The evolution and development of animal neuroglia
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.
Project Overview
Glia are a diverse, specialised group of cell types that support neuronal development and function in several ways. This includes supporting neuronal development and survival, neurotransmitter recapture, and synaptic transmission. How glia evolved is, however, poorly understood because our understanding of these cells comes chiefly from a handful of distantly related animals, such as flies, nematode worms, and vertebrates.
In this project, you will dissect the mechanisms that control the development and neuronal functions of glia in Owenia fusiformis, a simple, basal segmented annelid worm. You will do this by examining time courses of single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data from adult worms and by assessing the functional role of candidate genes. You will ask three key questions: What are the glial cell types in an adult worm? What functions do they perform? What are the molecular mechanisms that support those functions? Answering these questions will allow you to address a fundamental biological question – how animal nervous systems work – at multiple levels, from patterns of molecular evolution to gene expression and cellular function.
- You will rigorously answer these questions using state-of-the-art experimental and computational approaches.
- You will have access to large single-cell and spatial transcriptomic and genomic databases and in-house live organisms to fuel your investigation.
- You will be trained in bioinformatics (e.g., single-cell and spatial RNA-seq analyses), developmental biology (e.g., in situ hybridisation), and microscopy.
- You will be encouraged to develop your ideas and hypotheses.
Research Environment
The Martin-Duran lab (https://www.martinduranlab.com) is a diverse and inclusive research group comprising eight researchers from around the world at different career stages, including two CSC PhD students. We share a passion for investigating how animals develop and evolve. We are a multidisciplinary team, with most members combining wet and dry lab approaches. We receive support from various funders, including the European Research Commission, the Wellcome Trust, the UK Research Councils and the Human Frontiers Science Programme. As a PhD student in my lab, you will have access to a Researcher Development Programme designed to help recognise and develop the critical skills and attributes needed to manage research effectively and to prepare and plan for subsequent career stages. I will provide guidance and training in all practical aspects of the project and encourage you to develop independence and build a network of collaborators. The two CSC students will also help you settle in and integrate into the day-to-day life of a PhD student at QMUL and in the UK.
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Entry Requirements
We are looking for candidates who have, or expect to receive, a first- or upper-second-class honours degree and a Master’s degree in an area relevant to the project, such as bioinformatics, developmental and computational biology, neurobiology, and evolutionary biology.
Knowledge of bioinformatics (coding skills, use of command line tools and R), neurobiology and molecular and developmental biology (e.g., PCR, in situ hybridisation) would be highly advantageous but is not required.
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, and 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 Chema Martin at chema.martin@qmul.ac.uk. Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-phd-admissions@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
Carrillo-Baltodano AM, Williams EA, Jékely G, Martín-Durán JM (2024) The development of the adult nervous system in the annelid Owenia fusiformis. Neural development, 19, 3.
Martín-Zamora, F.M., Liang, Y., Guynes, K. et al. (2023) Annelid functional genomics reveal the origins of bilaterian life cycles. Nature 615, 105–110.
Martín-Durán JM, Hejnol A (2019) A developmental perspective on the evolution of the nervous system. Developmental Biology 475, 181-192.
Martín-Durán JM, Pang K, Børve A, Semmler-Lê H, Furu A, Cannon JT, Jondelius U, Hejnol A (2018) Convergent evolution of bilaterian nerve cords. Nature 553, 45-50.
See Also