Neurodivergence and mental health in children and young people

• Supervisors: Dr Giorgia Michelini, Dr Margherita Malanchini and Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais
• Studentship Funding:
• Name: SBBS Studentship
• Funder: School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at QMUL
• Application Deadline: 23:59PM on Apr 13th 2025
• Expected Start Date: 15th Sept 2025 (Sept Entry) or Jan 2026 (Jan Entry)

Download this document for further details, eligibility criteria and how to apply. [PDF 130KB]

Project Overview

Applications are open for a 3-year funded PhD Studentship in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at Queen Mary University of London.

Neurodivergent children and young people (e.g., with neurodevelopmental traits and/or diagnoses, including autism, ADHD and dyslexia) experience mental health challenges, such as depression and anxiety, at much higher rates than neurotypical peers. However, these issues in neurodivergent youth are often not recognised and supported early enough in clinical settings, leading to a host of negative outcomes. We also know very little about what drives the emergence of mental health problems in neurodivergent young people, which has hindered the development of mental health interventions tailored to this population. 

This PhD project aims to identify the processes leading to common mental health conditions in neurodivergent young people and develop new early identification and support strategies. Working with international collaborators and research networks, the student will have the opportunity to develop skills in transdiagnostic dimensional approaches (e.g., Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology, Research Domain Criteria) and advanced analysis of existing longitudinal datasets, including measures of psychosocial, neurocognitive and genetic risk factors in neurodivergent and neurotypical young people. The project may also include opportunities to collect new quantitative or qualitative data and work in collaboration with the neurodivergent community and charity sector (e.g., participatory/co-production approaches), based on the student’s interests. The findings will inform new approaches to improve neurodivergent young people’s mental health, in line with the priorities of the neurodivergent community.

Keywords: Neurodivergence, Mental Health, Development, Longitudinal, Brain, Genetics

Research Environment

QMUL’s Centre for Brain and Behaviour (CBB) is a diverse, interdisciplinary, scientific environment. Within the CBB, the Cognition and NeuroDevelopment in Youth (CANDY) Lab, a growing research group bringing together six research teams co-led by the supervisors and other academics, offers strong expertise in transdiagnostic frameworks, research co-production, and statistical, cognitive neuroscience and psychiatric genetics approaches relevant to the PhD project.

Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website.

Entry Requirements & Criteria

We are looking for candidates with or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an area relevant to the project, such as mental health, developmental psychology, psychiatry, cognitive neuroscience, psychiatric genetics, bioinformatics or epidemiology. A Master’s degree in one of these areas is also desirable. Candidates must also have some prior research experience and data analysis skills. 

Knowledge of mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions and skills in programming and advanced statistical approaches (e.g., longitudinal or structural equation modelling, machine learning) of clinical/behavioural data, brain data from EEG recordings or genetic data would be highly advantageous but are not essential.

Find out more about our entry requirements here.

Funding

The studentship is funded by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). It will cover home tuition fees, and provide an annual tax-free maintenance allowance for 3 years at the UKRI rate (£21,237 in 2024/25). 

Please find out more about funding and eligibility via: Giorgia Michelini_QMUL SBBS Studentship Details [PDF 130KB]

Any further queries can be sent to [email protected]

How to Apply 

Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by the stated deadline for consideration. A research application is not required.

Your personal statement should include:

• Prior research experience relevant to this project
• How your research skills and interests fit with the proposed project
• Your motivations for pursuing this position
• Your career aspirations
• Any further information you think is relevant to the application

Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.

Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Dr Giorgia Michelini at [email protected] 

Admissions-related queries can be sent to [email protected].

Further details can be downloaded here:  Giorgia Michelini_QMUL SBBS Studentship Details [PDF 130KB]

Apply Online