Vacancies
PhD Studentship - De Montfort University
Closing date: 20 Apr 2012
Vacancy Reference No: DMU Research Scholarships 2012 Salary: Bursary of £13,770pa in addition to universit
Address: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, Leicester
Duration: 3 years
A fully funded PhD studentship covering a stipend and tuition fees within the Faculty of Health & Life Science, working with an internationally recognised research team studying basis of psychotropic drug action.
The student will obtain excellent training in neuropharmacology, in vivo electrophysiology and brain imaging as well as rodent behaviour, providing him or her with a comprehensive set of skills required for a career in biomedical or pharmaceutical science.
The student will study the impact of administering psychostimulant drugs during development on adult brain function using a rodent model. Up to 3.3 million children in the EU have been diagnosed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and are generally treated with psychostimulant drugs such as amphetamines or methylphenidate. The long term consequences of repeated psychostimulant administration during childhood are not well understood. There is a clear risk that psychostimulants can produce irreversible alteration in brain circuits that control important behaviours and generate life-persisting psychological impairment. We have electrophysiological and neurochemical evidence that these drugs affect prefrontal cortex with possible profound consequences for cognition and motivation. Building on this work, the student will use a multidisciplinary approach to assess short- and long-term impacts of different types of ADHD treatments on neuronal activity and evaluate possible behavioural and cognitive deficits. In vivo electrophysiological and molecular experiments for measurement of key genes/proteins and brain imaging, carried out at De Montfort University (Dr B Gronier and Dr T Zetterström), will be combined with behavioural investigations on relevant models in collaboration with the University of Leicester (Dr T Gerdjikov, School of Psychology).
Further Information
Applications are invited from UK or EU students with a good first degree (First, 2:1 or equivalent) in a relevant subject. Doctoral scholarships are available for up to three years full-time study starting October 2012 and provide a bursary of £13,770pa in addition to university tuition fees.
To receive an application pack, please contact the Graduate School Office via email at researchstudents@dmu.ac.uk. Completed applications should be returned together with a full CV and two supporting references.
Contact Details
Dr Ben Gronier Email: bgronier@dmu.ac.uk