Understanding blast-induced damage of auditory cortex in animal models at the level of neuronal circuits using EEG

The Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies (CBIS: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/opportunities/studentships/) at Imperial College London welcomes applicationsfor an October 2018 start from a high-calibre prospective PhD student. With access to world-leading academics, facilities and networks, students benefit from a highly stimulating environment where they undertake a range of additional training and development opportunities as part of being part of a large CBIS PhD cohort. Students also have opportunities to share their research through a number of media, including conference attendance and public engagement and outreach activities. Comprised of multidisciplinary collaborations between military medical officers and civilian engineers and scientists that address difficult research issues with a clinically-led approach, CBIS is housed within the Department of Bioengineering (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/bioengineering/), which attracts outstanding students and researchersfrom around the world.

Find out more here:
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/people/
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/research/facilities/
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/blast-injury/research/networks/

About the Project
Military personnel are frequently exposed to explosive blast. The ear and the auditory system are extremely sensitive to the effects of the high amplitude blast-overpressure wave. A significant proportion of military personnel exposed to blast suffer from acute and long-term hearing loss and other debilitating symptoms such a tinnitus and auditory processing disorder (APD). This project aims to identify common signatures in EEG signals of blast-injury in the auditory cortex in both animals and humans. This will allow the development of animal models more faithfully reproducing the human conditions, and will provide insight into the shared pathophysiology.

The project will be supervised by Drs Andrei Kozlov and Tobias Reichenbach in the Department of Bioengineering and Robert Dickinson in the Department of Medicine.
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.kozlov
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/reichenbach
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/r.dickinson

Application Process
Home and EU candidates who meet the College's PhD programme entry requirements (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/) are eligible to apply. Entry onto the PhD programme requires an undergraduate degree at 2:1 level or higher and, normally, a master’s degree with merit or higher (or non-UK equivalents) in engineering, or any of the physical sciences or mathematics.

To apply to the CBIS PhD programme please visit the College's admissions webpages (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/how-to-apply/) to view the instructions. Within the Postgraduate Programme Search section of the online application site, search for the CBIS application form using the code BHZC. You should then complete the Bioengineering Research (CBIS) – BHZC – Academic Year 2018/2019 form.
This should be submitted no later than 7 September 2018.

Within your application you will be asked to upload a personal statement of up to 2 pages that covers the following:
• Any initial ideas you have for pursuing research in the proposed project;
• A description of how your experience to date would make you an ideal candidate to undertake this PhD.

The deadline for applications is 7 September 2018. These will be sent to the supervisors for review. We will then contact you to let you know if you have been shortlisted for interview. Interviews are expected to be held shortly after.

For general enquiries about CBIS, its activities and opportunities, please contact us at [Email Address Removed].