GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP PhD project: Understanding the impact of childhood maltreatment on brain structure and connectivity in Conduct Disorder

This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the GW4 BioMed2 MRC Doctoral Training Partnership which is offering up to 21 studentships for entry in September 2025.

The DTP brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers. Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities. More information may be found on the DTP’s website.

Supervisory Team:

 Dr Graeme Fairchild, University of Bath, Department of Psychology

Dr Janet Bultitude, University of Bath, Department of Psychology

Dr Xavier Caseras, University of Cardiff, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences

Dr Tom Lancaster, University of Bath, Department of Psychology

The Project: 

Childhood maltreatment is a key risk factor for the development of Conduct Disorder (CD), a psychiatric diagnosis involving antisocial and aggressive behaviour. Furthermore, maltreatment-related CD may differ from non-maltreatment-related CD in ways that are important for prognosis and treatment. This idea, termed the ‘ecophenotype hypothesis’, has been developed by Teicher and colleagues and outlined in several review articles in which they argued that maltreatment-related disorders may differ in clinical severity, developmental course, responsiveness to treatment and neurobiological correlates or mechanisms from non-maltreatment-related forms of the same disorder (Teicher et al., 2013, 2022). However, this hypothesis has not been tested empirically in relation to CD, except for two relatively small-scale studies in single cohorts. One of these showed more extensive alterations in cortical structure in maltreated youth with CD compared to their non-maltreated counterparts (Staginnus et al., 2023).

This project will extend this preliminary work by investigating differences between maltreatment-related and non-maltreatment-related CD in clinical symptoms, comorbidity, developmental trajectories. We will also compare these groups in terms of brain structure and connectivity by analysing structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging data. Our long-term aim is to inform the development of the DSM and ICD and guide future research in psychiatry and clinical psychology.

We will use data from the recently established ENIGMA-Antisocial Behavior Working Group (Gao, Staginnus et al., 2024, Lancet Psychiatry; https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-antisocial-behavior/), which was set up by the PhD supervisor and colleagues in the UK, the USA and the Netherlands. We will also use several other large-scale or prospective longitudinal datasets (ABCD, Generation R) to investigate these issues and ensure our findings are robust and generalisable. Critically, we will include data from maltreated youth without CD to disentangle the brain alterations associated with maltreatment-related CD from the effects of maltreatment in general.

Identifying unique clinical profiles or brain alterations in maltreated youth with CD versus their non-maltreated counterparts would strengthen the case for including maltreatment as a specifier in the diagnostic criteria for CD, as proposed by Teicher and colleagues. The proposed work has theoretical and practical implications: if compelling evidence for the ecophenotype hypothesis was obtained, this would suggest that current neurocognitive models of CD need to be modified accordingly. This research would also have implications for treatment studies of CD, as previous research has shown that maltreated individuals with depression are substantially less responsive to antidepressant treatment or cognitive behavioural therapy. Our work could lead to the development of personalized treatments, targeted to meet the unique needs of maltreated youth with CD.

Beyond the first study, which will use structural MRI data (i.e., a mega-analysis comparing maltreated and non-maltreated youth with CD in terms of cortical structure), the student could go in many different directions with this project. 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. They could also gain experience of primary data collection.

Requirements:

Applicants must have obtained, or be expected to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an area appropriate to the skills requirements of the project. Applicants with a lower second class will only be considered if they also have a Master’s degree. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.

Non-UK applicants will also be required to have met the English language entry requirements of the University of Bath.

Enquiries and Applications:

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Dr Graeme Fairchild on email address gf353@bath.ac.uk.

Formal applications must be submitted direct to the GW4 BioMed2 DTP using their online application form: GW4 BioMed MRC DTP – GW4 BioMed MRC DTP

A list of all available projects and guidance on how to apply may be found on the DTP’s website. You may apply for up to 2 projects.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT 17:00 (GMT) ON 4 NOVEMBER 2025.

IMPORTANT: You do NOT need to apply to the University of Bath at this stage – only those applicants who are successful in obtaining an offer of funding from the DTP will be required to submit an application for an offer of study from Bath.