Degrees and Opportunities

Oxford Brookes University

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences,

Department of Biomedical and Medical Sciences

3 Year, full-time PhD studentship

Project title: Museum genomics for understanding species decline and extinction
Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU

Closing date: 22 April 2020

Start date: September 2020

Bursary p.a.: Bursary equivalent to UKRI national minimum stipend plus fees (2020/2021 £15,285)

University fees and bench fees at the Home/EU rate will be met by the University for the 3 years of the Studentship.

Supervisors: Dr. Saad Arif, Prof. Tim Shreeve, Dr. Michael Gerth, Dr. Maria DS Nunes

Project:

Background and aims:

Genetic diversity is part of biodiversity. The current biodiversity crisis is not only resulting in loss of species but rapid erosion of genetic diversity within species, increasing the likelihood of extinction. Advances in sequencing technologies, including those that can be applied to historic specimens, allows for charting genome-wide changes in genetic diversity through time.  Additionally, high-resolution genomic data can identify specific genetic changes associated with species declines. Butterfly species are particularly responsive to changes in the environment and offer an excellent opportunity to understand the genomic basis of the decline and local extinction in general. This project contributes to the integration of genomic studies into conservation programmes, using two butterfly case studies (Black-veined white and Wood white) with contrasting extinction process pathways.

Methodology and training:

In this project the PhD student will collaborate with the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH), Natural History Museum (NHM London) and other museums across the UK and Europe to obtain a temporally-spaced sampling of Black-veined white and Wood white specimens. Some field work, in the UK and Europe, for collecting specimens and some ecological data from extant populations will also be required. Molecular work will involve DNA extraction from fresh and 100-200 year old dried museum samples. The student will use whole genomic data and/or reduced representation genomic data (e.g. HyRAD) to understand the genomic consequences of species’ decline and local extinction and the implications for conservation and reintroduction. Training in molecular work, bioinformatics and population genomics will be provided by the Centre of Functional Genomics at Oxford Brookes University.  
For further information contact Dr Saad Arif: sarif@brookes.ac.ukor Prof. Tim Shreeve: tgshreeve@brookes.ac.uk

Requirements:
Applicants should have  a first or upper second class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification in Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Conservation or related  discipline (excellent communication and quantitative skills are essential). A strong interest in one or more of the following: bioinformatics, genomics and conservation is essential. EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre.  

How to apply:
Applications should be sent to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk and should include the following form

Application form »

Oxford Brookes University

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences,

Department of Biomedical and Medical Sciences

4 Year, full-time iCASE studentship

Project title: Studying full length mRNAs at single-cell resolution

Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must meet BBSRC's eligibility requirements

Closing date: 30 April 2020

Start date: September 2020

Bursary p.a.: Bursary of £15,285 for academic year 2020/21

University fees and bench fees at the Home/EU rate will be met by the University for the 4 years of the Studentship.

Supervisors: Dr Jordi Solana

Project:

Biology is undergoing a revolution with the introduction of single-cell methods. The cell is the fundamental unit of biological systems. The most common of these techniques, single-cell transcriptomics allows obtaining sequences from thousands of mRNAs in tens (or hundreds) of thousands of individual cells. The mRNAs of each cell are indicative of their cell type as they express cell type markers. Being able to study thousands of them individually unlocks the reconstruction of the dynamics that were formerly blended into tissue samples. Using this method in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, we were able to reconstruct the differentiation trajectories from pluripotent stem cells into dozens of mature cell types in a single differentiation tree.

However, most single-cell transcriptomic methods just allow sequencing of the 3’UTR ends of mRNAs. This prevents the analysis of many important cellular processes such as alternative splicing, RNA editing and alternative polyadenylation. Developing a method that can profile full-length mRNAs with single-cell resolution is an urgent need to establish the roles of those processes in cell differentiation, development and disease.

