Opportunities in the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience

Supervisor: Dr Robin Corey
Contact: robin.corey@bristol.ac.uk

We use computational molecular modelling to explore various aspects of GPCR function, including pharmacology, lipid regulation, dimerisation, and ligand bias.

Our research spans a range of medically significant GPCRs, with a focus on targets in the blood, heart, and brain. Students will have substantial flexibility to propose and develop their own research projects within this framework.

Supervisor: Professor David Sheppard
Contact: d.n.sheppard@bristol.ac.uk

We investigate the dysfunction of ion channels in human disease with the goal of developing innovative new therapeutics that transform the lives of affected individuals.

For this work, we use a multi-disciplinary approach, combining molecular modelling of protein structures with functional assays that relate the molecular behaviour of ion channels to their function in cells and tissues.

Such a project will provide training in a broad range of state-of-the-art techniques suitable for a range of life science careers.

Supervisor: Professor Chrissy Hammond
Contact: chrissy.hammond@bristol.ac.uk

Our lab uses zebrafish to model musculoskeletal disease, with a particular focus on using dynamic imaging to dissect the contributions of genes, mechanics, diet and environment on cellular behaviour.

Supervisor: Professor Elek Molnar
Contact: elek.molnar@bristol.ac.uk

Our studies focus on developmental and activity dependent changes in the molecular organisation, signalling and function of glutamate receptors (GluRs).

We apply a combination of molecular, pharmacological, immunochemical and imaging approaches to gain understanding of the roles of GluRs in the central nervous system and their involvement in neurological disorders.

Supervisor: Dr Michael Ashby
Contact: m.c.ashby@bristol.ac.uk

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric illness that cause psychosis, depression and cognitive impairment. As it is a highly debilitating, non-fatal disorder, it has enormous negative impact on the lives of patients and on society. Indeed, it is estimated that schizophrenia accounts for ~2% of the total burden of disease in China.

There are currently limited treatment options and no known cures, largely because we do not fully understand the causes of schizophrenia. It is known that genetic variation plays a key role in determining susceptibility to schizophrenia, but we do not understand how genetic differences lead to symptom-related abnormalities in brain function.

This lack of understanding limits development of new therapies. To understand the link between altered genetics and neuronal function, we study the development of synaptic, cellular and circuit maturation in the brains of developing mice that carry schizophrenia-related gene mutations. Using techniques including in vivo and ex vivo multiphoton fluorescence imaging, electrophysiology and proteomics, we aim to uncover how altered maturation of the brain is triggered by gene mutations and thereby develop novel therapeutic strategies for schizophrenia.

Supervisor: Dr Valentina Mosienko
Contact: valentina.mosienko@bristol.ac.uk

We are interested in cellular and molecular of stress response that are driving the development of neuropsychiatric conditions including anxiety and depression.

We employ state-of-the-art in vitro and in vivo techniques including monitoring of cell metabolites and intracellular messengers, modifications of gene expression using viral approaches and transgenic animal models, amperometry, behavioral testing, and RNAseq to dissect the brain pathways driven by neurons and non-neuronal cells, astrocytes and microglia, underlying stress resistance and responsiveness.

Our research has implications for developing much-needed novel treatment strategies for stress-related disorders.

Supervisor: Dr Ross Purple
Contact: ross.purple@bristol.ac.uk

We are interested in how emotional memories are processed in the brain during sleep and how this may lead to the development of mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

We use an array of techniques including in-vivo electrophysiology in rodents, sleep studies in humans, computational analyses, and machine learning algorithms.

Supervisor: Professor James Hodge
Contact: james.hodge@bristol.ac.uk

Our populations are getting older having huge medical and socio-economic consequences. About half of the elderly experience chronic circadian and sleep disturbances with Alzheimer’s causing more pronounced circadian deficits, with poor sleep contributing to disease pathology.

This PhD will use the short-lived and genetically tractable Drosophila to test the effect of human Alzheimer causal and novel risk genes on neurodegeneration, lifespan, memory circadian rhythms and sleep. We will then target these mechanisms with gene and drug therapies to correct deficits. We will test the effect of sleep enhancement and deprivation on health and disease outcomes and boosting/ disrupting circadian rhythms by scheduled exercise, feeding, light exposure or jetlag etc protocols.

Supervisor: Dr. Johan Alsiö
Contact: johan.alsio@bristol.ac.uk

Research in our group focusses on understanding the neural circuits and neurochemistry of cognition in health and disease, with the ultimate aim of improving medication for psychiatric and neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.

To this end, we study cognitive domains such as cognitive flexibility and visual attention in rodents, using behavioural tasks that we can couple to neural recordings (fibre photometry) and computational modelling of learning and choice.

Supervisor: Dr Emma Cahill
Contact: emma.n.cahill@bristol.ac.uk

My research explores unanswered fundamental questions related to understanding the physiological basis of memory and adaptive behaviour, drawing on the influence of psychological models.

• What are the neurochemical signalling requirements of memories associated with drugs of abuse, appetitive experience or memories of fear?
• How do memories last?
• How flexible or malleable are memories that control behaviour?

We also investigate the relationship of fear and anxiety, and whether the two emotional states may be supported by neurochemically and anatomically distinct mechanisms. This is important to consider given that many psychiatric disorders are characterised by symptoms related to anxiety and therapeutic options are currently limited.

For these projects, we also collaborate with partners in the pharmaceutical industry to develop pre-clinical tasks and tests, and with colleagues who work on animal welfare to develop our understanding of how experience influences animal behaviour.