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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.
Supervisors: Matthew Kempton & Kelly Diederen
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Please can I meet with you to discuss the PhD project?
We would love to meet with each person individually, but unfortunately the number of queries we have received means that this isn’t possible. If you are invited for interview, you will of course have a chance to ask questions about the project.
Q) Are there some papers that I can read to understand the research more.
Sure - we don’t expect applicants to understand all the of this, but the below paper would be relevant. Si et al 2024 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-023-02343-1. You may want to read other papers linked that explore aspects in the PhD to find out more. There is also a talk that Matthew gave at UCL which outlines the ENIGMA VBM method and shows some of the results from our studies here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_U54PxLDiY
Q) I’m not classed as a 'home student' - can I still apply?
Sorry, because of the way this studentship is funded, this is only available for home students. Please see the advert to see how a home student is defined. I’m afraid we are not able to accept international students even if they can fund the difference in fees. Although our research group does not currently have a specific PhD studentship for international students, we encourage you to search for schemes available at King’s College London and other universities. Most international funding is announced around September to February.
Q) When would the PhD start?
The PhD is expected to start on 1st October 2026.
Q) How much is the PhD stipend?
From information on the MRUK website we believe this will be approximately £23,805 per year. https://www.mentalhealthresearchuk.org.uk/assets/downloads/Scholarship%20terms%20and%20conditions.pdf
Q) Can you give me a timeline of the project - for example what would I be doing in year 1, year 2?
In a PhD it can be difficult to say with certainty what will happen each year, but we have an overview figure which can be found above on this page.
Q) I think my experience and skills align with the PhD project, should I apply?
Yes please do!
Q) Can you advise if I am a good fit for the project?
Due to the number of queries we have received, I’m afraid we can’t give personalised advice on this, but for most applicants the answer will likely be yes. While this position is likely to be competitive, we would advise you to submit an application.
Q) I have an undergraduate degree and/or MSc in a different field. Am I still eligible to apply?
While students with degrees in psychology and neuroscience may be at a slight advantage we also are interested in applications from other areas. It is difficult to give a blanket response, but we will consider applications from other areas - please note in your statement how your experience, skills and interests align with the project.
Q) Can I register to do this PhD part time?
I’m afraid that due to the funding we can only offer this PhD full time.
Q) When I go to the King's College Apply portal I can't find the programme 'Psychosis Research MPhil/PhD' mentioned in the advert.
A) Apologies there was a typo in the advert. Please select the programme 'Psychosis Studies Research MPhil/PhD (Full-Time)'. See also image below. After this you will want to select the October start.
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