Studentships

A core activity of the Centre is to provide training for basic science or clinical science PhD students in translational research on neuromuscular disease. The new PhD program consists of a 4 year doctoral training programme for basic scientists and a 3- year doctoral training for clinically qualified scientists. Information of ongoing projects can be found on the website of each student.

4-year PhD program for Basic Scientists:

Year 1. 1 week orientation. Visit laboratories of PIs. Each lab present details of potential 3 month rotation projects. 3 x 3 monthly attachments to individual labs covering at least 2 of each general subject areas in neuromuscular disease i.e. molecular/genetics, cellular, systems/imaging. After the 3  monthly attachments students chose a PhD project.

All students attend one week long introductory course on neuromuscular disorders (in UCL this willl be linked to the current MSc in Clinical Neurosciences in Institute of Neurology). They will also have the opportunity to attend meetings and seminars of the Centre as appropriate.

Year 2-4. 3 year PhD in lab of choice. Many of the projects will not be based only in one laboratory as many of the PhD projects offer the opportunity to work between different laboratories on projects which reflect collaborations between various PIs in the MRC centre.

Mandatory each year (for 4 years):
a. Attend weekly journal club in respective laboratory (PI lead)
b. Attend programme of MRC neuromuscular centre seminars.
c. Two weeks dedicated generic training per year (from current courses offered in on statistics, research presentation, scientific writing, information technology, computer programming and experimental design, animal licensing, training in written and oral communication etc).
d. Maintain mandatory postgraduate log.
e. Quarterly meeting with both supervisors with review of log book and regular meeting (at least monthly) with primary supervisor. Annual independent review.
f. Attend one clinical/pathological meeting monthly (relevant to personal research).
g. Attend joint meetings of Centre researchers.

3 year Doctoral Training Programme for Clinical Scientists:

Years 1-3 3 year PhD in laboratory or clinical research facility of choice. This may mean working in more than one laboratory clinical research facility as many of the projects will be collaborations between various PIs in the MRC centre.

Mandatory each year (for 3 years)
a. to g. as above for doctoral training programme for scientists plus
h. attend weekly outpatient clinic (half day) in rotation through all neuromuscular specialist clinics (adult muscle, paediatric neuromuscular disease, peripheral nerve, neuropathic pain, neurogenetics, cardiomyopathy, mitochondrial disease and clinical neurophysiology).  Option to organize attachment at other site for exposure to specific specialized clinics.
i. weekly neuromuscular clinico-pathological participation (in rotation adult muscle, paediatric muscle, nerve).
j. Attend regular muscle pathology meeting
k. Attend regular nerve and muscle MRI meetings
l. (London) Attend monthly pan-London nerve clinico-pathology meeting