Neuropeptide evolution and function: finding the missing links
Supervisor :
27th January 2027
Queen Mary University of London has partnered with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to offer a joint scholarship programme to enable Chinese students to study for a PhD programme at Queen Mary. Under the scheme, Queen Mary will provide scholarships to cover all tuition fees, whilst the CSC will provide living expenses and one return flight ticket to successful applicants.
Applicants must:
- Be applying for CSC funding.
- Be a citizen and permanent resident of the People’s Republic of China and hold a Chinese passport.
- Satisfy all eligibility criteria set out by the CSC and must refer to the CSC website for full details.
- Apply to QMUL by 27th January 2027. Late applications will not be considered.
- Submit ALL required documentation, including evidence of their English Language ability ahead of the CSC application deadline.
CSC application rules differ slightly for domestic applicants (students applying from China) and overseas applicants (students applying from overseas). Therefore, ALL applicants are advised to see the CSC website for full details on eligibility and conditions on the scholarship.
Primary Supervisor: Maurice Elphick
Studentship Funding: Awaiting CSC Funding Decision
Application Deadline: 27th January 2027
PhD Programme: PhD Biological Sciences
Project Overview
Neuropeptides have fundamental roles in regulating physiological and behavioural processes in humans and other animals and neuropeptide receptors are known or potential novel targets for therapeutic drugs. The primary aim of research in the Elphick group at QMUL is to discover missing links in our knowledge of neuropeptide evolution and function (Elphick et al., 2018; https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.151092). To accomplish this, we use echinoderms (e.g. starfish) as experimental systems because these animals are more closely related to vertebrates than the majority of invertebrates and accordingly our research is providing novel insights into neuropeptide evolution and function. For example, in 2025 work of a CSC-funded PhD student revealed the evolutionary origin and ancient functions of bombesin-type neuropeptide signalling (https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2420966122) and in 2024 we reported the discovery of the first neuropeptide to be identified as a regulator of autotomy in animals (10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.003. The aim of this PhD project will be to use a variety of computational and experimental methods to investigate the evolution and/or function of neuropeptide signalling systems using the starfish Asterias rubens as a model system. For example, the project could identify novel neuropeptides that act as ligands for ‘orphan’ receptors in A. rubens and/or discover how ‘cocktails’ of neuropeptides act as regulators of diverse physiological/behavioural processes (e.g. autotomy, feeding, reproduction).
Research Environment
PhD students from several countries, including the UK, China, Mexico and Bangladesh, are training or have trained under the supervision of Prof. Maurice Elphick. Prof. Elphick is an experienced supervisor of over 25 PhD students who has also led doctoral training programmes in the Faculty of Science & Engineering at QMUL. Project-specfic training in a wide-range of research techniques will be provided, including bioinformatics, genomics, transcriptomics, peptidomics, molecular histology, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology and behavioural studies. Personalised training in writing and communication skills will be provided, complemented with generic transferable skills training from the Queen Mary Academy.
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Entry Requirements
We are looking for candidates to have or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree and a Master’s degree in an area relevant to the project such as Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Marine Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Physiology, Zoology etc.
Knowledge of one or more of following areas of life sciences and associated research techniques would be advantageous: molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, genomics, bioinformatics, animal physiology, zoology, pharmacology.
You must meet the IELTS requirements for your course and upload evidence before CSC’s application deadline, ideally by 17th March 2027. You are therefore strongly advised to sit an approved English Language test as soon as possible, where your IELTS test must still be valid when you enrol for the programme.
Find out more about our entry requirements here.
How to Apply
Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by 27th January 2027 for consideration. Please identify yourself as a ‘CSC Scholar’ in the funding section of the application.
Applicants are required to submit the following documents:
- Your CV
- Personal Statement
- Evidence of English Language e.g.) IELTS Certificate
- Copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates
- References
Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.
Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Professor Maurice Elphick at m.r.elphick@qmul.ac.uk. Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk
Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a formal interview by the supervisor. If you are successful in your QMUL application, then you will be issued an QMUL Offer Letter, conditional on securing a CSC scholarship along with academic conditions still required to meet our entry requirements.
Once applicants have obtained their QMUL Offer Letter, they should then apply to CSC for the scholarship with the support of the supervisor.
For further information, please go to the QMUL China Scholarship Council webpage.
References
Elphick MR, Mirabeau O, Larhammar D. (2018) Evolution of neuropeptide signalling systems. J Exp Biol. 221(Pt 3) doi: 10.1242/jeb.151092.
AB Tinoco, V Kirupakaran, D Capatina, M Egertová, MR Elphick (2024) Discovery of a neuropeptide that acts as an autotomy-promoting factor. Current Biology 34 (18), 4325-4331. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.003
Huang W, Zhong X, Zampronio CG, Bottrill AR, Jones KGE, Tinoco AB, Guo L, Egertová M, Mirabeau O, Elphick MR (2025) Discovery and functional characterization of a bombesin-type neuropeptide signaling system in an invertebrate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 122 (13), e2420966122.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2420966122)
See Also