The UCL Dementia Research Centre is offering a fully-funded non-clinical PhD studentship in Lewy body dementia, commencing October 2026, as part of the UK Lewy Body Dementia Doctoral Training Network (LBD-DTN). Supported by the Alzheimer’s Society, this programme is designed for students aiming to build a career in dementia research, with a particular focus on Lewy body dementia (LBD).

The LBD-DTN is a collaborative initiative uniting six leading UK research centres: University College London, Newcastle, Southampton, Nottingham, King’s College London, and Exeter. The programme’s mission is to advance research and improve the lives of those affected by LBD, offering students access to interdisciplinary training, workshops, seminars, and opportunities for patient engagement and real-world impact.

The 2026 studentship at UCL will be supervised by Dr Angeliki Zarkali (clinical neurologist and expert in advanced diffusion weighted imaging), Dr Barbara Dymerska and Prof Martina Callaghan (MRI physicists with international expertise in quantitative MRI), and Professor Mitul Mehta (King’s College London, expert in positron emission tomography). The project will use advanced MRI and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) to study early grey-matter changes in LBD, Parkinson’s disease, and healthy controls. Key research areas include mapping myelin, iron, synaptic density, microstructure, mitochondrial function, and gliosis, and relating these to disease severity, progression, and amyloid/tau PET burden. The aim is to identify mechanistic insights and imaging markers to improve prognosis and support future clinical trials.

Students will receive training in advanced neuroimaging, clinical and neuropsychology assessments, and public engagement. The programme fosters a positive research culture and encourages applications from candidates with experience in dementia, Parkinson’s, coding, and neuroimaging. Applicants should hold at least an upper 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in neuroscience or a related field; an MSc is not required. The position is open to all nationalities, and candidates are encouraged to disclose any personal circumstances that may have impacted their academic progression.

This is a fully-funded 4-year PhD programme covering Home tuition fees, a stipend starting at approximately £21,500 per year, and consumables up to £7,500 per year. International students may be eligible for the International Scholars Award for Doctoral Training (ISAD), which bridges the gap between Home and International fees, though visa and relocation costs are not covered.

To apply, candidates must email a merged PDF containing their CV (with two academic referees), academic transcripts, and a personal statement (one A4 page, Arial 11) to [email protected]. The application deadline is 5pm on January 23, 2026, with interviews scheduled for early March and the programme starting in October 2026. For further enquiries, contact [email protected] or [email protected].