Neuroscience

The University of Oxford has a long and illustrious history of neuroscience research dating back to the 17th Century. Today, Oxford is particularly strong in basic neuroscience, linking the function of genes and cells to systems and behavior. Clinical research focuses on experimental medicine, imaging and functional neuroscience in the areas of ophthalmology, mental health, neuropsychology and neurology.

There is high degree of collaboration between basic and clinical scientists and a strong emphasis on translational research.  Translational research spans the whole arena of neuroscience and includes the use of genetics, stem cells, drug discovery, biomarkers, gene therapy, brain stimulation and visual prostheses. The University is particularly strong in the use of multimodal imaging, coupled with molecular and psychological profiling, to develop biomarkers of disease/treatment efficacy for pain, psychiatry and neurodegenerative disease.

Neuroscience research is performed in a number of departments and multidisciplinary centres/units across four University of Oxford campuses, which include the John Radcliffe and Warneford Hospitals.

Structured DPhil Programmes

MSc Taught Programmes

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Supervisors in Neuroscience

Anne Aimola Davies

Neuropsychology of visual and somatosensory attention

Colin Akerman

RESEARCH AREAS: Neurotransmission in the developing central nervous system, Activity-dependent plasticity of developing axons and dendrites, Molecular aspects of synapse formation and related neurodevelopmental disorders, Balancing neural excitation and inhibition in development and in epilepsy.

Olaf Ansorge

Comparative studies of human and murine neuropathology of neurodegeneration

Daniel Anthony

How mediators of the inflammatory response contribute to the outcome of spinal or brain injuries. How events in others organs, such as the liver, contribute to the outcome of brain injury or disease. In particular (with the Neuroimaging group), we are studying the mechanisms that give rise to the reactivation of a Multiple sclerosis-like lesions by a systemic inflammatory response. How brain injury contributes to the outcome of disease elsewhere in the body with a focus on how hepatic NFkB activity contributes to the acute phase response after CNS injury (with Dr Mann, Southampton). How inflammation affects brain serotonin function and the relevance to depression (with Dr Sharp and the Neuroimaging group).

Frances Ashcroft

Ion channels, diabetes and obesity

Tipu Z Aziz

Functional Neurosurgery

David Bannerman

Behavioural Neuroscience

Esther Becker

Molecular mechanisms governing cerebellar development and disease

David Beeson

Molecular Neurosciences

Jo Begbie

Development of Sensory Ganglia

Timothy Behrens

Neuronal mechanisms of decision-making and measuring brain connections in the living human

Phil Biggin

Computational Approaches to Receptor Dynamics and Ligand-Binding

Sonia Bishop

Identifying neuro-cognitive mechanisms of human anxiety using task-related (associative learning, attentional function, decision making) and task-free (resting state, spectroscopy) MRI methods.

J. Paul Bolam

Parkinson's disease. Organisation of the neuronal networks in the basal ganglia

Sven Braeutigam

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and cognitive neuroscience

Holly Bridge

Investigating the normal an abnormal human visual system using magnetic resonance imaging

Peter Brown

Understanding systems level dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease in order to improve therapy

Alastair M Buchan

Acute stroke and Neuroprotection

Keith Buckler

Peripheral chemoreceptors and the effects of hypoxia, acidosis & ischemia on neuronal function

Daniel Bulte

Development of clinically viable, calibrated FMRI

Phil Burnet

The molecular neurobiology of D-amino acids and their relevance to schizophrenia

Chris Butler

Human Memory and its impairment in neurological disease

Simon Butt

Interneuron development and function

James V Byrne

Neurovascular disease

Zam Cader

The role of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in neurodegeneration

Steven Chance

Neuroanatomy & Cognition in Autism and Alzheimer's disease.

Grant Churchill

Determinations of cyclic ADP-ribose and NAADP levels. Endogenous synthesis and metabolism of NAADP. Signal transduction pathway underlying NAADP production. Spatial and temporal control of calcium increases by NAADP. Physiological roles of NAADP and lysosome-related calcium-storing organelles. Development of caged and cellpermeant messengers.

