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Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

To start: 1 October 2013

The Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), King’s College London has the highest research power of any UK Institution in the area of neuroscience, clinical psychology and psychiatry (2008 Research Assessment Exercise). The IoP offers research and training in basic and clinical science across the mental health spectrum. Studying at the IoP you will have access to a large clinical population through King’s Health Partners, an Academic Health Science Centre that includes Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts. 

Award

A three year full time PhD studentship funded by a Technology Strategy Board grant in the Department of Neuroimaging.

Project

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is clinically difficult and patients with the early signs are frequently not treated until their symptoms become stronger – often many months or years later.  Early diagnosis allows an individual to access drugs to tackle their symptoms, to plan their care before the condition worsens. New, effective drug treatments that effectively slow the onset are expected in the near future. The benefits and effectiveness of these treatments will be maximised if the disease has been diagnosed early.  

Anatomical imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended by NICE as part of the evaluation for an initial diagnosis of dementia. This PhD aims to use advanced image analysis techniques to automatically and accurately detect the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias from a routine clinical brain scan. The PhD is part of a multi-centre project funded by the Technology Strategy Board working with NHS, academia and industry. 

Specifically, this project involves the recruitment of patients undergoing routine MRI of the brain for evaluation of possible dementia, the application of novel and established image analysis routines, together with the integration of electronic patient records with MRI data.

Entry requirements 

A good first degree (first class or 2:1) in a subject relevant to the project together with relevant neuroimaging experience.

Award types and eligibility

Full Funding is available covering fees and an annual stipend of £15,000 for three years. Due to funding restrictions the studentship will only fully fund applicants who are eligible for Home/EU fees. Overseas students would have to pay the difference (approximately £9,500 per annum). 

How to apply

Complete and submit an online admissions application via the admissions portal which can be accessed by clicking the Apply link below.

See our full advert for details of how to apply at www.kcl.ac.uk/iop/research/pgr/phdstudentships/Quantitative-Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging-for-Aiding-the-Diagnosis-of-Alzheimers-Disease-and-other-Dementias-.aspx

You will need to include:

• Academic Transcripts – where applicable, academic transcripts must be submitted with the online admissions application
• Details of your qualifications (you will need to attach copies)
• Details of previous employment
• A personal statement describing your interests and why you wish to apply for this project. Please include this as an attachment.
• Academic References – all admissions applications require two supporting references. If the applicant is relying on his/her referees to submit references directly to the College after he/she has submitted his/her admissions application, then the applicant must ensure that their chosen referees are aware of the funding deadline.

In the Funding section, please tick box 5 and include the following reference: ASIoPTSB13. There is no need to complete the Research Proposal section in your application as the project has already been set. References must be received by the deadline for the applicant to be eligible.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Closing Date: Sunday 15 September 2013 (23:59 BST)

Interviews: Tuesday 17 September 2013, 2-5pm