PhD opportunity: Sexually dimorphic development of the human fetal brain: critical role in the programming of neurodevelopmental disorders

Location: College of Medicine, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Salary: A stipend of £14,553 & tuition fees

Closing Date: 10 January 2018 

Supervisors: Dr Michelle Bellingham, Dr Amanda Drake, Prof Paul A. Fowler

Project details: 

The fetal environment plays a key role in programming normal brain development in the womb. Maternal lifestyle factors such as malnutrition, obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption are associated with altered brain development and behaviour, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anxiety disorders in the offspring in later life. There are known sex differences in predisposition to many neurodevelopmental disorders. However, surprisingly little is known about the mechanisms responsible. Development of the male and female brain is sexually dimorphic (different between the sexes) and influenced by steroid hormones during critical windows of development. Alterations to these normal patterns of hormone secretion during sexually dimorphic brain development by adverse maternal factors during pregnancy may be critical in programming neurodevelopmental disorders in later life. This unique project will characterize the sexually dimorphic patterns of brain development in the human fetus across gestation and determine how these are altered by maternal factors such as smoking and obesity. The proposed study will shed light on the fundamental processes underlying sex differences in human brain development. Ultimately this will help us understand how such changes in fetal brain development may be involved in programming long-term risk for diseases of the brain.

Requirements:

Applicants applying must have obtained, or will soon obtain, a first or upper-second class UK honours degree or equivalent non-UK qualifications, in an appropriate science/technology area. 

How to apply: 

Follow the instructions on the MRC DTP in Precision Medicine application page