This PhD position at Queen Mary University of London, supervised by Professor Lars Chittka, offers an opportunity to explore cognition in insects through a China Scholarship Council (CSC) joint scholarship programme. The project scope is broad, encompassing any area within Prof Chittka’s expertise, such as insect cognition, social learning, communication, vision, neural computation, insect emotions, consciousness and its welfare implications, and pollination biology. The research investigates how the tiny insect brain achieves complex tasks like long-distance navigation, collision avoidance, face recognition, concept learning, numerical skills, tool use, and high memory capacity.

The lab leverages principles of energy-efficient computing in miniature brains, with potential applications in computer science and artificial intelligence. Both bottom-up and top-down attentional processes are studied, alongside neural-computational modeling to understand visual information processing in bees. The research environment is dynamic and international, with advanced technology and computing equipment. Students receive training in automated behavioural monitoring, psychological analyses, statistics, and scientific writing, benefiting from a supervisor with a strong track record of mentoring successful PhD students.

The scholarship covers full tuition fees (Queen Mary) and living expenses plus a return flight (CSC) for eligible Chinese applicants. Candidates must hold or expect a first or upper-second class honours degree and a Master’s in a relevant field (biology, neuroscience, psychology), and meet English language requirements. Applications must be submitted online by January 28, 2026, with all required documentation.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed, and successful applicants will receive a conditional offer letter before applying to CSC for the scholarship. For more information, visit the lab and university web pages or contact admissions.