To establish this method, the Solana laboratory is teaming up with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT). The Solana laboratory has expertise in single-cell transcriptomics. ONT is a world leader in long read RNA and DNA sequencing. The student will exploit and combine both of these technologies to develop a method that can profile mRNAs at full-length resolution in thousands of single cells. Once established, the student will use this method to study the role of alternative splicing, RNA editing and alternative polyadenylation in planarian stem cell differentiation. This will reveal new insights in stem cell biology and animal regeneration.
For further information contact Dr Jordi Solana jsolana@brookes.ac.uk

 

Requirements:
Attributes of suitable applicants:
The candidate should have a degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification in biology or related subject. This project is supported through the Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) studentship programme. The student recruited to this project will join a cohort of students enrolled in the DTP’s interdisciplinary training programme, and will be able to take full advantage of the training and networking opportunities available through the DTP. For further details please  visit  http://www.biodtp.ox.ac.uk. NOTE: This student will be enrolled at Oxford Brookes University.

EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre.

UK/EU candidates for awards must have a relevant connection with the United Kingdom. 

A relevant connection may be established if:

• The candidate has been ordinarily resident in the UK, meaning there are no restrictions on how long they can stay, and;
• has been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK for at least three years prior to the start of the Studentship grant, and;
• has not been residing in the UK wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education.

(This does not apply to UK nationals and EU nationals who were ordinarily resident in the
EU immediately before the period of full-time education).

Funding Notes

 

This project is funded for four years by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BBSRC. BBSRC eligibility criteria apply (Annex B,  View Website). EU nationals who do not meet BBSRC residence criteria are encouraged to contact the programme administrator to check their eligibility for BBSRC funding before submitting a formal application. Successful students will receive a stipend of no less than the standard RCUK stipend rate, bursary is £15,285 for academic year 2020/21

How to apply:
Applications should be sent to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk and should include the following form

Application form »

Oxford Brookes University

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences,

Department of Biomedical and Medical Sciences 

1 Year, full-time, self-funded Master by Research Project

Project title: Defining mechanisms underlying nephrotic syndrome.

Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU

Closing date: 31 July 2020

Start date: September 2020 

There is no bursary or stipend attached to this project. The applicant is required to self-fund fees and living costs.

To note that the bench fee for one, full-time year of study on this project will be paid by the Faculty.

Supervisors: Dr Paul K Potter and Dr Alison Forhead
Project:

We have identified a novel model of Nephrotic Syndrome, a chronic renal disease, resulting from a point mutation in laminin alpha 5. This protein has recently been associated with chronic renal disease in patients and hence our mutant may provide insight into the pathogenesis of this important disease.

My interests lie in the mechanisms underlying chronic and age-relates disease and I have identified a number of mutant mouse lines with novel links between alleles and late onset phenotypes. Among these is the first model of a chronic renal disease, nephrotic syndrome, resulting from a mutation in the gene encoding the extracellular matrix protein, laminin alpha 5 (LAMA5). We have characterised the disease progression and identified proteomic changes in the kidney resulting from disease, but have yet to clearly identify a mechanism. We have eliminated some possibilities and have preliminary evidence that disease is not a result of ER stress caused by misfolded mutant protein. I wish to confirm these preliminary data and also investigate the effect of the mutation on glomerular basement membrane (GBM) structure as a possible mechanism. I also wish to confirm some of the proteomic findings. The fact that the phenotype can be ameliorated by genetic background suggest these are pathways that may lead to novel drug-based interventions.

The project will provide training in a number of laboratory techniques. To confirm the lack of ER stress we will employ mutant constructs that have already been generated and transfect them into a cell line containing the partner chains of LAMA5. Mutant and wild type chains will be transfected, and a positive control for ER stress, Western blots and immunofluorescence (IF) will then be used to determine the presence of ER stress in these cells and post mortem samples. To assess the effect of the mutation on the GBM structure we will employ immunofluorescence and scanning TEM/SEM analysis. Other techniques may include, PCR, cloning, Western Blotting and immunofluorescence.

