Download this document for further details, eligibility criteria and how to apply. [PDF 106KB]
Applications are open for a 3-year funded PhD Studentship in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at Queen Mary University of London.
The brain chemical dopamine (DA) is well-known to play an important role in both motivation and motor control and so many theories of dopamine function posit that the two are functionally coupled and together are necessary for effective planning, initiation, and execution of actions for achieving a goal. Successful reach-to-grasp movements fit under this model as they are severely disrupted in DA neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases as well as their corresponding rodent models.
What is not clear however is which DA circuits are important for these forelimb movements and what are their exact contributions to such actions. We have recently identified in rats, a previously uncharacterised DA cell population located medially to the zona incerta known by the name A13 to be important in grasping actions (Garau et al., 2023).
The lab is next focusing on determining the exact contributions of A13 DA neurons on prehensile actions and importantly the incoming and outgoing circuits involved which will form the basis of this advertised PhD research. As such, this research will be critical for positioning the A13 within the functional framework of central DA motor circuits and their relation to DA neurodegenerative diseases.
Experiments will be conducted at a modern newly refurbished research facility with state-of-the-art equipment for monitoring and controlling activity of specific neural circuits in behaving rodents. Some studies will also be carried out in a fully equipped histology lab and imaging suite with light and fluorescence imaging capacity for imaging at subcellular resolution and in living tissue (2-photon).
The PhD candidate will be supervised and taught first-hand various techniques in systems neuroscience including advanced anatomical circuit mapping, optical activity-based imaging and optogenetics in freely-behaving animals and/or ex vivo whole-cell recordings from identified neurons.
Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website.
We are looking for highly motivated candidates, with a keen interest in neuroscience. Candidates should have or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an area relevant to the project such as Psychology, Neuroscience. Candidates must also have experience conducting research in a laboratory environment.
Candidates with programming skills such as Python/Matlab, a good understanding of statistics, and experience of rodent experiments are desirable.
Find out more about our entry requirements here.
The studentship is funded by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). It will cover home tuition fees, and provide an annual tax-free maintenance allowance for 3 years at the UKRI rate (£20,622 in 2023/24).Please find out more about funding and eligibility via ApergisSchoute_SBBS Studentship Details [PDF 106KB]. Any further queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk
Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by the stated deadline for consideration.
Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.
Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Dr John Apergis-Schoute at j.apergis-schoute@qmul.ac.uk. Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk.
Further details can be downloaded here: ApergisSchoute_SBBS Studentship Details [PDF 106KB]
Apply Online
References
Garau, C., Hayes, J., Chiacchierini, G., McCutcheon, J.E. and Apergis-Schoute, J., 2023. Involvement of A13 dopaminergic neurons in prehensile movements but not reward in the rat. Current Biology, 33(22), pp.4786-4797.