Subcortical brain development and disorders, funded PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Exeter Ref: 5796

Supervisors

Dr Giselle Cheung

Professor Jonathan Mill

The University of Exeter’s Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences is inviting applications for a PhD studentship to commence on September 21st, 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. For eligible students the studentship will cover Home tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £20,780 pa for 3 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in Hatherly Building in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences in Exeter.

Decoding the precise programme regulating neurodevelopment has been crucial to our understanding of brain disorders. A central question is how the brain generates its remarkable diversity of cell types in the right place at the right time to establish complex connections and functions. The dorsal midbrain, a subcortical brain region, is known to orchestrate the integration of sensory information and coordinate motor responses. Despite its importance, our understanding of its development and how it may be disrupted in neurodevelopmental disorders is still largely unknown. This funded PhD project offers an exciting opportunity to map and decode the transcriptomic landscape of the developing human dorsal midbrain. The successful candidate will use state-of-the-art single-nuclei and spatial transcriptomics approaches combined with bioinformatics analyses. The project will focus on the emergence of diverse cell-type at critical points of brain development and identify molecular mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. This studentship will allow the candidate to actively contribute to fundamental discoveries in the exciting field of neurodevelopment and related disorders, gain essential research skills, and explore important open questions in the field. We encourage candidates interested in developmental neuroscience and bioinformatics to apply. 

The studentship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply. However, please note the following: 
· The award covers only part of the international tuition fee, approximately £25,000.
· It does not include a stipend for living expenses. · International applicants will need to cover additional costs, including: o Student visa fees o Immigration Health Surcharge o Relocation expenses associated with moving to the UK to undertake a PhD. Applicants should ensure they have sufficient funds to meet these costs before applying.

Entry requirements

Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of study such as Neuroscience, Biology, Biochemistry, or Bioinformatics. If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements and provide proof of proficiency. Click here for more information.

How to apply

Apply now

To apply, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button above. In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents

•            CV

•            Letter of application (outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project).

•            Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained (this should be an interim transcript if you are still studying)

•            Two references from referees familiar with your academic work. If your referees prefer, they can email the reference direct to PGRApplicants@exeter.ac.uk quoting the studentship reference number.

The closing date for applications is midnight on February 28^th, 2026.  Interviews will be held virtually / on the University of Exeter Streatham/St Luke’s Campus in the week commencing March 30^th, 2026.

All application documents must be submitted in English. Certified translated copies of academic qualifications must also be provided.

Please quote reference 5796 on your application and in any correspondence about this studentship.

Summary