PhD Studentship: Discovery and functional testing of Alzheimer’s disease risk–resilience pathways in human iPSC microglia

Overview

This PhD project at the University of Exeter, hosted in Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, investigates pathways of risk and resilience in late onset Alzheimer's disease using human iPSC-derived microglia. Risk of the disease is shaped by microglial genes, particularly the TREM2 signalling axis. The TREM2 R47H coding mutation raises risk, while the PLCG2 P522R coding mutation in a downstream signalling molecule appears protective. This opposite relationship offers a genetic starting point for finding pathways that drive vulnerability or resilience across the genome.

The student will use computational methods to find molecular pathways that show opposite patterns in microglia carrying the risk variant and the protective variant. They will then prioritise pathways, perturb candidate genes and test whether these changes alter the effects of microglia on neuronal functions relevant to the disease.

What you get

The project is one of up to 18 MRC-funded studentships offered through the GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Programme, with a start date of October 2027. The studentships last four years. Funding covers UK tuition fees and a doctoral stipend matching the UK Research Council national minimum, which is 21,805 pounds per year for 2026/27 and is updated annually. Up to 5,000 pounds per year is also available for research training and support costs.

Who can apply

The studentships are open to UK and international students. This project competes for a place with projects across the whole MRC GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Award, in which 18 studentships are available across the partnership.

Key dates

The closing date is 21 October 2026, and the studentship begins in October 2027.