The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary is one of the UK’s elite research centres, according to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). We offer a multi-disciplinary research environment and have approximately 180 PhD students working on projects in the biological and psychological sciences. Our students have access to a variety of research facilities supported by experienced staff, as well as a range of student support services.
Our PhD students become part of Queen Mary’s Doctoral College which provides training and development opportunities, advice on funding, and financial support for research. Our students also have access to a Researcher Development Programme designed to help recognise and develop key skills and attributes needed to effectively manage research, and to prepare and plan for the next stages of their career.
Myelin, produced by oligodendrocytes (OLs), plays a crucial role in facilitating rapid and efficient neural communication, serving as a foundation for proper brain function. The generation of OLs continues into adulthood, and emerging findings suggest that adult OL generation and the formation of new myelin contribute to neuroplasticity across various scenarios. OL dysfunction and myelin deficits have been implicated in many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
Myelination through experience-dependent processes, termed "adaptive myelination," is believed to fine-tune neural circuits for learning and memory including spatial memory. The entorhinal–hippocampal neuronal circuit has been well-studied for its contribution to spatial learning and memory. Several types of spatial cells have been discovered, including place cells in the hippocampus and grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex – an area adjacent to the hippocampus.
The firing activity of these cells provides an animal with an internal representation of space as it explores an environment. However, the question of how the generation of adult-born oligodendrocytes and adaptive myelination affect spatial encoding remains unexplored. In this project, you will study this question by combining the experises from two independent labs. You will carry out in vivo electrophysiological recording in Dr Chen's lab at QMUL and immunochemistry experiments in Prof Li's lab at UCL (University College London).
The finding from the study will pave the way for revealing the mechanisms underlying spatial disorientation in AD patients, one of the earliest symptoms of AD.
This studentship is open to students applying for China Scholarship Council funding. 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 for 4 years and one return flight ticket to successful applicants.
Applicants must be:- Chinese students with a strong academic background.- Students holding a PR Chinese passport.- Either be resident in China at the time of application or studying overseas.- Students with prior experience of studying overseas (including in the UK) are eligible to apply. Chinese QMUL graduates/Masters’ students are therefore eligible for the scheme.Please refer to the CSC website for full details on eligibility and conditions on the scholarship.
Applicants from outside of the UK are required to provide evidence of their English Language ability. Please see our English Language requirements page for details: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/international-students/englishlanguagerequirements/postgraduateresearch/
Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Dr Guifen Chen at guifen.chen@qmul.ac.uk.
Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by 31st January 2024 for consideration, including a CV, personal statement and qualifications. You must meet the IELTS/ English Language requirements for your course and submit all required documentation (including evidence of English Language) by 14th March 2024. You are therefore strongly advised to sit an approved English Language test as soon as possible.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a formal interview by the supervisor. If you are successful in your 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 by in March 2024 with the support of the supervisor.
Only applicants who are successful in their application to CSC can be issued an unconditional offer and enrol on our PhD programme. For further information, please go to: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/scholarships/items/china-scholarship-council-scholarships.html
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