Shared Genetic Architecture of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Novel Brain Biomarkers: Towards Understanding Biological Processes
Not stated
- Funding
- Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
- Application deadline
- 21 October 2026
About the project
About the Project Summary The field of imaging genetics has had limited success identifying shared common risk variants between mental disorders and brain phenotypes, this being key to understanding neurobiological mechanism for ill mental health. This is partly due to the lack of biological specificity of current available brain phenotypes. We plan to implement novel methods to enhance the resolution of diffusion weighted imaging in a very large cohort (UK Biobank) utilizing data from the unique Connectome scanner at CUBRIC. This will in turn allow generating novel MRI metrics closer to brain biology, to examine their genetic makeup and overlap with mental disorders. A full description of the project can be found on the GW4 BioMed website . Academic criteria: Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK. English requirements: IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in all subskills, or acceptable alternative. Please see our English Language Requirements guidance for more details. How to Apply A list of all the projects and how to apply is available on the GW4 BioMed website . You may select up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only. Please complete an application to the GW4 BioMed3 for an ‘offer of funding’. If successful, you will also need to make an application for an 'offer to study' to your chosen institution later. Please note that we may close the application process before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received– check the GW4 BioMed website for details and updates. If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be notified from Tuesday, 22nd December 2026. Interviews will be held virtually on 26th and 27th January 2027. Studentships will start on 1 st October 2027.