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Edinburgh EASTBIO PhD: Cerebral blood flow, oligodendrocytes and cognitive ageing

Project 2226 · University of Edinburgh · School of Neurological and Cardiovascular Sciences (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine)

Application workspace

Save this opportunity and prepare around its actual requirements. Confirm deadlines and eligibility at the original source.

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Country or region
United Kingdom
Application deadline
2026-11-16 (confirm the exact time with the source)
Funding
Four-year EASTBIO competition award; successful international awardees receive an overseas-fee-gap waiver. Up to 30% of EASTBIO's annual awards may go to international applicants (network cap, not project quota or individual odds). 2027/28 stipend unconfirmed; visa/IHS excluded.

The research opportunity

Edinburgh EASTBIO PhD: Cerebral blood flow, oligodendrocytes and cognitive ageing

Project overview

This four-year, worldwide-eligible EASTBIO BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership competition asks how declining cerebral blood flow affects oligodendrocytes, white matter and cognition during brain ageing. The listed deadline is 16 November 2026. The saved material gives no cutoff time or time zone, and current acceptance status and the exact 2027 project slot are unconfirmed. Across EASTBIO's annual awards, international applicants may receive up to 30%; this is a network-wide cap, not this project's quota or an individual's probability of success.

Doctoral research

The team reports an established mouse model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, progressive white-matter damage and measurable cognitive effects. Preliminary single-cell RNA sequencing identified early oligodendrocyte changes. The student would use single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to track oligodendrocyte populations as white-matter abnormalities emerge and progress, relate those changes to myelin damage, and use bioinformatics to identify candidate signals linking endothelial dysfunction with oligodendrocyte biology. These are project-reported foundations, not proof of a human mechanism or treatment effect.

The work also proposes longitudinal TSPO PET with [18F]-LW223, diffusion MRI and behavioural testing, alongside analysis of post-mortem human white matter. Mouse longitudinal data and human tissue comparisons answer different questions and do not constitute a human intervention study. Training spans animal and neurovascular research, transcriptomics, bioinformatics, molecular imaging, white-matter structure and cognitive assessment.

School and doctoral training

The University of Edinburgh awards the degree; EASTBIO provides the competition funding and cohort training. The School of Neurological and Cardiovascular Sciences connects the project with Discovery Brain Sciences, UK DRI, cardiovascular research and Edinburgh Imaging. The generic 2027 Neuroscience course lists 36 months of research plus a 12-month submission period; how that maps to this four-year award, registration and writing needs confirmation. EASTBIO's framework places core cohort training in years 1–2 and mainly research in years 3–4, with optional development activities. The 2026/27 schedule does not establish the 2027 entrant's timetable. EASTBIO training · Edinburgh Neuroscience PhD

Eligibility and application

The general EASTBIO requirement is an undergraduate 2:1 or international equivalent; a master's is not compulsory. The generic 2027 Neuroscience course lists IELTS 6.5 overall and 6.0 in each component, with no One Skill Retake. Other accepted evidence and exemptions depend on the final registered course.

The saved application guidance requires the EASTBIO form, PDF academic transcripts, an anonymous EDI response ID and two references on the prescribed template. References may be academic or professional but cannot be from this project's supervisors; applicants may apply to only one EASTBIO project across the network. The advert directs applications, transcripts and references to INCR.PostgraduateRecruitment@ed.ac.uk by 16 November 2026. The saved material does not confirm whether this exact project is still accepting applications. Check the route and slot with Jill Fowler before committing the network's single application. EASTBIO application guidance

Funding and points to confirm

EASTBIO's general terms provide a four-year award, a stipend, Home-rate tuition support and research/training expenses. Successful international awardees receive an overseas-fee-gap waiver; the annual international share is capped at 30% across EASTBIO. The exact project allocation and 2027/28 stipend are unconfirmed. Visa and Immigration Health Surcharge costs are excluded; budget separately for relocation and living costs.

Before applying, confirm the 2027 slot, day-to-day supervisory roles, access to human tissue and longitudinal imaging, sequencing and analysis support, and how the award aligns with registration and writing. Obtain individual written funding terms before accepting an offer.

Research and application brief

Report generated: . This date does not confirm that recruitment remains open.

Information updated: . Recheck the original notice before applying.

