2025 Projects

Below is a full list of the available projects for our 2025 cohort. Projects are grouped by theme. The list specifies the name of the lead project supervisor and their institution. To view more information about the individual projects, please click the project title.

Please note that the institution of your lead supervisor would be where you will be registered for your PhD if you are offered a place on the 2025 cohort for your chosen project.

Ensure that you have fully read the before you apply information prior to reaching out to project leads. Project lead contact details can be found on the project details page.

2025 Projects by Theme

Children, Young People and Perinatal Mental Health

Led by Professor Kapil Sayal (Children and Young People Mental Health) and Professor Helen Spiby (Perinatal Mental Health)

Project Title
Supervisor
Institution
IDENTITY: A virtual reality mental healthcare pre-assessment tool for CYP Dr Stephanie Burnett Heyes University of Birmingham
Testing the ecophenotype model of conduct disorder Professor Stephane De Brito University of Birmingham
The relationship between social media and mental health Dr Michelle O’Reilly University of Leicester
Musical biofeedback to promote autonomic and attentional control in ADHD  Dr Elizabeth Liddle University of Nottingham
Personality disorders in youth: descriptive epidemiology and patient experience within services Professor Kapil Sayal University of Nottingham
Exploring Perinatal Health Dr Deborah Biggerstaff University of Warwick
Investigating mechanisms of action, and outcomes, of creative arts psychotherapy intervention for adolescents with mental health difficulties
 Professor Domenico Giacco University of Warwick

 

Common Mental Health

Led by Professor Richard Morriss and Professor Steven Marwaha

Project Title
Supervisor
Institution
Stress: the good, the bad, … Dr Renate Reniers University of Birmingham
Co-designing an intervention to address Mental Health Literacy and accessibility for cancer services for patients from underserved groups Dr Gianina-Ioana Postavaru University of Leicester
Exploring the Impact of Health Coaching on Burnout Prevention and Recovery in Healthcare Workers Professor Catherine Steele University of Leicester
An understanding of the neurobiology of anxiety and depression and alcohol use disorder and response to medications Dr Wayne Carter University of Nottingham
Mechanisms of action of ultrasound vagus nerve stimulation in generalised anxiety disorder Professor Marcus Kaiser University of Nottingham
Nature Connectedness and Mental Health across the Lifespan Dr Jen Yates University of Nottingham
Intelligent AI System for Predicting Depression Relapse in Young People using Digital Phenotypes
 Dr Vivek Furtado & Dr Sagar Jilka University of Warwick

 

Dementia

Project Title
Supervisor
Institution
Understanding support-seeking for mental health difficulties among caregivers of people with Huntington’s disease
 Dr Sarah Gunn University of Leicester
Refinement and validation of a new computerised tool for the culture-fair screening for early signs Alzheimer’s disease
 Dr Carlo De Lillo University of Leicester
Selection of culture fair cognitive tools for clinical dementia screening Professor John Maltby University of Leicester
The Neurochemical Mechanism of Semantic Cognition in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) Dr JeYoung Jung University of Nottingham

 

Physical Health and Mental Health Multimorbidity

Led by Professor Kavita Vedhara and Professor Holly Blake

Project Title
Supervisor
Institution
Aquatic treadmill exercise to optimise brain physiological and mental health for individuals with neurological disorders Dr Tom Nightingale University of Birmingham
Using digital technology to deliver high intensity upper limb rehabilitation following stroke: can we ‘game’ the system? Dr David Punt University of Birmingham
Exploring Putative Causal Biological Mechanisms Linking Biological Aging to the Comorbidity between Cardiometabolic and Psychotic Disorders  Dr Benjamin Perry & Dr Jack Rogers University of Birmingham
Development of an intervention to address overprescribing in people with intellectual disability Dr Sion Scott University of Leicester
Investigating Visual Pathway Defects and Mental Health Phenotypes in Albinism through Precision Medicine and Advanced Imaging Techniques Dr Mervyn Thomas University of Leicester
Psychological difficulties in survivors of subarachnoid haemorrhage: Exploring the role of glymphatic disturbance using advanced MRI Professor Rob Dineen University of Nottingham

 

Severe Mental Health

Led by Dr Vivek Furtado

Project Title
Supervisor
Institution
Quantifying variability in attentional control as a neurocognitive marker of Schizophrenia using pupil frequency tagging and steady-state evoked potentials Dr Douglas Barrett University of Leicester
Navigating the prison system with ADHD
 Dr Ruth Hatcher University of Leicester
Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation with low intensity focussed ultrasound to improve cognitive function in neuropsychiatric disorders Dr Mohammad Zia Ul Haq Katshu University of Nottingham
EmpaMEG: Investigating the neural basis of empathy in antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy using OPM-MEG Dr John Tully University of Nottingham