Unfunded Project Portfolio

Potential projects are available for high quality students who wish to study for a PhD.  These projects, currently unfunded, are open to all students, including those who are self-funding or who have secured their sponsorship for 3 years. 

The following project outlines are available for discussion with the relevant supervisor(s).  Students wishing to apply for one of the listed projects should see 'Apply' Tab on the main programme page and should give a clear indication of the title of the project they are interested in.

All projects will be peer reviewed.

Enquiries may be made directly to the relevant Principal Investigator, or to the Senior Research Degree Administrator.

• Education Coordinator (PGR South)

Developmental Biology and Cancer

• Using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to study Down syndrome neural pathology and possible interventions (Professor Patrizia Ferretti)
• Development of new models of Difuse Midline Glioma in zebrafish (Dr David Michod)
• Emergence of variability from multi-scale stochasticity in organoids and embryos (Dr Gabriel Galea)
• Understanding the cellular and metabolic basis of brain dysfunction in an inherited childhood neurological disease (Professor Nicholas Greene)
• Molecular regulation of epithelial fusion events required during nervous system and craniofacial development (Professor Nicholas Greene)

Developmental Neurosciences

• Developing RNA-targeted therapy for collagen VI-related congenital muscular dystrophy (Professor Francesco Muntoni)
• Dissecting the multiple features of motor-speech problems in a genetic disorder using structural and functional methods of brain imaging (Professor Frederique Liegeois)

Genetics and Genomic Medicine

• Modelling neurodegeneration in an inherited metabolic disease affecting nitric oxide metabolism, argininosuccinate lyase deficiency (Dr Julien Baruteau)
• Applying Omics technology in the treatment path for Batten disease: disease mechanisms, biomarkers, monitoring efficacy and early diagnosis (Professor Sara Mole)

Infection, Immunity and Inflammation

• Gene Editing for CD40L Deficiency (Professor Waseem Qasim)
• Optimising strategies to rebalance the immune system in childhood arthritis (Professor Lucy Wedderburn)
• The role of lymphocyte crosstalk in autoimmune myositis (Professor Lucy Wedderburn)
• The MAGIC-WAND Study: Micro-organism and Gram-Negative Infection Control - Wastewater for AMR and Novel Disease Detection (Dr Louis Grandjean)

Funded projects are also currently available - please see current full-time funded studentships