Doctoral Position in Brain Microstructure Imaging Analysis using MRI and light sheet microscopy

Application Deadline: 5.00 pm Friday 17 January 2020

Applications are invited for an MRC fully funded3.5 year PhD studentship at the University of Nottingham – UK, under the primary supervision of Dr Matteo Bastiani. The successful candidate will engage in specialist training with ex vivo and in vivo (subject to the experience and wishes of the applicant) animal handling, preclinical imaging, and data analysis techniques. The student will also acquire new computational and modelling skills as well as learn practical laboratory procedures to make a brain transparent. This will allow the student to model features of the MR images using 3D microscopy images. The research will be carried out in collaboration with the Birmingham branch of the Centre Of Membrane Proteins And REceptors (COMPARE) and the School of Life Sciences of the University of Nottingham.
This project is offered through the MRC IMPACT Doctoral Training Programme. Applications should therefore be made through the IMPACT DTP website (project can be found under the University of Nottingham list):
https://more.bham.ac.uk/mrc-impact/phd-opportunities/

For informal inquiries and more information feel free to contact by e-mail: matteo.bastiani@nottingham.ac.uk

Benefits
The studentship is within the Integrated Midlands Partnership for Biomedical Training (IMPACT) Doctoral Training Program (DTP) funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC). Students will be supported for three years and six months on the following model:
· Cohort Training Programme (3 months): additional training will take place during the programme (https://more.bham.ac.uk/mrc-impact/training-opportunities/)
· PhD Research Project
· The successful candidate will have their tuition fees covered and will also benefit from a standard PhD stipend, a research training support grant (up to £5k per year) and funds to cover conference attendance.

Required Qualifications
The PhD candidate must have a background in computer science, (applied) physics, mathematics, biomedical engineering, medical imaging, computational neuroscience or a related field from an approved program, with skills in scientific reporting/presenting, image processing or machine learning and computer programming (preferably C++/Matlab/Python). Prior (research) experience with MRI and/or medical image processing/analysis is an advantage. The candidate should be highly motivated and should be able to work in a team.

Eligibility
You must hold (or be about to obtain) a First or an Upper Second Class UK undergraduate degree or an equivalent degree from a recognised EU institution, in an area relevant to the projects you are applying for. Qualifications (or a combination of qualifications and experience) which demonstrate equivalent ability and attainment will also be considered. For example, a less than sufficient first degree may be enhanced to meet the requirements by the acquisition of a Distinction at Masters level or significant research experience gained from employment).

These studentships are available to UK and other EU nationals ONLY. For full details on eligibility, including residence requirements, please see the MRC website. We are not currently accepting applications from overseas students.

Further Information

The Beacon of Excellence in Precision Imaging (University of Nottingham)has access to cutting-edge MRI scanners and hosts high-performance computing and storage facilities dedicated to imaging research.Its vibrant highly-interdisciplinary research community will provide the student with support at many different levels. The cross-institutional supervisory team is composed of researchers that are still actively doing experiments in the lab. They can provide the necessary multi-disciplinary expertise. An additional set of cross-institutional and cross-expertise collaborators will offer further support to the student. Several professional development opportunities will also be available, and there will be continuous opportunity for the student to develop communication and leadership skills via university courses, internal seminars/symposia, annual post-graduate symposia, teaching opportunities, and outreach activities. One to one mentoring, and participation in an enthusiastic and innovative research environment will provide the student with all the necessary training to complete a PhD.

The full details for the position can be found at https://www.dropbox.com/s/mz8db078qzq2k0h/MRC_Impact_Bastiani_advert.pdf?dl=0