Explaining the elusive first step in neurodegenerative diseases by solving the structures of disordered proteins in physiological environments

Project Code MRCNMH26Ex Phillips Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, are strongly linked to the aggregation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). However, the precise triggers and…

Risk vs. Protection: How Microglia Shape Neuronal Survival in Alzheimer’s disease

Project Code MRCNMH26Ex Piers Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Genetic variants in TREM2 and PLCG2 alter microglial responses in Alzheimer’s disease, but the consequences on neurons remain unclear. This project will…

Functional analysis of novel rare coding variants for schizophrenia using zebrafish

Project Code MRCNMH26Ex Ryu Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with debilitating effects on a patient’s quality of life. Because current medications do not work well,…

Exploiting novel lipid binding proteins to tackle neurological disorders

Project Code MRCNMH26Ex Schrader Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Successful applicants will join a dynamic, multi-disciplinary research project at the forefront of molecular cell biology, neurobiology, and lipid biochemistry. This cutting-edge…

“You must be on your period”: using smartphones and wearables to study changes in mental wellbeing throughout the menstrual cycle

Project Code MRCNMH26Ex Sharp Project Type Dry lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary The menstrual cycle can influence mental wellbeing for a variety of biological and psychosocial reasons, but high-quality data are lacking. This is…

Severe mental illness, brain iron and adverse metabolic consequences

Project Code MRCNMH26Ex Tyrrell Project Type Dry lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary This exciting PhD combines big data and genetics to understand the role of brain iron in metabolic psychiatry. This is important has…

Unlocking a new neuroimmune strategy to treat Alzheimer’s disease

Project Code MRCNMH26Ex Witton Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Population Health Science Project Summary Download Summary Microglia are the brain’s resident immune cells. The latest research suggests that, alongside conventional molecular signals, microglia function is also influenced by certain…

Unraveling Moral Injury in Eating Disorders in Young Adults

Project Code MRCNMH26Ex Zasiekina Project Type Dry lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Are you interested in how mental health, moral experiences, and brain function are connected? Join our exciting PhD project and develop advanced…