 |
 |
Dear SPM mailing list, We are currently advertising a PhD project entitled 'Elucidating the impact of childhood emotional neglect on hippocampal function: a neurocognitive and neuroimaging approach' which may be of interest to current (or past) masters students with an interest in MRI, psychopathology, and hippocampal research. Please see below for further details. Project Description: The impact of early adversity on the risk of depression is well recognised but mechanistically, poorly understood. Moreover, putative models of the relevant relationships are simplistic and inadequately tested. Rodent studies show that reduced maternal care causes a linear reduction in hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulation which, most likely via epigenetic mechanisms, is sustained into adulthood. Reduced hippocampal GR function reduces homeostatic control of cortisol. Cortisol excess has been shown to be neurotoxic and may underlie the reduced hippocampal volume seen in imaging and post-mortem studies in patients suffering from depression. In a recent study we demonstrated a striking negative correlation (r=-0.86, p <0.01) between the degree of reported childhood emotional neglect and performance on a range of hippocampal-dependent tasks of episodic memory and episodic future thinking (i.e., the ability to imagine ones' personal future) in a cohort of current undergraduate students. In this studentship, we will use a combination of cognitive testing, neuroimaging (both structural and functional MRI) and an ex-vivo measure of GR function to probe this relationship further. In addition, structural equation modelling will be used in the development and testing of hippocampal-dependent models of the mediation of the impact of early adversity on depression. In this way we aim to shed light on the neural, and ensuing cognitive, cost of early childhood adversity, to determine whether cognitions, intimately linked with the functionality of the hippocampus, are especially vulnerable to the impact of early adversity and offer an explanation as to how, and why, these early experiences have the potential to unleash such devastation on future mental health. The supervisory team will include Dr Sinéad Mullally (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/staff/profile/sineadmullally.html#background), Dr Stuart Watson (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/staff/profile/stuartwatson.html#background) and Prof Stephen Rushton (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/biology/staff/profile/stevenrushton.html#background). For further details and to apply online please see http://www.findaphd.com/search/projectdetails.aspx?PJID=70308 Informal enquiries should be made to either myself ([log in to unmask]) or Dr Stuart Watson ([log in to unmask]). Please note that the closing date for this application is 22nd January 2016, and is a MRC DiMeN (Discovery Medicine North) Doctoral Training Partnership studentship.