PhD Studentship - Understanding the Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Brain Structure and Connectivity in Conduct Disorder

Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for Conduct Disorder, a psychiatric condition characterized by severe antisocial and aggressive behaviours (Fairchild et al., 2019; Nature Reviews Disease Primers). The ecophenotype hypothesis suggests that maltreatment-related Conduct Disorder differs from non-maltreatment-related Conduct Disorder in severity, developmental course, treatment response, and neurobiological mechanisms (Teicher et al., 2022; Molecular Psychiatry). This PhD project aims to explore these differences using various large-scale datasets, including data from the recently-established ENIGMA-Antisocial Behavior Working Group (enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-antisocial-behavior; see Gao et al. (2024) Lancet Psychiatry for a recent study from the working group).

This project will involve comparing maltreated and non-maltreated youth with Conduct Disorder in terms of clinical symptom profiles, developmental trajectories, brain structure and connectivity. The findings could inform the development of diagnostic criteria (DSM/ICD) and lead to personalized treatments for maltreated youth with Conduct Disorder.

Beyond the first study, which will use data from the ENIGMA-Antisocial Behavior working group (i.e., a mega-analysis of structural MRI data comparing maltreated and non-maltreated youth with Conduct Disorder in brain structure), the student could go in many different directions with the project. As well as learning new methods for analysing white-matter microstructure and performing large scale analyses of diffusion tensor imaging data, they would be able to learn advanced methods such as normative modelling through our extensive network of international collaborators and links with the central ENIGMA team at the University of Southern California, potentially visiting USC to do this. It would also be possible for them to gain experience of primary data collection (e.g., qualitative interviews with young people with Conduct Disorder with versus without maltreatment or EEG data collection).  This is an exciting project with strong potential for real-world impact and the successful applicant will also build a large network of international collaborators during the project. 

£2,000 p/a Research Training Support, plus £300 p/a for travel or conference attendance.

Full tuition fees for 4 years at the UK/Home rate will also be covered.

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