Imaging, and monitoring treatment of, amyloid pathology by MRI
To start: 1st October 2019
Award(s): 3 year PhD studentship, fully funded by The Alzheimer’s Society
Project:
The project aims to utilise optimised imaging techniques for the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. It builds on our recent findings concerning the mechanism of amyloid-beta synaptotoxicity, and further testing of the drug fasudil, which has shown to protect synapses and cognition, and reduce amyloid-beta production and plaque formation in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is defined by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, with accompanying brain atrophy and vascular dysfunction, which manifest as cognitive and behavioural disturbances that worsen as the disease progresses. This project will use advanced imaging techniques, including structural and functional MRI, to characterise early- and late- stage brain dysfunction in a “state-of the art” rat model of AD, which, uniquely, features all the above pathologies.
This project will determine if by treating the rat model with fasudil, we can not only improve cognition and reduce brain pathology but that we can also visualize this using non-invasive and translational imaging techniques. For this, transgenic rats will be treated with fasudil at two timepoints, during early and late stages of the disease, and imaged by MRI immediately afterwards. Behavioural and neurochemical analyses will also be conducted. We predict that imaging will reveal functional deficits at the early timepoint, and functional and structural changes at the late timepoint with both being attenuated by fasudil. The project will thus generate novel, non-invasive translatable and cost-effective methodologies to detect and diagnose AD and a means to monitor potential disease modifying treatments.
Co-supervisors: Dr Richard Killick and Dr Diana Cash
Standard PhD entry requirements: Applicants should have a Bachelors degree with 2:1 honours (or Overseas equivalent). A 2:2 degree may be considered only where applicants also offer a Masters with Merit.
Award types and eligibility: Fully funded for three years at Home/EU tuitions fees (studentship not available to Overseas applicants), annual stipend and some research and travel costs.
How to apply: Applicants must complete and submit an online admissions application, via the admissions portal by midnight (23:59 GMT), Thursday 1st August 2019.
On the ‘Choosing a programme’ page, please select ‘Research degrees’ and enter the keyword Old Age Psychiatry Research MPhil/PhD (Full-time).
In your application, you will be asked to include:
- Academic Transcripts – where applicable, academic transcripts must be submitted with the online admissions application
- Details of your qualifications (you will need to attach copies)
- Details of previous employment
- A personal statement describing your interests and why you wish to apply for this project. Please include this as an attachment rather than using the text box.
- Academic References – all admissions applications require two supporting references. If the applicant is relying on his/her referees to submit references directly to the College after he/she has submitted his/her admissions application, then the applicant must ensure that their chosen referees are made aware of the funding deadline.
In the Funding section, please tick box 5 and include the following reference: RK_AS_2019
Please note there is no need to complete the Research Proposal section in your application as the project has already been set.
You are welcome to email richard.1.killick@kcl.ac.uk and diana.cash@kcl.ac.uk (supervisors) for more information regarding the project and studentship.
If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact Olivia Rees, Postgraduate Research Administrative Assistant.
References must be received by the deadline for the applicant to be eligible.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Closing date: 1st August 2019
Interviews: 13th August 2019
Further information:
The BRAIN Centre (https://brain-imaging.org)
Alzheimer’s Society (https://www.alzheimers.org.uk)
About the IoPPN (link to http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/about/index.aspx)
Studying at the IoPPN (link to http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/study/index.aspx)
MSc programmes at the IoPPN (link to http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/school/institute-of-psychiatry-psychology-and-neuroscience/programmes#graduate)
Research degrees at the IoPPN (link to http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/study/prospective-students/programmes-of-study/pgr/welcome.aspx)
KCL Researcher Development Programme (link to http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/school/RDP/training-and-development/Researcher-Development-Programme-2014-15.pdf)