[visionlist] PhD Studentship in Visual Development, University College London

[Marko Nardini]

PhD Studentship in Visual Development, University College London

Application Deadline: January 31st 2011

Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD studentship at UCL commencing
in October 2011. The studentship is funded by the UCL Grand Challenge
studentship programme, an elite PhD training programme designed to
attract those researchers with the highest intellectual and scientific
skills. The studentship includes an annual stipend of £18,000, Home/EU
tuition fees, and £5,000 p.a. research funds. The studentship is funded
by the Special Trustees of Moorfields Eye Hospital, UCL, and the IoO/MEH
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. For details of the scheme, please see
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slms/courses/research-degrees/ucl-gc

The Project

“New infant vision tests for studying disease mechanisms in inherited
retinal dystrophies”.

Gene replacement therapy offers the exciting potential to treat many
currently intractable conditions. In the world’s first clinical trial of
retinal gene replacement therapy, at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL
Institute of Ophthalmology, young adults with defects in the gene
encoding the RPE65 protein had healthy copies of the missing gene
inserted into the cells of the retina. This initial study has shown sight
improvement in a blinding inherited disease that is otherwise incurable
(see http://tinyurl.com/iootrial). A major goal for this and other new
treatments to restore vision is to treat much younger patients, who have
less advanced disease and so are most likely to benefit. However,
accurate assessment of functional vision in young children is a major
challenge. The focus of this PhD studentship will be on developing robust
new methods for early visual assessment, using these to study
structure-function relationships in inherited retinal diseases caused by
specific genetic mutations, and evaluating results of ongoing trials of
new treatments for young patients such as gene replacement therapy.

The studentship offers the opportunity to join a multidisciplinary
research team at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL Psychology, and
Moorfields Eye Hospital, including experts in vision science, genetics,
electrophysiology, and biomedical imaging. It offers a unique opportunity
to study development of the visual system from the level of a single
genetic mutation to a behavioural visual outcome, while also playing a
key role in translational research with important implications for future
therapies. The research may focus on:

- Developing new tests using state-of-the art eye-tracking technology for
rapid and reliable testing of parameters of retinal and cortical vision
in infants, e.g. acuity, contrast sensitivity, photoreceptor function,
and sensitivity across the visual field. Major challenges are developing
appropriate child-friendly tasks, and developing optimal algorithms for
measurement of visual parameters.

- Studying structure-function relationships in the developing visual
system by comparing psychophysical data with structural imaging or
electrophysiology. For example, maps of visual sensitivity across the
retina can be correlated with 3D structural scans of the retina obtained
via Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Key questions are how structure
and function change over time in inherited retinal diseases caused by
different genetic mutations, and how they change in response to
experimental treatments.

- Studying the extent of plasticity in the developing visual system in
light of interventions to restore the function of inactive
photoreceptors, potentially documenting new ‘critical periods’ revealed
by such treatments with implications for tailoring new treatments to be
most effective in the future.

The studentship will be supervised by Dr Marko Nardini at the UCL
Institute of Ophthalmology, and by Dr John Wattam-Bell at the UCL
Division of Psychology and Language Sciences. The project will also offer
opportunities for collaboration with a multidisciplinary team at the UCL
Institute of Opthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital (Profs Tony Moore,
Gary Rubin, Robin Ali, and others), and with experts in visual
development at UCL and Oxford (Janette Atkinson and Oliver Braddick).

Qualifications

The project will involve co-designing new tests and analyses, and
recruiting and testing healthy infants and children, and those with
inherited retinal dystrophies. Applicants should have (or expect to
obtain) a good first degree in a field related to neuroscience, life
sciences, vision science or experimental psychology. Technical aptitude
and previous experience of vision research are desirable, as is an
aptitude for testing infants and children. As the project is administered
through the UCL Grand Challenge scheme, the selection criteria are those
for the scheme as a whole. Prospective applicants are encouraged to
contact Marko Nardini (m.nardini AT ucl.ac.uk) to discuss their
suitability for the studentship.

Enquiries

Prospective applicants are welcome to contact Marko Nardini (m.nardini AT
ucl.ac.uk) with any enquiries about this specific project, however
enquiries about the studentship programme or the application procedure
should be directed to the UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slms/courses/research-degrees/ucl-gc).

How to Apply

A CV, one-page statement and names of two referees are required. Please
see http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slms/courses/research-degrees/ucl-gc for full
details. The scheme offers a number of projects. This project is number
45. The application deadline is January 31st 2011.
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