PhD Studentship: Processes Driving Neurodegeneration and Cognitive Impairment in Lewy Body Dementia

Award Summary

100% of home tuition fees paid and an annual stipend (living expenses) of £19,500. Also significant additional funding given to cover research costs, and national and international travel (network meetings, conferences and exchanges). 

Overview

Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder which has no cure, in part because the disease mechanisms that underlie neurodegeneration are not known. This PhD studentship has the potential to identify some of these mechanisms, and may help us develop more effective treatments. 

To better understand LBD, this studentship will employ neuropathological examination of post-mortem brain tissue combined with high-field neuroimaging in living patients to interrogate associations between neurodegeneration and potential causative mechanisms, including iron accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction and formation of protein aggregates.  

Working between two leading centres for LBD research, Newcastle University and UCL, the student will receive instruction in neuropathological analysis and evaluation of neuroimaging data, joining established LBD scientists who are passionate about mentoring the scientists of tomorrow. The training experience will be substantially elevated by the integration of the student within the Alzheimer’s Society LBD Doctoral Training Network, where the student will join a cohort of students working on LBD, with learning and development scaffolded by more experienced LBD researchers within the respective research environments.   

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

September 2025

Award Duration

4 years

Application Closing Date

31st January 2025

Sponsor

Alzheimer’s Society (Lewy Body Dementia Doctoral Training Network) 

Supervisors

Dr Daniel Erskine (Newcastle) Staff Profile | Faculty of Medical Sciences | Newcastle University 

Professor Rimona Weill (UCL) Rimona Weil Profile | University College London 

Professor John-Paul Taylor (Newcastle) Staff Profile | Faculty of Medical Sciences | Newcastle University 

Eligibility Criteria

A 2:1 honours degree, or international equivalent, in a relevant subject. A Masters with strong research training element would be highly advantageous.  

If your first language is not English you need an overall IELTS score of 6.5 (at least 5.5 in all sub-skills) or equivalent language qualification. 

International applicants will be required to fund the difference between home and international fees for every year of the studentship. You may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.   

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal via the 'Apply' button above.

In ‘Course choice’ tab, put ‘Postgraduate Research’ in 'Type of Study', ‘Full Time’ in ‘Mode of Study’, ‘2024’ in ‘Year of Entry’, code ‘8440F’ in ‘Course Title’, blank in ‘Research Area’. Press ‘Search’, select ‘PhD Translational and Clinical Research (FT)’, and save selection. 

Either upload a document or write into ‘Personal Statement’. Put code ‘TC104’ in ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’. When prompted for research proposal, select ‘Write Proposal’. Type in the title of the research project from this advert. A research proposal is not required. You can also upload a covering letter and CV, please state how your interests and experience relate to the project. 

We need to include the following sentence:    

You must submit one application per studentship, you cannot apply for multiple studentships on one application.  

Contact Details

Dr Daniel Erskine Daniel.erskine@newcastle.ac.uk  

Advert information