Connectomics and Cognitive Ageing: A Cross-Cohort Investigation
To Start: 1 October 2019
Award: 1 fully-funded 3-year PhD studentship (funded jointly by the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London and by the US National Institutes of Health)
Project:
Ageing-related cognitive decline, even without dementia, is a growing issue for our ageing society. This project seeks to understand the brain basis of cognitive decline using data from large cohorts of people with brain MRI scans. Specifically, we will use datasets such as UK Biobank and the Lothian Birth Cohorts to investigate the brain’s “connectome”—the complex pattern of white-matter connections between brain regions—and how measures derived from it could be used to improve our prediction of individual differences in cognitive decline.
The student will be trained in three areas: (1) the analysis of cognitive testing data, using techniques such as structural equation modelling; (2) the derivation of connectomic and other variables from structural MRI data; and (3) methods from statistical- and machine-learning that can be used to make predictions across different cohorts. There will also be the opportunities to incorporate genetic analysis into the work, along with other important predictive variables that are included in the relevant cohorts.
As well as collaborating with the three supervisors at King’s College London, the student will join a larger team of researchers working on the larger connectomics project from the University of Texas at Austin and from the University of Edinburgh.
Supervisors: Dr. Stuart Ritchie, Dr. James Cole, Dr. Claire Steves
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, Home/EU tuitions fees (studentship not available to Overseas applicants), with annual stipend.
How to Apply:
Applicants must complete and submit an online applicaiton, via the admissions portal by midnight (23:59 BST), Sunday 7 July 2019.
On the ‘Choosing a programme’ page, please select ‘Research degrees’ and enter the keyword Social, Genetic & Developmental 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: SGDP-SR-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 Dr. Stuart Ritchie (stuart.j.ritchie@kcl.ac.uk) 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: Sunday 7th July 2019
Interviews: Week Commencing Monday 15th July 2019
Further information:
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)
King’s Centre for Military Health Research (link to https://www.kcl.ac.uk/kcmhr)
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (link to https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn)
PROTECT study
(link to http://www.protectstudy.org.uk/)