For further information contact Dr Paul K Potter: ppotter@brookes.ac.uk

Requirements:
Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in a relevant area of biology or a related subject from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification. EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre.  

How to apply:
Applications should be sent to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk and should include the following form

Application form »

If you wish to apply to the DTP via Oxford Brookes University please complete the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences PhD Research Studentship Application Form.

Application and CV must be emailed to the addresses shown on the application form.

The Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) programme is a 4-year DPhil*/PhD programme that aims to equip a new generation of researchers with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle the most important challenges in bioscience research.

We provide an innovative, individually-tailored training programme that includes taught courses in interdisciplinary skills and the opportunity for students to undertake two exploratory research projects with prospective supervisors in their first year before choosing their main 3-year research project. Students also undertake a 12-week professional internship to gain direct experience of the areas of work into which they can apply their skills.

Oxford Brookes University is offering a place on the BBSRC funded DTP within the Department of Biological & Medical Sciences in the areas of plant cell biology, virology, insect and spider development, mammalian cell biology, molecular biology, metabolic modelling/systems biology, parasitology and bioimaging. The successful candidate will enjoy access to our state of the art facilities, including newly refurbished laboratories and bioimaging suite.

In addition to their choice of PhD project at Oxford Brookes University, the student will be able to undertake their exploratory research projects at any of the seven world-class research institutions that make up the DTP:

• University of Oxford, coordinators of the DTP
• Oxford Brookes University, a partner with the University of Oxford in developing regional excellence in bioscience research
• Pirbright Institute, the UK’s national centre of research into viral diseases of livestock and viruses that spread from animals to humans
• Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron science facility
• ISIS, which provides national capabilities for neutron science
• STFC Central Laser Facility, which provides state-of-the-art laser technology for experiments in physics, chemistry and biology
• The Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH), is a multidisciplinary laboratory specialising in research using Diamond, ISIS and the Central Laser Facility at Harwell

The programme is supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) with additional support from within the Partnership. Please see below for potential supervisors and instructions on how to apply.

We have many projects available which can be taken as a short term (3-month) rotation or a full PhD project. The following supervisors are offering exciting projects; for further information click on the link to visit their lab website.

Alison Forhead - Endocrine regulation during fetal growth

Alistair McGregor - Evolution of animal development and morphology

Andy Jones - Functional studies of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Barbara Jennings - Investigating the mechanism of Groucho-mediated repression

Casper Breuker - Butterfly Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Maria Santos-Nunes - Phenotypic evolution and adaptation

Dave Carter - Extracellular Vesicle biology

David Meredith - Membrane Transporter function

Dianne Newbury - The Genetics of Language Disorders

Hee-Jeon Hong - Microbial genetics and antibiotic resistance

Isabel Bermudez - Molecular Neuropharmacology

Jack Sunter - Understanding cell morphogenesis in Leishmania

Jon Lees - Deep Learning for protein function prediction

Jordi Solana - The use of single-cell RNA-seq to identify stem cells

Katja Graumann - Nuclear envelope in plants

Linda King - Molecular Virology

Maike Kittelmann - Synapse formation in neurons

Mark Poolman - Cell systems modelling

Ravinder Kanda - The Role of Endogenous Retroviruses in Immunity

Ryan Pink - Cell signalling

Saad Arif - Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics

Sue Vaughan - Cell Biology of Trypanosomes

Verena Kriechbaumer - Endoplasmic reticulum structure and function

Deadline for receipt of applications for the first round is 12 noon on 24 January 2020.

Eligibility criteria: Only open to UK applicants (who must be resident in UK)

Start date: September/October 2020

The Bursary is approximately £15,609 for academic year 2020/2021

Applicants require a good Honours degree level equivalent to a UK degree BSc (minimum 2.1 or higher).

Any queries please contact:
Prof David Carter: dcarter@brookes.ac.uk

 

3 Year Full Time studentship
Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU
Closing date: 28 th October 2019
Start Date: January 2020
Bursary p.a.: £15,009 for 3 years.
Main supervisor: Dr Sue Schutz

To apply, view the studentship details and download the application form.

3 Year, Full -time PhD Studentship
Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU
Bursary .: £15,009 p.a. (3 years)
Fees: to be paid by the University
Closing date: 28th October 2019
Start Date: January 2020

 

To apply, view the full studentship details and download the application form.

3 Year Full Time studentship
Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU
Closing date: 28 th October 2019
Start Date: January 2020
Value p.a.: £15,009

Contact supervisor: Dr Jane Carpenter (jane.carpenter@brookes.ac.uk)

To apply, view the full studentship details and download the application form. 

 

Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development

3 Year, full-time funded PhD studentship

Project title: Self-continuity in migration: Who am I in relation to my cultural past and my cultural future?

Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU

Closing date: 14 November 2019

Interviews: 10 December 2019

Start date: January 2019

Bursary p.a: £15,009 for 3 years. 

University fees and bench fees at the Home/EU rate will be met by the University for the 3 years of the Studentship.

 

Supervisors: Dr. Mark Burgess and Prof. Guida de Abreu

 

 Project:

 

 “Who am I in relation to my cultural past and my cultural future”?  The notion of self and cultural continuity presupposes that individuals must understand that they both change and remain the same through time. People experience life within a network of meanings that provide context for their interpretation of who they are, how they act, and for the identities they hold. Migrating from one culture to another can involve dwelling in a new network of meanings and these can place the individual in situations where they experience uncertainty and discontinuity with their previous self-understanding and identities (O'Sullivan-Lago & Abreu, 2010).

 

 This Ph.D. research will use a first-person theory of self that recognises the extent to which people are social beings (e.g., Hermans’ dialogical-self,  Zahavi’s experiential-self). Empirical data will be collected using qualitative methods. The research will investigate experiences where migrants face new horizons of meaning that are at odds with those of their home-culture and that threaten self-continuity. These could include negotiating change from relative-restriction to relative-freedom (e.g. a woman in a cultural patriarchy who moves to an egalitarian community, or an LGBT individual who moves from a non-supportive to a supportive culture). It could also include negotiating change from feelings of relative power to relative powerlessness (e.g., a man previously considered the unquestioned head of the household, or a person with a revered role who is now simply labelled ‘refugee’).

 

 There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6-hours undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.

 

 For further information contact Dr. Mark Burgess mark.burgess@brookes.ac.uk

 Requirements: 

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification in psychology or related cognate discipline (knowledge of qualitative methods is essential). EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre.  

How to apply:

Applications should be sent to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk and should include an application form 
( http://www.hls.brookes.ac.uk/images/research/phd-studentship-application-form-jan-14.doc) and a project proposal (max 2000 words) including background, aims and an outline of how those aims will be addressed. Applicants can liaise with Dr Mark Burgess when developing their proposal.

Completion of a DBS check is required on enrolment the cost of this will be covered by the University.

Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development 

3 Year, full-time funded PhD studentship

Project title: Mental Health Literacy in children and young people 

Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU

Closing date: 14 November 2019

Interviews: 10 December 2019

Start date: January 2020 

Bursary p.a. £15,009 for 3 years

University fees and bench fees at the Home/EU rate will be met by the University for the 3 years of the Studentship.

 

Supervisors:

Professor David Foxcroft and Dr Emma Davies

Project: 

Almost a quarter of adults in England experience at least one mental disorder each year, most lifetime mental disorder arising before adulthood and with impacts across health, education, employment, relationships, violence and crime (Campion 2019). Alongside the personal impact on individuals, the World Health Organisation reports that around one trillion US dollars a year in global productivity is lost because of poor mental health (WHO 2019).  

Prioritising childhood and adolescence is important since most lifetime mental disorder has arisen by early adulthood. Alongside this, the use of digital technology to improve mental health literacy (Jorm 2012; also see e.g. Morgan et al. 2018) and provide evidence based public mental health interventions is a priority area for further research (Campion 2019).

This PhD studentship will focus on scoping and developing a prototype intervention for use as a public mental health intervention in settings with children and young people, for example families, schools or communities. In the Prevention Science Group at Oxford Brookes University we value the principles of co-production and employ systematic frameworks in our approach to intervention development.

For further information contact Professor David Foxcroft (www.davidfoxcroft.com  or  david.foxcroft@brookes.ac.uk)

Requirements:
Applicants should have (or be expecting) a first class or upper second-class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification in psychology or related cognate discipline (knowledge of research design and qualitative research methods is essential). EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre. We are prepared to consider alternative acceptable evidence of English Language ability.

There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.

Completion of a DBS check is required on enrolment the cost of this will be covered by the University.

How to apply:
Applications should be sent to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk and should include an application form
( http://www.hls.brookes.ac.uk/images/research/phd-studentship-application-form-jan-14.doc) and a project proposal (max 2000 words) including background, aims and an outline of how those aims will be addressed. Applicants can liaise with Professor David Foxcroft when developing their proposal.

Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development

3 Year, full-time funded PhD studentship

Project title: Development of Word Learning Heuristics in Monolingual and Bilingual Infants

Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU

Closing date: 14 November 2019

Interviews: 10 December 2019

Start date: January 2020 

Bursary p.a: £15,009 for 3 years

University fees and bench fees at the Home/EU rate will be met by the University for the 3 years of the Studentship.

 

Supervisors: Prof. Vincent Connelly, Dr Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez, Dr Olivia Afonso.

Project:

There is ample evidence that infants utilise a range of word learning heuristics that enable them to build vocabulary. Research has suggested that many of these heuristics rely on internal constraints and biases that limit the potential referents of an unknown word or phrase, therefore, often allowing an infant to form a reliable prediction of meanings. However, at present, the vast majority of research on these heuristics is based upon monolingual infants and often investigates each heuristic in isolation.

 

Bilingualism is particularly interesting in relation to many of these heuristics as a multilingual language environment has several key differences in comparison to a monolingual setting . In fact, the mere principle of learning two or more languages can be considered to contradict the theories of some of these heuristics. Additionally, the study of these heuristics in isolation does not present a realistic representation of how infants are exposed to information and cues in their environment (e.g., combining referential cues with syntactic cues)

 

A PhD in this area would aim to further understanding of the development of word learning heuristics in monolingual and bilingual infants. This could include whether these populations demonstrate different patterns in the development and use of word learning heuristics, or how they combine information from different sources to form word meaning predictions. The successful applicant will be expected to design and run studies, analyse and interpret experimental data. There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration. 

For further information contact:

 

 Dr Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez n.gonzalez-gomez@brookes.ac.uk

 

 

 Requirements:
Applicants should have (or be expecting) a first class or upper second class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification in psychology or related cognate discipline (knowledge of research design and statistics is essential). EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre. We are prepared to consider alternative acceptable evidence of English Language ability.

How to apply:
Applications should be sent to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk and should include an application form
( http://www.hls.brookes.ac.uk/images/research/phd-studentship-application-form-jan-14.doc) and a project proposal (max 2000 words) including background, aims and an outline of how those aims will be addressed. Applicants can liaise with Professor Vincent Connelly  when developing their proposal.

Completion of a DBS check is required on enrolment the cost of this will be covered by the University.

Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development

3 Year, full-time funded PhD studentship

Project title:  How do I get past this? Understanding the relationship between perceptual judgement and movement execution

Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU

Closing date: 14 November 2019

Interviews: 10 December 2019

Start date: January 2020 

Bursary p.a: £15,009 for 3 years

University fees and bench fees at the Home/EU rate will be met by the University for the 3 years of the Studentship.

 

Supervisors: Dr Kate Wilmut, Dr Clare Rathbone and Professor Anna Barnett

Project:

Moving safely around our environment without collision or incident involves numerous complex processes including the movement we choose to make. For example, when faced with a narrow gap, can we squeeze through or should we go around? When considering factors which constrain these decisions body size is clearly important, but additional factors such as movement capabilities (Wilmut and Barnett, 2010; 2011) and emotional state (Riener et al., 2011) also play a role.   

Wilmut, Du and Barnett (2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SABXFrAJtF8) further demonstrate that our judgement of what we say we would do (perception) can be different from what we actually do (action). Unpublished data from this project demonstrate that movement ability constrains action but not perception in a population with a movement difficulty. Further unpublished work, has found that state anxiety influences perception but not action in an adult population. In combination these findings highlight a complex interplay between perception and action and the factors which constrain these.

A PhD in this area would focus on factors which mediate the relationship between perception and action. Such factors could include emotional state for different populations, the interplay between movement ability and emotion, the relationship between emotion and self-efficacy. Such a project could be carried out in children and/or adults. The successful applicant will be expected to design, run and analyse experimental data exploring motor control using motion capture equipment to measure movement. There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration. 

For further information contact Dr Kate Wilmut: k.wilmut@brookes.ac.uk

Requirements:
Applicants should have (or be expecting) a first or upper second class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification in psychology or related cognate discipline (knowledge of research design and statistics is essential). EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate  (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre.  

How to apply:
Applications should be sent to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk and should include an application form                     
( http://www.hls.brookes.ac.uk/images/research/phd-studentship-application-form-jan-14.doc) and a project proposal (max 2000 words) including background, aims and an outline of how those aims will be addressed.  Applicants can liaise with Dr Kate Wilmut when developing their proposal. 

Completion of a DBS check is required on enrolment the cost of this will be covered by the University.

Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development

3 Year, full-time funded PhD studentship

Project title:  Self and emotion in depression

Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants who must be permanently resident in UK/EU

Closing date: 14 November 2019

Interviews: 10 December 2019

Start date: January 2020

Bursary p.a. £15,009 for 3 years 

University fees and bench fees at the Home/EU rate will be met by the University for the 3 years of the Studentship.

 

Supervisors:  Dr Sanjay Kumar & Dr Michael Pilling

Project:

A range of research has indicated a bias for information associated with self in attention, perception and memory [Stole, Humphreys, Yankouskaya, & Sui (2017); Sui & Humphreys, (2015); Zhou, Guo, Ma, Zhang, Liu, Feng, Zhong (2017)]. Similar biases have also been observed with emotional stimuli. Some studies from our lab indicate that individuals show self-related bias in attention and memory and they can integrate self and positive emotion information to show even larger self-biases. In a recent study (under preparation) we have shown that individuals with depression show systematically reduced self-biases for both happy and sad emotional stimuli.

 

The research will extend this line of investigation. The PhD candidate’s research project will investigate the role of self and emotion in biased information processing in individuals with depression using behavioural experiments, EEG/ERP and TMS.  The project will be supervised by Dr Sanjay Kumar and Dr Michael Pilling at Oxford Brookes University. The successful candidate would be expected to present at scientific meetings and publish.  There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.

For further information contact Dr Sanjay Kumar (skumar@brookes.ac.uk)

 

Requirements:
Applicants should have (or be expecting) a first class or upper second class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or MSc or acceptable equivalent qualification in psychology or related cognate discipline (neuroscience, engineering, physics, mathematics or natural sciences). The candidate should be able to work with varied groups of patient populations, if required, and be interested in learning EEG/ERP methods.  EU Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre. We are prepared to consider alternative acceptable evidence of English Language ability.

How to apply:
Applications should be sent to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.ukand should include an application form
( http://www.hls.brookes.ac.uk/images/research/phd-studentship-application-form-jan-14.doc) and a project proposal (max 2000 words) including background, aims and an outline of how those aims will be addressed. Applicants can liaise with Dr Sanjay Kumar when developing their proposal.

Completion of a DBS check is required on enrolment the cost of this will be covered by the University.

Masters (MSc) by Research one year, full-time Studentship sponsored by Slimming World

Bursary: £14,777 for academic year 2018/2019

Fees: Tuition fees will be paid by the University

Closing date: 28 November 2018, 5.00pm

Interview Date(s): 4 or 10 December 2018

Start date: 21 January 2019

Project Title: The effects of ready meal consumption on appetite, satiety and subsequent food intake

Director of Studies and main supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillier

2nd supervisor: Dr Helen Lightowler

Eligibility: Applicants require a good Honours degree (2.1 or equivalent) in Nutrition or related subject. Applicants must have or be eligible for AfN registration as a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ARNutr). Home UK, EU only are eligible to apply.

Project Description:

In the last year alone, UK consumers have spent over £1.6 billion on supermarket ready meals. Statistica Consumer Goods predicts a market value growth in the ready meal industry of 19.5% between the years 2015-2019. Previous research investigating the composition of supermarket ready meals has found them to be high in protein, fat, saturated fat, whilst low in carbohydrates. As current NHS guidelines on weight management highlight decreasing fat intake, especially saturated fat, it is important to develop products that align more with NHS guidelines, whilst keeping consumers satiated and satisfied.

This project aims to explore the scientific principles of satiety and energy density in a new range of commercially available ready meals and is sponsored by Slimming World.

The project will be based in the Centre for Nutrition and Health at Oxford Brookes University. Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition and Health undertakes leading edge research focused on tackling overweight and obesity, improving glycaemic control and reducing inflammation, thereby helping to improve the health and well-being of the global population. /shssw/nutrition/research/oxbcnh/

For further information on the project please email: Dr Sarah E Hillier sarahhillier@brookes.ac.uk

How to apply:

Email the Research Administrator alangford@brookes.ac.uk for an application pack. Completed application forms should be returned to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk by the deadline.

Three years, full time PhD Research Studentship in Centre for Movement, Occupational and Rehabilitation Sciences

Project Title: EPIC: Exercise, Physiology, Imaging and Cardiometabolism

Eligibility: UK/EU

Bursary: £14,777 (2018/2019)

Fees: Tuition fees will be paid for by the University

Closing Date: 09 December 2018, 5pm

Start date: 08 April 2019

 

How to apply:

Completed application forms should be emailed to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk together with a CV.

Requirements:

Applicant must hold a UK/EU passport and a degree in a discipline related to the expectations of the role. For full details of entry requirements please visit the Postgraduate Courses Entry Requirements.

Project description:

For this studentship, the successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary research team at the Centre for Movement, Occupational and Rehabilitation Sciences (MOReS) working on a pioneering new University of Oxford study, “OxSOCRATES”, that addresses the origins of cardiovascular disease in the young and, in particular, how sedentary behaviour and obesity contribute to early disease development.

The study is the first of its kind to be funded by the British Heart Foundation and is under the overall leadership of the Principal Investigator, Dr. Alexander Jones (Paediatric Cardiologist and Senior Clinical Scientist, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford), who brings expertise in the early cardiometabolic abnormalities of childhood that precede established adult cardiovascular disease, and works in close collaboration with Professor Helen Dawes (Director of MOReS, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University), who brings a wealth of expertise from her studies of children’s exercise physiology in the Oxfordshire region.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• engage with and visit participating schools
• provide an exercise intervention and ongoing support to participating schools
• participate fully in relevant research activities
• present at relevant scientific meetings and to publish their work

Appropriate training relevant to undertaking a PhD will be provided as well as an honorary contract with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Any successful candidate will be subject to a DBS search once they enrol. In view of checking procedures they will be required to exhibit specified documents: 

https://www.gov.uk/criminal-record-check-documents

For further information on the project please e-mail Professor Helen Dawes hdawes@brookes.ac.uk or Dr Alexander Jones alexander.jones@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk.