BHF Funded - Vascular Contributions to Dementia and Neurodegeneration

The British Heart Foundation and UK Dementia Research Institute are funding a 4-year PhD programme across the Universities of Edinburgh, Oxford, Leicester and University College London, focused on Vascular Contributions to Dementia and Neurodegeneration.

The programme will recruit 5 students per year, with the first intake in September 2026. Stipends and fees will be paid at the BHF rate (https://www.bhf.org.uk/for-professionals/information-for-researchers/how-to-apply/grant-costing-guide#stipend), and additional research funds and travel costs will be available to host laboratories.

Students will spend the first year rotating across laboratories to gain training in a broad range of research techniques, before selecting a full research project and supervisor for the subsequent three years. Available projects span the full spectrum of research into vascular dementia and neurodegeneration. Potential supervisors and projects are listed below.

Applicants should have, or expect to obtain, at least an upper second-class degree in any area of Biological or Physical Sciences. Non-UK applicants may apply and, if successful, will receive the normal BHF stipend, but may be required to cover the international fees.

To apply, please send a CV and a statement (maximum 2 pages) outlining your interest in the programme, and arrange for two referees to submit references to: neurophd@ucl.ac.uk  Please note that applicants are responsible for ensuring referees submit their references.

Please also specify in your application which university you would prefer to attend.

The deadline for applications is 14th April 2026. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview shortly after the deadline. The PhD programme will commence in September 2026.

Full details can be found here

For further information, please contact one of the following university leads:
David Attwell, UCL, d.attwell@ucl.ac.uk
Jatinder Minhas, Leicester, jm591@leicester.ac.uk
Axel Montagne, Edinburgh, axel.montagne@ed.ac.uk
Sana Suri, Oxford, sana.suri@psych.ox.ac.uk