About the Project
Climate change is increasing the frequency, duration, and severity of heatwaves worldwide. In the UK, extreme heat events are becoming increasingly common and are projected to intensify over coming decades. Unlike many countries that routinely experience prolonged periods of high temperatures, the UK is poorly prepared for extreme heat. Homes, workplaces, public transport systems, and schools were designed for a temperate climate and frequently lack cooling infrastructure. Consequently, large…
numbers of people are increasingly exposed to temperatures that can impair health, wellbeing, and performance. Of particular concern is the impact of heat on education. During heatwaves, students are often required to learn in overheated classrooms, potentially during critical developmental periods. Understanding how heat affects learning and memory is therefore becoming an important public health and societal challenge.
Heatwaves have been linked to reduced educational attainment and poorer workplace performance. However, the biological mechanisms through which heat impairs cognition remain poorly understood. Human studies are often complicated by variation in environmental conditions, socioeconomic factors and health status. Consequently, identifying the cellular and physiological pathways through which heat impairs cognitive function remains challenging. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for predicting vulnerability and developing interventions that improve resilience to future climate change.
Here, we will investigate how extreme heat influences learning, memory, and neurological health using two complementary model organisms: the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). Bumblebees possess sophisticated learning abilities and perform complex cognitive tasks. Drosophila offers unparalleled opportunities for molecular and cellular investigation. Together, these species provide a powerful framework for identifying both the behavioural consequences and mechanistic basis of heat-induced cognitive decline. While the candidate will ultimately shape and develop their own research programme, we anticipate they will address four key research questions.
- How do extreme heat events influence learning and memory in bumblebees and Drosophila? Here, the candidate will establish the extent to which short- and long term heat exposure affects cognitive performance. The candidate will expose bumblebees and Drosophila to experimentally simulated heatwave conditions that reflect current and projected UK climate scenarios. In both bumblebees and Drosophila, learning performance will be assessed using colour and odour association tasks based on established conditioning paradigms. The candidate will determine whether cognitive impairments are driven by heat intensity, exposure duration, developmental timing, or cumulative exposure history. These experiments will establish the degree to which extreme heat compromises learning and memory and identify potentially vulnerable life stages.
- What cellular mechanisms link heat exposure, cognition, and mitochondrial function? Mitochondria play a central role in energy production and are essential for maintaining neuronal function. Here, the candidate will investigate how heat exposure alters mitochondrial performance and determine whether these changes predict cognitive impairment. Using physiological, molecular, and biochemical approaches, they will quantify mitochondrial respiration, oxidative stress, ATP production, and cellular damage following heat exposure. These measurements will be integrated with behavioural data generated in Question 1 to establish mechanistic links between thermal stress and cognitive decline. The candidate will identify molecular pathways associated with heat-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and determine whether variation in mitochondrial performance explains differences in learning and memory under heat stress conditions.
- How does extreme heat alter neuroanatomy associated with learning? Having identified behavioural and physiological consequences of heat exposure, the candidate will investigate how thermal stress influences brain structure and neurological function. Using confocal microscopy, the candidate will examine whether heat exposure alters the development, architecture, and integrity of key brain regions associated with cognition. Particular focus will be placed on insect brain structures involved in cognition, including the mushroom bodies. Neuroanatomical measurements will be integrated with behavioural and physiological datasets to identify structural changes associated with impaired learning performance. This work will provide important mechanistic insight into how environmental heat stress alters the nervous system and ultimately influences cognition.
- How do heatwaves influence cognition across the animal kingdom? A systematic review and meta-analysis Finally, the candidate will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the global evidence linking heat exposure and cognition. Studies across humans and non-human animals have reported effects of heat on learning and memory, but these findings have not been synthesised. The candidate will collate experimental and observational studies across all animal taxa, including humans, to determine the overall impact of heatwaves on cognition. They will identify factors that influence vulnerability, including exposure duration, developmental stage, thermal intensity, and species characteristics. Furthermore, they will identify major knowledge gaps and priorities for future research.
Outcome: The aim of this project is to determine how extreme heat events influence cognition and neurological health and identify the cellular mechanisms responsible. By using an interdisciplinary approach, this work will generate fundamental insights into the biological consequences of heatwaves. These findings will improve our understanding of how climate change may affect human cognition, educational attainment, and public health in an increasingly warming world.
How to Apply
A list of all the projects and how to apply is available on the GW4 BioMed website at gw4biomed.ac.uk. You may select up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only.
Please complete an application to the GW4 BioMed3 for an ‘offer of funding’. If successful, you will also need to make an application for an 'offer to study' to your chosen institution later.
Please complete the online application form linked from our website by 5.00pm on Wednesday, 21st October 2026. Please note that we may close the application process before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received– check the GW4 BioMed website for details and updates. If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be notified from Tuesday, 22nd December 2026. Interviews will be held virtually on 26th and 27th January 2027. Studentships will start on 1st October 2027.
Further Information
For informal enquiries, please contact
For project related queries, please contact the respective supervisors listed on the project descriptions on the GW4 BioMed website.
Funding Notes
These studentships are funded through GW4 BioMed3 MRC Doctoral Landscape Programme and consist of UK tuition fees, as well as a Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£21,805 p.a. for 2026/27, updated each year).
Additional research training and support funding of up to £5,000 per annum is also available.
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