Gene Regulation in Brain Development and Disease – Funded PhD at the University of Exeter. Ref: 5496

Supervisors

Primary supervisor: Dr Sean Flynn 

Secondary Supervisor: Professor Jonathan Mill 

Project Summary

The University of Exeter’s Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences is inviting applications for a PhD studentship to commence on 22nd September 2025 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 for 3 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in the RILD Building in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences on the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital site.

Project Description

The University of Exeter’s Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences is inviting applications for a PhD studentship to commence on 22nd September 2025 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 for 3 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in the RILD Building in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences on the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital site.

Enhancers are crucial regulatory elements in the genome, controlling gene expression and playing a pivotal role in cellular differentiation and neurological disorders. Despite their importance, the mechanisms governing enhancer activity remain incompletely understood. 

This funded PhD project will investigate how enhancers regulate neural differentiation in stem cell models and how their disruption may contribute to neurological disorders. Using human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models, the candidate will explore the epigenetic regulation of enhancers during neural differentiation, identify key regulatory factors, and examine how alterations in enhancer function contribute to disease. 

This studentship is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in cutting-edge genomic techniques and/or computational approaches, including advanced methods for profiling and perturbing enhancer activity, epigenetic modifications, and gene regulatory networks. We encourage any student interested in molecular and epigenetic mechanisms in the brain to apply.

The studentship will be awarded on the basis of merit. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply, but should note that the award will only provide payment for part of the international tuition fee (~£25k) and no stipend.

International applicants need to be aware that they will have to cover the cost of their student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD. 

The conditions for eligibility of home fees status are complex and you will need to seek advice if you have moved to or from the UK (or Republic of Ireland) within the past 3 years or have applied for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

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 Genetics, Biochemistry, Neuroscience or (Bio)medical Sciences. 

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.

For further information and for how to apply, please see the following link: Award details nearmejobs.eu Funding and scholarships for students nearmejobs.eu University of Exeter.

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)
• Names of two referees familiar with your academic work. You are not required to obtain references yourself. We will request references directly from your referees if you are shortlisted.

The closing date for applications is midnight on 24th March 2025. 

Interviews will be held in the week commencing 31st March 2025.

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

Please quote reference 5496 on your application and in any correspondence about this studentship.