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Cortico-spinal interactions in humans: from methods development to clinical application Applications are invited for a 3-year funded PhD studentship in the Department of Imaging Neuroscience
Project details:
Healthy movement relies on integration and interplay between the brain, spinal cord, and our muscles. The control of movement cannot be understood solely based on brain signals alone, but in humans it has been challenging to study the spinal cord at the same time. This is relevant because many neurological disorders and spinal cord injury lead to changes both in the brain and spinal cord, but rarely their interplay considered for explaining the deficit or developing treatments.
This project seeks to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the synergies between brain and spinal networks involved in the control of e.g. hand movements. We propose to achieve this aim with advanced neuroimaging technologies developed in our lab. Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) not only allow us to image brain activity during movement but these sensors can also be placed to simultaneously measure from brain and spinal cord.
The simultaneous acquisition of OPM measurements from the brain and spinal cord would allow the assessment of information flow between these neural circuits to be evaluated simultaneously. By contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide complementary information about the microstructure of the spinal cord, and can be used to achieve more precise source localization. Ultra-High Field (UHF, ≥7T) MRI provides a further advantage of sub-millimeter resolution imaging with high signal- and contrast-to-noise ratios, which are necessary for a precise delineation of motor neuron pools and single tracts across the brain and spinal cord. To take full advantage of these technological opportunities to detect the microstructural-function interplay during recovery imaging and analysis methods need to developed for both UHF-MRI and OPMs. This project will therefore develop a combined (UHF-)MRI/OPM approach that will allow us to study the mechanistic interaction between structure and function across the brain and spinal cord, in vivo, in health and disease, for the first time.
Funding notes:
The starting date is anticipated to be 1st February 2024, and the contract is for three years. The studentship is funded by (UCL and University of Zurich (UZH) and includes an annual stipend of (£20,622 in year 1, £21,181 in year 2, £21,756 in year 3). The funding will also include the payment of tuition fees at the UK rate, of ( £5,860 in year 1, £6035.00 in year 2 and £6215.00 in year 3).
Guidance on PhD fees at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology can be found here.
Entry requirements:
Achieved, or are predicted to achieve, a first class or upper second class honours undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualifications or experience) in physics, engineering, biomedical or computer sciences or a related discipline. An MSc is also preferred, though not essential.
An interest in neuroscience and/or neuroimaging.
Experience in programming, ideally using MatLab, Python, Julia, C++ or similar
Excellent team working, organizational and communication skills.
Deadline: 30 September 2023. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in October 2023.
How to apply:
Applicants should submit 1) a CV, 2) a 1-page statement detailing why you want to do the PhD, motivation, interest and suitability for the project, 3) a copy of your strongest single piece of academic work (e.g. thesis, publication), and 4) contact details of two referees. Please ensure that each document is clearly labelled with your surname. Please send all documents to Kamlyn Ramkissoon (k.ramkissoon@ucl.ac.uk) by 30 September 2023. Interviews will be held in October 2023. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be submitted to Professors: Martina Callaghan ( m.callaghan@ucl.ac.uk ) and/or Gareth Barnes (g.barnes@ucl.ac.uk).