University of Oxford — Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences
Assoc Prof Ashwini Oswal, Prof Tim Denison, Assoc Prof Hayriye Cagnan, Dr Bahman Abdi-Sargezeh
Closing date: Tuesday, 1 December 2026
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
About the Project
Background
Applications are invited from both Home students and International students to join a multidisciplinary team of researchers studying how neural, movement and behavioural signals can be used to personalise adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease. This studentship is available from the start of academic year 2027/28, is for 4 years, and will be co-supervised by Associate Professor Ashwini Oswal, Professor Tim Denison, Associate Professor Hayriye Cagnan, and Dr. Bahman Abdi-Sargezeh at the MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Restorative Neural Dynamics.
The Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Restorative Neural Dynamics (www.rnd.ac.uk) was launched in November 2025 as a flagship research and innovation enterprise that is focused on harnessing the moment-to-moment interactions between nerve cells (‘neural dynamics’) to transform medical device-based therapy for brain conditions. The MRC CoRE RND incorporates discovery research and translational research aligned to empirical neuroscience, computational neuroscience, experimental medicine, and biomedical engineering. The MRC CoRE RND is exceptionally collaborative, involving partners in academia, neurotechnology industry, research charities, and clinical services. The MRC CoRE RND champions values supporting a positive research culture.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD), but its benefits vary across symptoms and between individuals. New generations of DBS devices can record brain activity as well as deliver stimulation, providing an opportunity to understand how neural dynamics relate to symptoms and treatment response. Identifying robust neural and behavioural biomarkers could enable stimulation to be adapted to an individual’s changing clinical state and improve treatment of both motor and non-motor symptoms.
Project Description
The overall goal of this PhD studentship is to determine how neural and behavioural signals can be used to guide more personalised adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s disease. The project will combine brain recordings with measures of movement and behaviour across rest, movement, and sleep in people implanted with sensing-enabled DBS devices. Advanced analytical approaches will be used to identify biomarkers of clinically relevant states and to investigate how these biomarkers can inform new stimulation strategies. In doing so, the project aims to generate new mechanistic understanding of Parkinson’s disease while helping develop more responsive and personalised neurostimulation therapies.
Training
The project will take place in the Brain Network Dynamics Unit of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and in the Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Restorative Neural Dynamics (MRC CoRE RND). Students will benefit from the extensive interdisciplinary skills training and personalised career development opportunities available within the Unit and the MRC CoRE RND. Students will receive specialised training in their areas of project research (see below) as well as, for example, in the translation and commercialisation of research, best practice in Open Science, and how to effectively involve and engage patients and the public with research.
Focusing on translational human neurotechnology, this studentship offers the opportunity to work with cutting-edge techniques including wireless neural activity streaming from implanted DBS devices, high density EEG, EMG, and wearable sensor recordings. You will develop advanced skills in signal processing, multimodal data integration, machine learning, patient-facing research, and the design and testing of adaptive stimulation paradigms. The project offers close collaboration with the functional neurosurgery service at Oxford University Hospitals, North Bristol NHS Trust, industrial partners Amber Therapeutics, and people affected by Parkinson’s. There will also be opportunities to collaborate through the Parkinson’s UK Deep Brain Stimulation Network and contribute to shared translational datasets.
Qualifications & Experience
Interested candidates should possess, or expect to receive, a 1st class or upper 2nd class degree (or equivalent) in a related scientific discipline, e.g. biological or physical sciences, medicine, computer science, engineering, mathematics. Applicants from experimental, clinical, engineering and computational backgrounds are encouraged.
Relevant experience in one or more of the following areas is desirable:
- Research experience in neuroscience, neurophysiology or a related field
- Signal processing or analysis of neural, physiological, movement or other biological data
- Programming for data analysis, for example in Python, MATLAB or R
Experience of human or patient-facing data collection, wearable or movement-sensor analysis, machine learning, or brain stimulation would be advantageous but is not essential.
Contact
Candidates must contact the lead project supervisor before submitting an application. To find out more about this studentship, the research project, and the application process, please contact Associate Professor Ashwini Oswal by email on ashwini.oswal@ndcn.ox.ac.uk.
How to apply
To be considered for this studentship, please submit an application for admission to the D.Phil. in Clinical Neurosciences at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (course code RD_CU1), following the guidance for applications to this course. On the application form, in the section headed ‘Departmental Studentship Applications’, please indicate that you are applying for a studentship and enter the reference code “27NDCN01MRC” into the funding tab.
The closing date for applications is 12.00 midday UK time on Tuesday 1st December 2026.
Funding Notes
This four-year Ph.D. (D.Phil.) studentship offers three years of full-time tuition fees at the Home rate, and four years of non-taxable stipend at the full-time UKRI rate (including any uplifts announced). Both Home students and International students are eligible to receive this funding package. Please see further details about MRC/UKRI studentships and UKRI guidance regarding Home and International eligibility. Successful offer-holders who have applied by the December deadline may also be considered for other University of Oxford scholarships.