ADHD was once considered to be a childhood-limited disorder that always disappeared as children aged. However, more recently research has shown that about 2.5-5% of adults have ADHD, which is associated with socioeconomic disadvantages (unemployment), substance abuse, and even higher mortality. Understanding the course of ADHD across development is essential to preventing adverse outcomes. One way to do this is by investigating the genetic and epigenetic underpinnings of ADHD to examine whether different ADHD courses and outcomes, like cognitive decline, may be characterised by different genetic and epigenetic signatures. These PhD projects represent three complementary strands of research to investigate the genetic and epigenetic underpinnings of ADHD across the life course.
Aim 1. To examine whether genetic risk for ADHD and other mental health disorders is associated with late-emerging ADHD across several longitudinal cohorts
Aim 2. To investigate whether epigenetic variation, measured by DNA methylation, is associated with ADHD prognosis across development.
Aim 3. To understand whether genetic risk for ADHD is associated with a higher risk for cognitive impairment and dementia, and a more rapid rate of cognitive decline in late life.
The student will participate in lab meetings with Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais's ADHD Life Lab, which includes PhD students, postdocs and RAs, as well as larger cross-group weekly meetings focused on child and youth development. There will also be additional training opportunities focused on developing methodological skills both within QMUL and at other universities in the UK.
Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website.
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 psychology, epidemiology, biostatistics, math or bioinformatics. A masters degree is desirable, but not essential.
Knowledge of genetics, bioinformatics or epigenetics would be highly advantageous.
You must meet the IELTS requirements for your course and upload evidence before CSC’s application deadline, ideally by 1st March 2025. 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.
Please find further details on our English Language requirements page.
Formal applications must be submitted through our form by 29th January 2025 for consideration. Please identify yourself as a ‘CSC Scholar’ in the funding section of the application.
Applicants are required to submit the following documents:
Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.
Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais AT j.agnew-blais@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.
Apply Online