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Research Opportunities

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Prospective Students

The goal of the NIH Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) Scholars Program is to create, foster, and advance unique and collaborative research opportunities between NIH laboratories and laboratories at the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge. Each OxCam Scholar develops a collaborative research project that will constitute his/her doctoral training. Each Scholar also select two mentors – one at the NIH and one in the UK – who work together to guide the Scholar throughout the research endeavor.

Students may select from two categories of projects: Self-designed or Prearranged. OxCam Scholars may create a self-designed project, which enables students to develop a collaborative project tailored to his/her specific scientific interests by selecting one NIH mentor and one UK mentor with expertise in the desired research area(s). Alternatively, students may select a prearranged project provided by NIH and/or UK Investigator(s) willing to mentor an OxCam Scholar in their lab.

Self-designed Projects 
Students may create a novel (or de novo) project based on their unique research interests. Students have the freedom to contact any PI at NIH or at Oxford or Cambridge to build a collaboration from scratch. The NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) represents a community of approximately 1,200 tenured and tenure-track investigators providing a wealth of opportunity to explore a wide variety of research interests. Students may visit https://irp.nih.gov to identify NIH PIs performing research in the area of interest. For additional tips on choosing a mentor, please visit our Training Plan.

Prearranged Projects
Investigators at NIH or at Oxford or Cambridge have voluntarily offered collaborative project ideas for NIH OxCam Scholars. These projects are provided below and categorized by research area, NIH Institute/Center, and University. In some cases, a full collaboration with two mentors is already in place. In other instances, only one PI is identified, which allows the student to select a second mentor to complete the collaboration. Please note that prearranged project offerings are continuously updated throughout the year and are subject to change.

56 Search Results

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155
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Determining the role of endogenous retroviruses in the pathophysiology of neurological diseases.

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Avindra Nath

UK Mentor:

Prof. Peijun Zhang

University:
Oxford
Project Details:

Retroviral sequences remain dormant in the human genome and occupy nearly 7-8% of the genomic sequence. We have shown that one of these viruses termed HERV-K (HML-2) is activated in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and transgenic animals that express the envelope protein of HERV-K develop ALS like symptoms. Hence, we are now using a wide variety of structural biology and virology tools to determine the mechanism by which its expression is regulated and causes neurotoxicity to motor neurons. 

154
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Understanding the disease mechanisms and potential treatments for hereditary motor neuron diseases

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
University:
Oxford
Project Details:

Understand the disease mechanisms and potential treatments for hereditary motor neuron diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy and polyglutamine expansion diseases such as Huntington's disease.

151
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Translational Neuroimaging and Genomics of Sex Differences in Brain Development

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Armin Raznahan

UK Mentor:

Prof. Jason Lerch 

University:
Oxford
Project Details:

Humans display robust age-dependent sex differences in diverse domains of motor, language and social development, as well as in risk for developmentally-emergent disorders. There is a robust male-bias in risk for early-emerging impairments of attention, motor control, language and social functioning, vs. a female-bias for adolescent-emergent disorders of mood and eating behaviors.  The stereotyped pattern of these sex biases suggests a role for sex differences in brain development, and further implies that these differences unfold in a spatiotemporally-specific manner. In support of this notion - in vivo structural neuroimaging studies find focal sex differences in brain anatomy that vary over development. However, the mechanisms driving these neurodevelopmental differences remain poorly understood in humans. In particular, we do not know how specific spatial and temporal instances of sex-biased brain development in humans relate to the two foundational biological differences between males and females: gonadal sex-steroid profile (henceforth “gonadal”) and X/Y-chromosome count [henceforth “sex chromosome dosage” (SCD)]. In our prior cross-sectional neuroimaging studies, we have however provided extensive evidence that gonads and SCD can both shape regional anatomy of the human brain, and that similar effects can be observed in mice. However, to date there are no available data on the temporal unfolding of gonadal and SCD effects on regional brain anatomy, and no quantitative frameworks for comparing these effects between observational humans studies and experimental work in mice.

This project will build on a longstanding productive collaboration between Drs. Lerch and Raznahan, with rich existing datasets, to better-specify sex as a neurobiological variable in health and disease. Key questions for the project relate to (i) fine-grained spatiotemporal mapping of sex, SCD and gonadal effects using neuroimaging in transgenic mice and rare patient groups, (ii) computational solutions for comparison of these maps between species, and (iii) “decoding” of imaging data using measures of gene expression in brain tissue and integrative functional genomics. The resulting anatomical, and genomic signatures for sex-biased development will be probed for association with biological bases of sex-biased brain disorders.

*This project is available for the 2021 Oxford-NIH Pilot Programme*

150
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Dissecting the mechanisms underlying mood disorders in adolescents and adults

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Argyris Stringaris

University:
Oxford
Project Details:

Use experimental medicine and neuroimaging approaches to uncover the mechanisms mood disorders in adolescents and adults. Depression is a leading cause of burden of disease worldwide yet we know little about its pathogenesis. The student is going to work across the NIMH and Oxford laboratories and use neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG and MEG) in patients and controls who undergo experimental treatments.

