Hodge Centre for Translational Neuroscience
“Towards innovative treatments for mental illness”
Cardiff University Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute
This neuroscience project investigates how disease risk factors affect the biological mechanisms of learning and memory in male and female brain to better target therapeutic approaches for psychiatric disease.
Psychiatric disorders place an enormous burden on society yet there have been little advances in treatment. Risk factors for psychiatric disorders include genetic factors and environmental stressors. One of the major genetic factors is sex. The incomplete understanding of the etiology, symptomatology, and treatment of mental and neurological disease in women has been attributed by scientists to the neglect of female subjects in preclinical neuroscience research. This is because emerging evidence shows that differences in brain development and function exist between male and females. This evidence has been recently recognised internationally by major funders of research who now expect investigations of brain function to be carried out in both sexes. New evidence shows that the synaptic plasticity mechanisms underlying learning and memory are sexually dimorphic, processes which when disturbed can lead to psychiatric symptoms such as psychosis, depression and avoidance behaviours spanning a range of psychaitric disorders.
We are looking for a motivated person with a background in neuroscience, biomedical sciences or a related academic profile who is interested in developing their knowledge and skills sets within a multidisciplinary project. You will be investigating the impact of well-established risk factors for psychiatric disease on cellular processes underlying learning and memory in male and female brain; initially genetic risk mediated by Cacna1c mutation and subsequently extending to environmental risk mediated by early life stress. The CACNA1C gene encodes for a voltage-gated channel essential for the normal function of neurones. You will be provided with training in behavioural neuroscience models of learning, high-throughput transcriptomics analysis of brain tissue and bioinformatic analysis to identify cellular signalling pathways associated with learning and with psychiatric disease. You will be joining a team of researchers with a range of knowledge and expertise’s ranging clinical and molecular psychiatry, neuroscience, and coding. You will be supported fully in learning the skills required for the project.
In addition, you will be working with the charity the Timothy Syndrome Alliance (timothysyndrome.org) a charity whose mission is to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with CACNA1C-related disorders, to help with the organisation of their annual conferences. Through this career development opportunity, you will be able gain strong project management skills, communication skills with a diverse range of stakeholders, be provided with networking opportunities and develop adaptability and problem-solving competencies in the context of science communication to complement your academic skills.
Please contact Professor Jeremy Hall, HallJ10@cardiff.ac.uk for more information about this project.
Application forms and further information about applying to the Hodge PhD Scholarship Programme can be obtained from HodgeAdmin@cardiff.ac.uk.
Competed application forms must be sent to HodgeAdmin@cardiff.ac.uk
Only one form will be considered per applicant. You can select up to 2 projects funded by the Hodge PhD Scholarship Programme in one application form.
Only Home applicants are eligible to apply for projects.
Provisional Interview Date – Tuesday 25th June 2024
Over 2023-2028 the Centre will fund 18+ 3-year PhD scholarships through the Hodge PhD Scholarship Programme. We are currently supporting our first 6 PGR students. We intend to fund a further 7 studentships per year for October intakes in 2024 and 2025. A key aim of the Scholarship Programme is to train and nurture the brightest researchers in the skills needed to address the complex problem of treating brain disorders related to mental health. To meet this strategic aim each project should have a link with a key non-academic external partner, so that our PhD students have the opportunity to learn about the challenges of translating their research findings into impact beyond academia.
In addition, we will support the development of supervisory skills for ECRs through direct supervision of projects, in project selection and via training programme delivery. We actively encourage ECRs to apply as part of the supervisory team. Each Studentship will cover ‘Home’ tuition fees, a stipend at the UKRI rate and a generous contribution towards the consumable costs of each project.
The overarching theme for supported projects is the neuroplasticity and/or neuroimmunology of psychiatric illness relevant to mental health. We will support cross-disciplinary projects that overlap with these research themes and aims. One legacy-funded project will be supported in the area of schizophrenia for 2024.
Open to home students only
Funding will cover UK fees and stipend at the UKRI rate.
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/uncovering-mechanisms-of-associative-learning-and-memory-in-the-male-and-female-brain-relevant-to-psychiatric-disease/?p170243
Please contact Professor Jeremy Hall, HallJ10@cardiff.ac.uk for more information about this project.
