About the project
Maternal metabolic health can influence the environment in which the fetal brain develops, but the mechanisms linking altered maternal metabolism to human neurodevelopment remain poorly understood. This project will use human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived brain organoid models to investigate how metabolic signals shape early human brain development.
A particular focus will be the choroid plexus, an important interface between the blood and cerebrospinal fluid that helps regulate the molecular environment of the developing brain.
What you will investigate
- How changes in maternal metabolism influence developing human brain tissue.
- How the developing choroid plexus responds to altered metabolic environments.
- Which cellular and molecular pathways are particularly vulnerable.
- How these changes may contribute to altered neurodevelopmental trajectories.
Training
The project will provide training in human iPSC culture, brain organoid models, developmental neuroscience, advanced microscopy and molecular and cellular analysis, alongside approaches for studying gene expression and secreted signals.
Applications
Deadline: 23:59 GMT, 16 November 2026.
This is a fully funded four-year studentship offered through the BBSRC EASTBIO Doctoral Training Partnership. Applicants should read the full eligibility and application instructions in the official advert before applying.