The impact of parental mental health on the brain bases of early executive function development

Project Code MRCNMH26Br Holmboe Project Type The project is lab based and involves cognitive testing and neuroimaging of young children. Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary In recent years we have made new discoveries in how…

Brain-heart connections: how astrocytes shape the cardiovascular protective effects of GLP-1

Project Code MRCNMH26Br Mastitskaya Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary This PhD project will investigate how glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone central to metabolism, interacts with astrocytes – supportive “star-shaped” brain cells…

Linking neuronal function to mental health: How genetic risk factors impair cognitive flexibility and neural plasticity in schizophrenia

Project Code MRCNMH26Br Mellor Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Genetic risk factors for schizophrenia are clustered around genes that regulate synaptic function and adaptation, pointing to underlying biological processes whose disruption…

Hope in the Darkness: Identifying Protective Factors to Prevent Self-Harm

Project Code MRCNMH26Br Padmanathan Project Type Dry lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Self-harm is an important and growing public health concern. Previous research has focused mainly on risk factors and little is known about…

Quietly healing trauma: enhancing emotional processing during sleep with targeted memory reactivation

Project Code MRCNMH26Br Purple Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Why do some people recover from trauma while others develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Sleep is known to play an essential role…

Using genetics to understand neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born with cleft from a clinical birth cohort

Project Code MRCNMH26Br Stergiakouli Project Type Dry lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary This project will provide in-depth training in genetic epidemiology, neurodevelopmental disorders, cohort studies and cleft. The student will have the opportunity to…

Unlocking the causes of eating disorders: investigating risk factors across development

Project Code MRCNMH25Ca Chawner Project Type Dry lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Tackling eating disorders is of growing importance in society, with increasing numbers of children and young people referred to eating disorder services.…

A High-Efficiency and Sustainable Next-Generation Nanotherapeutic platform to Improve Astrocytoma Outcomes

Project Code MRCNMH26Ca Duc Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary In 2023, the Welsh and UK Government emphasised the urgent need for astrategic plan prioritising research in brain tumour therapy. Astrocytoma,comprising 1/3…

How ADHD affects curiosity and curiosity-based learning

Project Code MRCNMH26Ca Gruber Project Type The project will combine behavioural and neuroimaging studies (in particular, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI) in human participants. Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary This PhD project explores how curiosity…

SONIC-Glaucoma: Stimulation Of Neuroprotective & Immunomodulatory Cargos via Ultrasound in Glaucoma

Project Code MRCNMH26Ca Mead Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Neuroscience and Mental Health Project Summary Download Summary Glaucoma causes progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and remains without effective neuroprotective therapy. While platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic…