Postgraduate Projects

Neurobiology of consciousness (PhD/MPhil)

How does subjective experience emerge from the activity of billions of neurons? Why does consciousness disappear during anaesthesia, become profoundly altered by psychedelic drugs, and sometimes endure despite severe brain injury? These questions lie at the heart of one of the greatest unsolved problems in science.

Our research combines neuroimaging and computational neuroscience to uncover the principles that make conscious experience possible. Recent work from the group suggests that consciousness depends not simply on activity within individual brain regions, but on the brain's capacity to integrate information and coordinate communication across large-scale networks. We investigate these mechanisms across a wide range of altered states, including anaesthesia, psychedelics and disorders of consciousness following severe brain injury.

Current projects utilise multimodal MRI and EEG data alongside cutting-edge approaches such as network neuroscience, machine learning and whole-brain computational modelling. By comparing diverse states of consciousness, we aim to identify fundamental organisational principles that generalise across both healthy and pathological brain function.

Students joining this programme will contribute to an internationally recognised effort to understand one of the deepest questions in neuroscience while developing expertise in advanced neuroimaging, data science and computational modelling. Experience with neuroimaging, network analysis or scientific programming (Python, MATLAB, Linux) would be advantageous.

Neuromodulatory effects of monoaminergic brainstem nuclei on large scale brain networks - Ultra-High-Field MRI (PhD/MPhil)

A remarkably small number of neurons located deep within the brain produce neurotransmitters that influence almost every aspect of human experience, from attention and memory to emotion, cognition and conscious awareness. Yet many fundamental questions about how these systems shape brain function remain unanswered. 

Our research seeks to understand how neuromodulatory systems, including the dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic pathways, influence the large-scale organisation of the human brain. Previous work from our group has identified disruptions in dopaminergic signalling during anaesthesia and disorders of consciousness, while more recent studies have linked large-scale brain dynamics to underlying neurotransmitter systems and molecular architecture. 

Using ultra-high-field 7T MRI, pharmacological neuroimaging and advanced network modelling, students will investigate how chemical signalling systems coordinate activity across distributed brain networks. The projects sit at the intersection of molecular neuroscience, brain imaging and clinical translation, offering a unique opportunity to connect mechanisms operating at vastly different scales. 

The long-term goal is to identify biological pathways that can be targeted to improve cognition, support recovery after brain injury and inform future therapeutic interventions. Strong quantitative, neuroimaging and programming skills are highly desirable.

Neurobiology of Traumatic Brain Injury (PhD/MPhil)

Every year millions of people sustain traumatic brain injuries, yet predicting who will recover and who will experience long-term disability remains one of the major challenges in clinical neuroscience. Conventional imaging often provides only part of the picture. The brain can appear structurally intact while profound alterations in cognition, mood and behaviour persist. 

Our work approaches traumatic brain injury as a disorder of brain networks. Using advanced MRI methods and unique datasets from the international CENTER-TBI consortium, we study how injuries disrupt communication across the brain and how these disruptions relate to recovery, cognitive function and quality of life. Recent findings have highlighted the critical role of thalamic networks in determining long-term outcomes and identified novel biomarkers associated with persistent symptoms following injury. 

Projects within this theme will explore the mechanisms underlying recovery and resilience, investigate the effects of repeated injury, and evaluate interventions designed to restore network function. The work combines fundamental neuroscience with direct clinical relevance and offers the opportunity to contribute to research that could transform how recovery is predicted and managed. 

Students will gain experience in advanced neuroimaging, computational analysis and translational neuroscience while working with some of the most comprehensive TBI datasets currently available.

Biomarkers for Risk and Clinical Outcome Prediction of Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction (PhD/MPhil)

For many older patients, successful surgery is only the beginning of recovery. Postoperative delirium and longer-lasting cognitive decline can have profound effects on independence, wellbeing and quality of life. Understanding why some individuals are particularly vulnerable remains an important challenge for modern medicine. 

Through our involvement in the European BioCog programme, we investigate how the organisation of the brain before surgery influences cognitive outcomes afterwards. By combining diffusion MRI, functional MRI, cognitive assessment and clinical phenotyping, we seek to identify the biological factors that place certain patients at elevated risk of postoperative cognitive disorders. 

Recent work has revealed structural network abnormalities associated with postoperative delirium and contributed to predictive models capable of estimating individual patient risk. Building on these advances, current projects focus on developing robust neuroimaging biomarkers that can support personalised and preventative approaches to perioperative care. 

These studies offer the opportunity to work on research with immediate clinical relevance, helping to bridge the gap between neuroscience discovery and improvements in patient care. Students will gain training in neuroimaging and translational research while contributing to efforts aimed at improving outcomes for an increasingly ageing population.

How to apply

Department of Clinical Neurosciences 

PhD in Clinical Neurosciences

Taught MPhil in Brain Health and Disease: Clinical Neurosciences

MPhil in Medical Science (Clinical Neurosciences) 

Clinical Neurosciences MPhil/PhD projects 

Funding guidance

Postgraduate Funding Search 

External funding