2027 Grist Group: Advancing clinical neuroimaging

About the research 

Clinical neuroimaging is the cornerstone in patient treatment planning across a wide range of pathologies. As part of the treatment planning process, images that probe the structural and functional properties of the brain are acquired. However, functional sequences such as diffusion, perfusion, and metabolic imaging, are often lower quality than high-resolution structural images.

As such, there is a large scope for improving functional imaging to have a huge clinical impact across the landscape of brain and spinal cord pathologies.

This DPhil will focus on developing and applying advanced imaging approaches in cohorts of patients here in Oxford. Example cohorts are patients scanned for deep brain stimulation, multiple sclerosis, and paediatric neuro oncology. You’ll have direct access to research-clinical data and join a team with expertise ranging from fundamental MRI physics through to clinical neurosurgery and oncology.

We look forward to having you in the team! 

This project may be suitable for part-time study. 

Training opportunities 

You’ll be welcomed into a fun, friendly, research environment with a wide array of training opportunities. We offer access to all of the Oxford internal courses as well as opportunity to directly work with practising clinicians in the adult and paediatric medical and surgical service and attend national and international conferences.

Students are encouraged to attend the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine DPhil Course, which takes place in the autumn of their first year. Running over several days, this course helps students to develop basic research and presentation skills, as well as introducing them to a wide range of scientific techniques and principles, ensuring that students have the opportunity to build a broad-based understanding of differing research methodologies.

Generic skills training is offered through the Medical Sciences Division's Skills Training Programme. This programme offers a comprehensive range of courses covering many important areas of researcher development: knowledge and intellectual abilities, personal effectiveness, research governance and organisation, and engagement, influence, and impact. Students are actively encouraged to take advantage of the training opportunities available to them.

As well as the specific training detailed above, students will have access to a wide range of seminars and training opportunities through the many research institutes and centres based in Oxford.

The Department has a successful mentoring scheme, open to graduate students, which provides an additional possible channel for personal and professional development outside the regular supervisory framework. We hold an Athena SWAN Silver Award in recognition of our efforts to build a happy and rewarding environment where all staff and students are supported to achieve their full potential.

Additional Supervision may be provided by:

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