Sample Projects

Points to note:

  • You can view the profiles of Cambridge Neuroscientists here.
  • The titles below provide a starting point for your discussion with your potential supervisor and the project can potentially be modified in agreement with your supervisor (e.g. add a collaborator etc) – these are sample projects from previous years and may not be available currently. Projects on offer for your cohort will be made available in advance of your start date.
  • You will have the opportunity to contact potential supervisors to discuss your project after your arrival in Cambridge. It is always advisable to meet your supervisor prior to deciding on your project.
  • The official start date for your project is January but it may be possible to start in Michaelmas term (November/December) with the agreement of the Course Director and your supervisor.
  • Locations of different laboratories – The different locations in Cambridge are very accessible by bike, walking and bus.
Sample Project Titles Supervisor details Laboratory location
Transdiagnostic genetic risk, brain development and childhood mental health Dr Kate Baker (PI) in collaboration with Dr Duncan Astle and Dr Joni Holmes MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit,
Chaucer Road
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation – online and interactive? Dr Andrew Bateman Douglas House, Trumpington or NIHR BrainMIC office at CUHFT or MRC-CBU
What makes gaps in visual perception perceived versus filled-in? Dr Paul Bays Craik-Marshall Building, Downing Site
Role of hypothalamic extracellular matrix plasticity in metabolic sensing and energy balance Dr Clémence Blouet Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Neuron-specific methylomic analysis in Lewy Body Dementia Dr Leonidas Chouliaras Department of Psychiatry, Level E4 Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Probing striatal GABA using MR spectroscopy: relevance to addiction Professor Jeff Dalley Department of Psychology, Downing site
Unsupervised deep learning approaches to understanding development of visual receptive fields Professor Stephen Eglen Maths department (Wilberforce Road), although location flexible.
Hippocampal burst activity and induction of LTP Dr Tanja Fuchsberger;
Professor Ole Paulsen		 Physiology Development & Neuroscience, Physiological Laboratory, Downing site
Intergenerational mental health difficulties – an epidemiological study using national survey data Professor Tamsin Ford
Heather O-Mahen (Exeter University)		 Department of Psychiatry – Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Validation of the teacher pupil relationships questionnaire Professor Tamsin Ford Department of Psychiatry – Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Neural mechanisms underlying social influences on human food choice Dr Fabian Grabenhorst Anatomy Building, Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Downing site
Identifying markers of brain inflammation in a mouse model of obesity. Dr Ed Harding
Dr Florian Merkle (PI)		 WT-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Level 5, Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Visualizing spontaneous neural synchronization events with GCaMP Professor Allan Herbison Physiology Development & Neuroscience, Downing Site
Connectomics and social behaviour: Drosophila sex pheromone circuits PI: Dr Gregory Jefferis
Co-supervisor: Dr Dana Galili		 Department of Zoology (New Museums site); MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Connectomic variability in Drosophila olfactory circuits PI: Dr Gregory Jefferis
Co-supervisor: Marta Costa		 Department of Zoology (New Museums site)
Mental health and macroscopic brain organization in childhood Dr Jonathan Jones
PI: Dr Duncan Astle		 MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit,
Chaucer Road
Myelin plasticity – mapping myelination of neuronal circuits Dr Ragnhildur Thora Karadottir Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre
University of Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Understanding the relationship between ability to discriminate speech-like sounds and the relationship to speech understanding for cochlear implant users. Dr Wiebke Lamping
PI: Dr Deborah Vickers		 Herchel Smith Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Critical periods of network development Dr Matthias Landgraf Department of Zoology, B12 & 24
New Museums site
Functional neuroimaging translation using generative adversarial networks (GANs) Professor Pietro Lio
Mr Alex Campbell		 William Gates Building, Department of Computer Science & Technology, West Cambridge Site
The emergence of complexity in the human brain across scales Mr Andrea Luppi
Dr Emmanuel A. Stamatakis (PI)		 University Division of Anaesthesia, Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Calcium regulation of sodium current in murine skeletal muscle Dr H R Matthews
Professor C L H Huang		 Physiology Building, Downing Site
Generative models of cortical network development at the cellular scale Dr Susanna Mierau;
Professor Stephen Eglen		 Physiology Building, H10, Downing Site
Synaptic and Network Dysfunction in Genetic Models of Autism Dr Susanna Mierau
Professor Ole Paulsen		 Physiology Building, H10, Downing Site
A new animal test of the effect of motivational salience on episodic-like memory Dr Amy Milton
Dr Deborah Talmi		 Department of Psychology, Downing Site
Acceptability of the use of artificial intelligence tools for the early identification of mental health problems Dr Anna Moore Douglas House, Trumpington, Department of Psychiatry
Genomics of mental disorder, brain structure and function Dr Graham Murray Douglas House, Trumpington, Department of Psychiatry
Metabolic ultra-high field (7 Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging Dr Chris Rodgers WBIC
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
The role of alternate splicing in determining susceptibility to multiple sclerosis Professor Stephen Sawcer Clifford Allbutt Building,
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Whole genome sequencing in multiple sclerosis Professor Stephen Sawcer Clifford Allbutt Building,
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Functional & Structural Networks in Small Vessel Disease Dr Daniel Tozer
PI: Professor Hugh Markus		 Stroke Research Group, R3,
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Neural stem cell – glia interactions in mitochondrial disease Dr Jelle van den Ameele Department of Clinical Neurosciences and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
How are bilateral cochlear implant users affected by mismatched information presented to the different ears? Dr Ben Williges
PI: Dr Deborah Vickers		 Herchel Smith Building,
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Do the differences in depth of insertion of electrode arrays affect the speech and language outcomes for children with bilateral cochlear implants? Dr Ben Williges
Co-supervisor Dr Deborah Vickers, Prof Manohar Bance		 Herchel Smith Building,
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Investigating prediction mechanisms in the human brain Dr Noham Wolpe
Professor Paul Fletcher		 Douglas House, Trumpington, Department of Psychiatry