Anthony Vernon

The University of Exeter is recruiting a fully funded four-year PhD student for a project on AI-guided functional genomics of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a major genetic risk factor for schizophrenia. The research will investigate how this genetic deletion shapes brain development and psychiatric outcomes. The interdisciplinary project combines stem cell-derived brain organoids, single-cell genomics, machine learning, neuroimaging, and clinical phenotyping to connect molecular mechanisms with human disease. The supervisory team includes Anthony Vernon, Dr Paris Alexandros Lalousis, and Amalie Couch. The opportunity is particularly relevant to applicants interested in computational neuroscience, functional genomics, psychiatric genetics, neurodevelopment, schizophrenia, brain organoids, and AI in biomedicine. The studentship is fully funded for four years. Applications are open from 26 October until 5 January 2027. Applicants should consult the MRC Functional Genomics programme information and the linked project details for eligibility requirements and application instructions.