Stuart Clare

Ultra-high field MRI physics

David M Clark

Social Anxiety Disorder and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Cognitive Processess and Treatments

Roi Cohen Kadosh

Neurocognitive mechanisms of mathematics, synaesthesia, and cognitive control; cognitive enhancement.

Phil Cowen

Pathophysiology, treatment and prevention of mood disorders- neurobiological aspects

Stephanie Cragg

Understanding dopamine neurotransmission within the basal ganglia and reward-related processing centres

Matthew Craner

Fast-track neuroprotective studies in MS

Kay E Davies

Molecular analysis of neurological disorders

Ilan Davis

mRNA Localisation in Drosophila

Robert Deacon

Hippocampal and cortical function: cognition, emotionality, species-typical behaviours, motor behaviours. Prion and Alzheimer's Disease, animal models. Mice, rats, animal welfare.

Klaus Ebmeier

Neurobiology of Ageing and psychological disorders in old age

Nigel Emptage

Basic synaptic transmission. Synaptic plasticity. Intracellular calcium signalling in the specializations of central synapses

Jonathan Flint

Psychiatric Genetics

( u n n a m e d )

Enthusiastically generate holistic services before high-quality scenarios.

Daniel Freeman

The cognitive understanding and treatment of delusions and hallucinations

Lars Fugger

Multiple sclerosis

Tudor Fulga

Non-coding RNAs in development and disease

Matthew Giles

Transient ischaemic attack and minor stroke

Maike Glitsch

Transduction cascades involved in cerebellar signalling in health and disease, transduction pathways (G-protein coupled receptors and ion channels)

Stephen Goodwin

Genes, Circuits and Behaviour

Alexander Green

Investigation of autonomic function and pain physiology in human patients undergoing deep brain stimulation

Baroness Susan Greenfield

Measurement of dopamine release ‘on-line’ from brain slices using fast scan cyclic voltammetry. Real time monitoring of release of a protein from the brain. Electrophysiological recording from brain slices in vitro and substantia nigra in vivo in both physiological and pathological conditions. Study of mechanisms underlying regeneration and development of the pathway lost in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's disease, using organotypic co-cultures Organotypic tissue culture.

Natalia Gromak

Regulation of RNA metabolism in health and disease

( u n n a m e d )

Collaboratively negotiate vertical supply chains before high-quality e-tailers.

( u n n a m e d )

Collaboratively negotiate vertical supply chains before high-quality e-tailers.

Catherine Harmer

Psychopharmacology of emotional disorders and treatments

Paul Harrison

Genetic and translational neurobiology of schizophrenia

Emily Holmes

Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Therapy: Understanding mental imagery from PTSD flashbacks to Bipolar Disorder

Glynn Humphreys

The neuropsychology of vision and action - lesion-symptom mapping, fMRI and experimental studies. The effects of learning on binding (fMRI, TMS, neuropsychology). Social cognitive neuroscience (self-related prioritisation - TMS, fMRI, neuropsychology).

William James

HIV-Macrophage interactions and stem cell technology

Saad Jbabdi

Development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis of brain imaging data

Mark Jenkinson

Development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis of brain imaging data

Peter Jezzard

Development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methodology and applications to biomedicine.

Heidi Johansen-Berg

Neuroimaging and brain stimulation to study learning and recovery of function

James Kennedy

Geratology and Stroke Medicine

Andrew King

Neural coding and plasticity in the auditory system

Morten Kringelbach

Pleasure networks in the human brain

Kristine Krug

The neural basis of perceptual decision-making

Karri Lamsa

Plasticity in identified inhibitory circuits in the brain

Bethan Lang

Autoantibodies in neurological diseases

Jennifer Lau

Child and Adolescent Mood and Anxiety Problems

Ji-Long Liu

Intracellular compartmentation in Drosophila

Clare Mackay

Using imaging to study psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases

( u n n a m e d )

Credibly develop prospective benefits through out-of-the-box collaboration and idea-sharing.

Peter Magill

Parkinson's disease. Interactions within and between the basal ganglia and thalamocortical circuits in function and dysfunction

Edward Mann

Neuronal activity in cortical networks

Maryanne Martin

Individual differences, psychosomatic illness, anxiety, economic decision making, cognitive processing, and handedness.