Show report contents

Edinburgh EASTBIO PhD: Cerebral blood flow, oligodendrocytes and cognitive ageing

This advertised four-year EASTBIO competition project asks how declining blood supply changes oligodendrocytes, myelin and cognition. Jill Fowler, Karen Horsburgh, Axel Montagne and Adriana Tavares provide complementary vascular, glial and quantitative-imaging expertise. Its recorded deadline is 16 November 2026 for 2027 entry, with worldwide eligibility. The saved programme guidance directs applicants to project adverts but does not confirm this exact 2027 slot or current acceptance status. Confirm both with Fowler before committing the network's single application. EastBio 2027 recruitment EastBio how to apply Jill Fowler official research group

Research work and unresolved problem

The advertised starting resources are an established mouse chronic-hypoperfusion model, progressive white-matter/cognitive abnormalities and preliminary early oligodendrocyte single-cell RNA changes. The student would use single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to follow oligodendrocyte populations through disease progression and relate them to myelin damage. Endothelial-cell changes and bioinformatics would identify candidate vascular-to-oligodendrocyte signalling. These preliminary project resources are advertised, not independently audited datasets or established mechanisms. Askew et al hypoperfusion CSF1R paper Li et al glymphatic vascular cognitive impairment

The imaging component links TSPO PET using [18F]-LW223, diffusion MRI and longitudinal behaviour to cellular/molecular change. Post-mortem human white matter provides an ageing comparison. The opportunity is to connect cell states, tissue structure and function rather than merely produce another list of differentially expressed genes. The challenge is separating cell composition from within-cell regulation, association from causal communication, and model-specific responses from normal human ageing. Askew et al hypoperfusion CSF1R paper Li et al glymphatic vascular cognitive impairment Knyzeliene et al LW223 murine TSPO PET Craig et al human oligodendrocyte ageing frontier

Neither TSPO signal nor diffusion change uniquely identifies oligodendrocyte injury: tracer kinetics, inflammation and multiple tissue processes can affect interpretation. Human post-mortem comparison is cross-sectional and potentially confounded by comorbidity, tissue quality and region. Ask how imaging and transcriptomic observations will be linked, which stage/region is prioritised, and what fallback is feasible if human tissue or longitudinal measurements are delayed. These are evaluation questions, not additional experimental procedures. Askew et al hypoperfusion CSF1R paper Knyzeliene et al LW223 murine TSPO PET Craig et al human oligodendrocyte ageing frontier

School, subject and doctoral training

Edinburgh awards the doctorate; EASTBIO funds and coordinates cohort training. The School of Neurological and Cardiovascular Sciences/CMVM links Discovery Brain Sciences, UK DRI, cardiovascular research and Edinburgh Imaging. This is a specific neurovascular/glial environment, distinct from an institutional ranking: QS 2027 places Edinburgh 35th overall, not this laboratory or subject niche. Neuroscience seminars and cross-disciplinary contacts support development without guaranteeing personal equipment or tissue access. Edinburgh Neuroscience research degree 2027 Edinburgh neuroscience community QS Edinburgh 2027 Jill Fowler official research group Karen Horsburgh official research group Axel Montagne current official profile Adriana Tavares official profile

The official preclinical PET platform lists rodent/tissue imaging, PET/CT and PET/MRI, with Tavares as head and academic/pharmaceutical collaborations. Confirm scanner availability, tracer provision, staff input, analysis training and charges within this studentship. Listed capacity does not establish an allocated experimental budget or a placement. Edinburgh Preclinical PET facility

The generic 2027 Neuroscience course lists 36 months full-time plus 12 months submission; confirm how the four-year EASTBIO award maps to registration, training and writing. EASTBIO's 2025-onward framework has core years 1–2, with years 3–4 mainly research and optional development. PIPS offers non-academic experience, not guaranteed employment. The saved 2026/27 training dates should not be copied into a 2027 entrant's schedule; funding selection and degree admission remain separate. EastBio training overview EastBio professional placements Edinburgh Neuroscience research degree 2027

Supervisors and recent research evidence

Fowler is an Alzheimer's Research UK Senior Research Fellow, with vascular/white-matter and oxidative-stress expertise; she is not advertised as a professor. Horsburgh holds a Personal Chair in Neuroscience and studies cerebrovascular contributions to dementia, inflammation and white matter. Montagne is a Senior Lecturer and UK DRI group leader, studying the blood–brain barrier and vascular interactions. Tavares is Professor/Personal Chair in Translational Molecular Imaging and Head of Preclinical PET, with industrial imaging experience. Establish the principal day-to-day supervisor and division of molecular, animal, imaging and computational support. Existing grants do not constitute this student's award. Jill Fowler official research group Karen Horsburgh official research group Axel Montagne current official profile Adriana Tavares official profile Edinburgh Preclinical PET facility