148
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Projection-specific signals of dopamine neurons in health and Parkinson’s disease

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Guohong Cui

UK Mentor:

Prof. Armin Lak

University:
Oxford
Project Details:

Midbrain dopamine neurons have fundamental roles in reward learning and movement control, and their dysfunction is associated with various disorders in particular Parkinson’s disease. Recent studies have shown substantial diversity in the activity of these neurons depending on where in the striatum their axons project. In our recent experiments we recorded the activity of dopamine axonal terminals while systematically manipulating stimuli, actions and rewards in a precise behavioural task. While the activity of dopamine projections to ventral regions of striatum mainly reflected rewards, dopamine axonal projections to dorsal striatum encoded contralateral stimuli and actions with negligible representation of reward value. These findings raise the questions of whether dopamine signals across striatum encode specific aspects of associations between stimuli, actions and rewards during learning, and whether these anatomically-specific dopamine signals are impaired during Parkinson’s disease. This project will address these questions using a combination of imaging, computational and behavioural experiments in healthy mice as well as mouse models of Parkinson’s disease. In Oxford University (Lak lab), we will use recent genetically–encoded dopamine sensors in combination with fiber photometry to monitor the dynamics of dopamine signals across the striatum while healthy mice perform a learning task guided by sensory stimuli and rewards. These results will provide a foundation for examining these dopamine signals during Parkinson’s disease, which will be performed at NIH (Cui lab). Using MitoPark mouse line (with progressive and robust phynotype of Parkinson’s disease), we will examine the dynamics of striatal dopamine signals using photometry during learning tasks established in healthy mice in Oxford. In analysing the data, we will use learning models to relate dopamine signals with normative computational models of decision making and learning. The project is primarily experimental in nature but will provide an opportunity to develop computational skills. The project will provide fundamental insights into behaviourally-relevant computations that dopamine signals across the striatum encode, and will uncover how these neuronal computations change during Parkinson’s disease. For further information visit: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/atniehs/labs/ln/pi/iv/index.cfm and www.laklab.org

*This project is available for the 2021 Oxford-NIH Pilot Programme*

146
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Characterizing the psychological and neural mechanisms by which expectations and other cognitive and affective factors influence pain, emotional experience, and clinical outcomes.

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Lauren Atlas

UK Mentor:
N/A
University:
N/A
Project Details:
N/A
145
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Pathogenic mechanisms and novel therapies for lysosomal storage disorders and other neurodegenerative diseases

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Richard Proia

UK Mentor:

Prof. Francis Platt

University:
Oxford
Project Details:
N/A
140
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Revealing circuit mechanisms of contextual control of feeding behavior

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Michael Krashes

UK Mentor:

Prof. David Dupret

University:
Oxford
Project Details:

Humans and animals adjust their feeding behaviour according to many environmental factors, including the spatial context where food is found and consumed. Such contextual control of food seeking and eating is notably central to the ability to meet future needs and maximise chances of survival to changes in feeding routines but their underpinning brain network mechanisms and pathways remain unclear. The Dupret laboratory (MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit at the University of Oxford) investigates how the concerted spiking activity of neurons supports memory and the Krashes laboratory NIH/NIDDK) investigates homeostatic and non-homeostatic feeding behaviour. An integrated project between the two labs, in collaboration with an NIH OxCam Scholar would be designed to enable the pursuit of an Ph.D. revealing circuit mechanisms of contextual control of feeding behaviour using in vivo large-scale network recordings in behaving rodents, combined with optogenetic and closed-loop optogenetic manipulations.

138
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Understanding the cellular pathways that underlie risk and resilience to Alzheimer’s disease

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
UK Mentor:
N/A
University:
N/A
Project Details:

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease. It affects millions of individuals worldwide. Because of large scale genomic studies, we know a number of genetic risk factors that increase the risk for disease. We also know a few factors that promote resilience to disease onset. The Narayan lab seeks to identify, understand, and modulate the cellular pathways that underlie risk and resilience to Alzheimer’s disease.  We do this with the goal of developing new therapeutic or preventative strategies for neurodegenerative diseases. To accomplish our research goals, we use a combination of genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neuronal and glial cell types. We’re excited to welcome new team members interested in studying the cell biology behind neurodegenerative disease risk.

133
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Regulation of neuronal plasticity – integration of synaptic signaling pathways

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Mihaela Serpe

University:
Cambridge
Project Details:

Neuronal plasticity is fundamental to nervous system development and function. We have recently discovered that reactive oxygen species (ROS), known for their destructive capacity in the ageing or diseased brain, function as second messengers for implementing structural plasticity at synaptic terminals. Moreover, different sources of ROS (cytoplasmic vs mitochondrially generated) regulate genetically distinct aspects of synapse development (growth vs release site number). Do ROS sculpt synapse plasticity in response to the metabolic state of neurons? How does ROS signaling intersect with other signaling pathways regulating synaptic plasticity, such as BMP and Wnt? This project will combine biochemical and genetic approaches with electrophysiology and methods for live and super-resolution imaging to investigate the contribution of various signaling pathways to synapse plasticity. We expect this project to redefine our understanding of how multiple signaling pathways integrate at the synapse to regulate distinct elements of plasticity.

116
Category:
Neuroscience
Project:

Development of cell-specific or process-specific biomarkers for CNS diseases.

Project Listed Date:
Institute or Center:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
NIH Mentor:

Dr. Bibiana Bielekova

UK Mentor:
N/A
University:
N/A
Project Details:
N/A
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