Karla Miller

Development of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques for brain imaging

Zoltan Molnar

Cerebral cortical development

Richard F Mott

Bioinformatics

Robin Murphy

Learning, Memory and Cognition

Charles Newton

Neurodevelopmental Disorders, including Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Epilepsy and Sickle Cell Disease

Kia (Anna Christina) Nobre

Neural systems and mechanisms for adaptive dynamic regulation of cognition in the human brain

Jacqueline Palace

1. Clinical imaging research: neuroinflammatory disease (eg multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. 2. Clinical neuroimmunology: neuroinflammatory (eg ms) and antibody mediated neurological diseases eg myasthenia gravis and neuromyelitis optica? 3. Assessing utility of potential drugs for treatment of patients with abnormal AChR ion channel kinetics. 4. Neuro-ophthalmology: neuroinflammatory diseases (eg ms and neuromyelitis optica). 5. Neuro-genetics: neuroinflammatory conditions and diseases of the neuromuscular junction (eg myasthenia gravis). 6. Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. 7. Clinical Chemistry: biomarkers of neuroinflammatory disease

Rebecca Park

Social cognitive, emotional and reward processes in eating disorders

Andrew Parker

Vision and cognition

David Paterson

Cardiac neurobiology

( u n n a m e d )

Collaboratively negotiate vertical supply chains before high-quality e-tailers.

Sarah Pendlebury

Cognitive deficits associated with strokes

Fran Platt

Glycosphingolipids in health and disease.

Kim Plunkett

Linguistics & Cognitive Development

Chris Ponting

Evolution of genes and genomes

Robert Rogers

Psychological mechanisms of gambling (including Internet behaviours); mood and social decision-making

Peter Rothwell

Stroke Prevention Research Unit

Matthew Rushworth

Neural mechanisms of decision making and action selection

Mark Sansom

Ion channels and membrane proteins - simulations, modelling & bioinformatics

Gaia Scerif

Attention, Brain & Cognitive Development

Jan Schnupp

Neural coding and plasticity in the auditory system

( u n n a m e d )

Credibly develop prospective benefits through out-of-the-box collaboration and idea-sharing.

Trevor Sharp

Pharmacology and physiology of brain 5-HT neurones. Neuroadaptive processes associated with antidepressant treatment. Development of pharmacological strategies to improve the treatment of mood disorder.

Michael Sharpe

Psychological and psychiatric aspects of medical illness and practice

Rebeccah Slater

Paediatric Neuroscience: understanding the development of pain perception in human infants

A David Smith

Alzheimer’s disease: diagnosis, aetiology and prevention. Control of Obesity.

Stephen Smith

Development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis of brain imaging data

Hannah Smithson

Vision Science

Alan Stein

The development and mental health of children facing physical and psychological adversity

Simon Stringer

Theoretical neuroscience and artificial intelligence

Peter Sullivan

Nutrition and neurodevelopment in Cerebral Plasy

Christopher Summerfield

Neural and computational bases of human decision-making

Kevin Talbot

Motor Neuron Diseases

Irene Tracey

1. Understanding the neural basis of pain perception and analgesia 2. Understanding the neural basis of consciousness

Martin Turner

Biomarkers and pathogenesis in motor neuron disease (ALS)

David Vaux

Human disease and proteins.

Angela Vincent

Identification and investigation of autoantibodies to muscle and neuronal proteins in neurological diseases of adults and children

Scott Waddell

Neural Mechanisms of Memory, Motivation and Behavioural Control

Richard Wade-Martins

Molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration

Mark Walton

Neuropsychology and neurochemistry of decision making

Kate Watkins

Sensorimotor networks underlying speech production and perception; Stuttering; Developmental disorders of speech and language; brain imaging, brain stimulation. Development and plasticity.

Caleb Webber

Neurological Disease Genomics

Matthew Wood

Gene therapy for degenerative disorders of the nervous system and muscle

Alison Woollard

Molecular mechanisms controlling cell fate determination and cell proliferation during C. elegans development

Mark Woolrich

Development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis of brain imaging data

( u n n a m e d )

Enthusiastically generate holistic services before high-quality scenarios.

Nicholas Yeung

Human cognitive neuroscience: attention and control; decision making and learning

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