Investigating mechanical mechanisms underlying osteoarthritis

Supervisors: Dr D Mason, Dr SJG Gilbert

Project Description. Osteoarthritis is the major global cause of pain and disability affecting nearly 30million people in the US and 10 million in the UK. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only