Neuroscience and Neuropathology Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

Neuroscience and Neuropathology degrees at Nottingham seek to answer the modern day problems that faces research into the brain and nervous system.

Your research degree is bespoke at the University of Nottingham, and allows you to choose your own area of interest to research.

Our supervisors in the school are at the forefront of research in their fields. Utilising industry standard facilities, along with cutting edge equipment, and the guidance of our supervisors, you will advance the area of life sciences that interests you.

Your degree and research area is bespoke to you, however, you will have access to a superb range of methodologies, ranging from molecular to whole animal and human studies to investigate.

We are ranked 8th in the UK for research power (2014). The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the system used by UK higher education funding bodies to assess research quality in universities.


• Life sciences ranked 9th in the UK for research power



• More than 97% of research at Nottingham is recognised internationally



• More than 80% of our research is ranked in the highest categories as world-leading or internationally excellent



- 16 of our 29 subject areas feature in the UK top 10 by research power


94.9% of postgraduates from the School of Life Sciences secured work or further study within six months of graduation. £21,400 was the average starting salary, with the highest being £40,000.*


* Known destinations of full-time home postgraduates who were available for employment, 2016/17. Salaries are calculated based on the median of those in full-time paid employment within the UK.


The MRes/PhD titles you can choose from in this field are:

Neuroscience

Neuroscience degrees at Nottingham seek to answer the modern day problems that faces research into the brain and nervous system.

Some of the research areas we are interested in include:

Animal Models of Mental Disease: early environmental influences on brain neurochemistry and function in relation to mental disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, schizophrenia and depression, particularly the role of amine, amino acid and neuropeptide neurotransmission; neurogenesis during depression.

Drugs of Abuse: mechanisms of reward and aversive behaviour, with particular reference to cannabinoids. Neurotoxicity and metabolites of ecstasy (MDMA).

Pain Mechanisms: the roles of GABA, vanilloid and cannabinoid receptor systems in models of chronic pain.
Neurodegeneration and Neurotoxicity: molecular mechanisms underlying chronic human neurodegenerative disorders, particularly the role of the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway; mechanisms of reactive metabolite generation in drug toxicity and validation of alternative methods; neurovascular damage mechanisms; embryotoxicity.

Hypothalamic Control of Puberty and Body Weight: the hypothalamic basis of energy metabolism; mechanisms involved in male reproductive maturation.

Molecular action of neurotoxins: role of astrocytes in maintaining neuronal and vascular function and their involvement in the vulnerability and resistance to natural and chemically-mediated neurodegeneration; effects of hypoglycaemia on brain function.

Neuropathology

Neuropathology degrees at Nottingham explore many research topics, including:


• How adverse or early life events impact neurochemistry and contribute to cognitive and social dysfunction



• Neurodevelopmental and cognitive disorders



• Neurodegenerative disease



• The genetics and causes of Alzheimer's disease



• Brain ageing and dementia



• Post-stroke recovery and the influences that affect progress