PhD Studentship in Neuroscience

Applications are invited for a 3.5-year PhD studentship supported by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation to join the group of Dr Nurun Fancy in the Department of Brain Sciences, for a project to study: The role of LRRK2 in cellular senescence in Parkinson’s Disease.
The project is based at Imperial’s White City Campus. The candidate will be under the supervision of Dr Nurun Fancy, Edmond and Lily Safra Fellow in the Department of Brain Sciences and will benefit from an active and engaged postgraduate community at Imperial.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological condition manifested by a range of motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and slowed movement as well as non-motor symptoms including cognitive and mood disorders, pain, and sleep disturbances. Currently, more than 145,000 people in the UK are living with PD, and this number is expected to increase by 50% by 2050. Around one-third of individuals with PD develop Parkinson’s-related dementia.
Age is the greatest risk factor for Parkinson’s, meaning that as life expectancy increases, the prevalence and incidence of PD will also rise, placing a significant economic and social burden on healthcare systems and society. Unfortunately, there is still no cure for PD. However, recent advancements in high-dimensional imaging and high-throughput omics techniques at the single-cell level present an opportunity to explore the underlying biology of PD in unprecedented detail. By leveraging these technologies, we can drive transformative breakthroughs in therapeutic approaches, ultimately bringing us closer to effective treatments.
The Project
The role of LRRK2 in cellular senescence in Parkinson’s disease
This PhD project will investigate the role of LRRK2 in microglial senescence in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The candidate will explore how αSyn-induced dysregulation of LRRK2 expression leads to microglial senescence. To achieve this, the candidate will use advanced high-throughput imaging techniques in human postmortem brain, and genetic and pharmacological interventions in human iPSC-derived microglia-like cells. Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) will be utilised to map the spatial relationships between αSyn, LRRK2, and senescence markers in human postmortem brain tissue. Human iPSC-derived microglia will be used to establish the causal role of LRRK2 activity in promoting senescence through targeted genetic manipulation and pharmacological inhibition. These studies will identify molecular pathways that may serve as therapeutic targets, laying the foundation for future investigations into senolytic interventions to mitigate αSyn-induced cellular senescence and neurodegeneration.
Studentship details and application process
The studentship provides a tax-free annual bursary at the UKRI rate (currently £21,237 for 2024/25 entry) and tuition fees at the UK/Home rate. You will benefit from membership of the Graduate School and an active early career research community. Applicants should hold a First Class or an Upper Second-Class degree (or equivalent overseas qualification) in biological science, such as neuroscience. A Master’s degree in a related field, such as neuroscience or computational neuroscience is desirable but not essential. Prior experience in wet-lab biology and data analysis skills (using a programming language such as R, Python etc.) are highly desirable. Applicants must also meet Imperial College’s English language requirements – further details can be found at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/english/
To apply for this studentship, please send a full CV, a brief statement outlining your research interests and motivation and contact details for two academic referees to n.fancy@imperial.ac.uk. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview within two weeks after the closing date. We regret that due to the large volume of applications received, we are only able to notify those shortlisted for interview. Funding is in place for this project and the studentship may begin immediately.