UK student fully-fundedd PhD Opportunity

We are delighted to accept applications for a Fully funded 4 year John Grace QC PhD Scholarship (MHRUK) starting October 2026.

Supervised by Professor Matthew Kempton and Dr Kelly Diederen

Please note that due to the funding arrangements - this PhD is only available for UK 'home' students.

To be treated as a Home student, candidates must meet one of the following criteria:

• A UK national (meeting residency requirements)

• Settled status

• Pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements)

• Indefinite leave to remain or enter

Summary of project:

Psychotic disorders—including early-onset psychosis, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and clinical high-risk states—are complex conditions with overlapping symptoms, risk factors, and brain changes. Understanding shared brain mechanisms underlying these conditions is essential for improving diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. However, most mental health research focuses on single conditions which can obscure transdiagnostic patterns that may offer deeper insights into the causes of psychosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans may reveal brain structure changes common across these conditions. However, MRI brain scans are expensive, and studies typically include only around 50 participants. This makes it harder to find consistent patterns and understand how brain changes relate to risk factors or cognition (i.e. thinking). To address this, the ENIGMA and Psy-ShareD consortia— global collaborations—have pooled brain scans from over 5,000 individuals. As part of these consortia, we have recently developed a new method to map brain changes across conditions. We will use this method to identify brain changes shared across psychotic disorders and examine whether they correspond to areas targeted by current treatments, to better understand how medications work and inform future therapies. We will also analyse data from the UK Biobank—a study of over 80,000 people which includes brain scans, cognitive data, and information on childhood abuse, cannabis use, and low birth weight, all known risk factors for psychosis. By integrating these datasets, this PhD will reveal how shared brain changes relate to environmental risks, cognitive difficulties, and treatment targets -ultimately improving understanding of psychosis and guiding future interventions.

Submission Deadline Weds 22nd April 2026 (23:59 GMT)

Interviews for shortlisted applicants are expected to occur in early to mid May 2026 and the successful applicant will start the PhD in October 2026.

For information on how to apply please see the advert here: https://www.postgraduatestudentships.co.uk/opportunity/how-are-transdiagnostic-structural-brain-abnormalities-in-psychosis-associated-with-risk-factors-cognitive-deficits-and-neurotransmitters/99909

We are hugely grateful to the MHRUK for their generous funding of the fees and stipend of this studentship.