  • Askew et al., online 2023 / Glia 2024: primary results, discussion and author contributions reviewed. CSF1R inhibition normalised microglial expansion and improved white matter/cognition in a chronic-low-flow mouse model; human tissue provided pathology associations. Peripheral myeloid and microglial-function effects were not excluded. Horsburgh oversaw design/studies and co-wrote; Tavares contributed funding/oversight, rather than being identified as principal cellular analyst. This supports the environment, not a proven oligodendrocyte-specific treatment. Askew et al hypoperfusion CSF1R paper
  • Li et al., 13 January 2022 Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience: primary results, discussion and contributions reviewed. Low flow accompanies reduced regional cerebrospinal-fluid influx, altered pial arterial pulsation and cognitive impairment. Li led most design/experiments/analysis/writing; Horsburgh supervised and contributed design/interpretation/writing. Male animals, one assessment stage and no restoration of clearance function limit causal interpretation. The 2021 volume/DOI is not its publication date. Li et al glymphatic vascular cognitive impairment
  • Knyzeliene et al., online 2023 / 2024 JCBFM: publisher abstract/introduction and the primary PDF's first three pages were read; full discussion/contributions were not reviewed. Healthy male mice show favourable LW223 binding/quantification properties. Tavares is last/corresponding author; exact task allocation remains unverified. Performance in healthy animals cannot establish validity across ageing/hypoperfusion or identify the cellular cause of a PET change. Knyzeliene et al LW223 murine TSPO PET

A separate 2026 Nature Medicine study links human cognitive decline to dysfunctional oligodendrocytes, with more cells/thicker myelin in some affected tissue. Its abstract/results were read; it is field context, not a publication by these four supervisors. Cell counts alone can mislead, and its findings do not establish this project's low-flow mechanism. Craig et al human oligodendrocyte ageing frontier

Funding and living costs

EASTBIO supports Home-rate fees, a stipend and annual research support. Its FAQ confirms an overseas-fee-gap waiver for successful international awardees and that international applicants may receive up to 30% of EASTBIO's awards each year. This is a network-wide allocation cap, not a project-specific quota or an individual's odds. Confirm the award's individual fee terms. Visa/IHS are excluded; Student-visa students must study full-time and reside in the UK. EastBio how to apply EastBio international eligibility FAQ

UKRI's 2026/27 minimum stipend £21,805 and Home-fee contribution £5,238 are benchmarks, not confirmed 2027/28 project amounts. Edinburgh's March 2026 budget is £1,542/month, £18,504 / 52 weeks, including £978 housing/utilities. Do not add housing twice. The £3,301 annual difference is conditional arithmetic, with 2027 inflation, actual rent, deposits, relocation and visa/IHS still relevant. Confirm imaging, sequencing, tissue and conference costs separately. UKRI 2026/27 minimum rates Edinburgh postgraduate living costs 2026/27

Applicant fit and preparation

Eligibility is 2:1 undergraduate/international equivalent; no compulsory master's. Strong fit combines interest in animal/neurovascular biology with quantitative transcriptomics and imaging, and willingness to handle imperfect cross-modal evidence. Prepare a clear personal research contribution, statistical/confounding reasoning and an example distinguishing a biomarker from mechanism. The generic 2027 Neuroscience course requires IELTS 6.5 overall/6.0 each, no One Skill Retake; confirm final registration, validity and exemptions. EastBio how to apply EastBio international eligibility FAQ Edinburgh Neuroscience research degree 2027

Submit the EASTBIO form, anonymous EDI response ID, transcripts/required official English translations and two prescribed-template references, academic/professional and excluding project supervisors. Extra CVs are disregarded. Only one EASTBIO project across institutions may be applied for. The advert requires application/PDF transcripts and references to INCR.PostgraduateRecruitment@ed.ac.uk by 16 November 2026; confirm the local route and do not assume a reference extension or send to the central office. EastBio how to apply EastBio international eligibility FAQ

Career value

Quantitative imaging, spatial/single-cell interpretation and cross-disciplinary study design can transfer to academic neuroscience, biotech and research platforms. This is a skills-based judgement, not a placement rate, clinical qualification or treatment-development guarantee. PIPS and the platform's partnerships support career exploration. EastBio professional placements Edinburgh Preclinical PET facility

Next actions and questions

Contact Jill.Fowler@ed.ac.uk with your research contribution and ask about the exact slot, first cell/region question and supervision. Discuss karen.horsburgh@ed.ac.uk, axel.montagne@ed.ac.uk and adriana.tavares@ed.ac.uk roles in model interpretation, vascular biology and PET analysis. Clarify tissue/longitudinal access, analytical support, milestones and fallback scope. Before accepting, obtain the 2027 stipend/overseas waiver, registration/writing arrangement and imaging/sequencing budget, and prepare a realistic personal relocation/visa budget. EastBio selection process Jill Fowler official research group Karen Horsburgh official research group Axel Montagne current official profile Adriana Tavares official profile

References

The listed deadline is 16 November 2026; the saved material gives no cutoff time or time zone, and current acceptance status and the exact project slot remain unconfirmed. Policy and cost figures retain their stated years.

Institution, training and applications

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