PhD opportunities in the Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences

Location: UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, 33 Queen Square
Supervisor: Prof Sven Bestmann, Prof Gareth Barnes
 
The PhD will be focussed on studying the cortico-spinal interactions of human voluntary movement control in health and spinal cord injury, in collaboration with the Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Zurich, Switzerland. Students will investigate the electrophysiological and behavioural underpinnings of movement control, with a combination of cutting-edge neuroimaging (optically pumped magnetoencephalography; OP-MEG), electromyography and kinematic approaches. Candidates should ideally have detailed knowledge about either motor control, neuroimaging, or electrophysiology. 

Person specification

Essential criteria

•    Bachelor's degree (2:1 or higher) in a relevant discipline (e.g. Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering)
•    Experience or knowledge 
•    Able to work as part of a collaboration between different departments
•    Experience or knowledge in data processing and analysis
•    Strong programming skills (eg Matlab, Python)
•    Excellent written communication skills with the ability to train in writing scientific papers and a PhD thesis
•    Excellent oral communications skills with the ability to deliver research presentations

Desirable criteria 

•    Master’s degree in a relevant discipline 

Application process

Deadline: 23:59 GMT, 9 June 2025.

Please submit applications to s.bestmann@ucl.ac.uk in the following format:

1.    A CV or biographical sketch (2 pages maximum)
2.    Personal statement (600 words maximum) outlining (i) why you are applying for this project, (ii) what makes you the ideal candidate, (iii) what training experience you have had to date.
3.    Name and contact details for at least one person who could be approached as a referee.

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information. Candidates will receive a stipend to cover 3.5 years at an annual rate of £22,780.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

For further information contact Prof Sven Bestmann, s.bestmann@ucl.ac.uk