PhD in Choroid Plexus Cell Diversity at University of Birmingham, UK

About the Position

This Birmingham MIBTP doctorate investigates the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus, the brain structure that produces cerebrospinal fluid. It examines cell diversity, interactions and ageing.

The choroid plexus does more than produce cerebrospinal fluid: its epithelial layer forms a blood–CSF barrier and helps regulate immune-cell entry and the composition of fluid around the brain. The project examines how differences between these epithelial cells and their age-related changes affect this system.

Official Project Title

Understanding the cellular diversity of the choroid plexus in the brain

Research Focus and Methods

Study how epithelial populations function and communicate, and how these properties change with age. The project connects cellular mechanisms with cerebrospinal-fluid regulation and brain homeostasis.

• Investigate the functions of choroid plexus epithelial populations and how they interact with neighbouring cells.
• Connect cellular behaviour with cerebrospinal-fluid regulation and brain homeostasis, including changes during ageing.
• Use patch-clamp electrophysiology, calcium-signalling experiments and cell culture alongside microscopy, immunofluorescence staining and data analysis.

Research Training and Development

Training includes patch clamping, calcium signalling, cell culture, microscopy and quantitative analysis.

Funding and Duration

Studentship funding and award conditions

Component	Details
Award	Competitive four-year BBSRC Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) studentship.
Programme	Biomedical Sciences (630G)
Tuition fees	All University of Birmingham tuition fees are covered for successful award holders, including the difference between Home and international fees.
Living stipend	Tax-free living stipend at the UKRI rate, paid monthly. £21,805 per year is the published 2026/27 reference rate. The amount payable for the 2027/28 intake has not been confirmed in the checked guidance.
Research support	The programme includes consumables and travel/conference budgets and use of a laptop during the programme.
Duration	Four years (48 months), including MIBTP training and the doctoral research project.
Competition	A listed project does not guarantee a studentship. Selection is competitive and international awards are capped at up to 30% of the programme intake.

Eligibility and English Language

Applicant eligibility and preparation

Requirement	Details
Who can apply	UK and international applicants may apply. International eligibility does not guarantee an award; the programme intake cap applies.
Academic requirements	Normally a first-class or high upper-second-class degree in a relevant subject, or an international equivalent. A lower 2:1 with an additional relevant master’s degree or at least three years of relevant postgraduate experience may be considered. A 2:2 or below generally requires exceptional additional experience.
Relevant preparation	Cell biology and neuroscience are relevant preparation areas.
Quantitative preparation	MIBTP welcomes theoretical and experimental backgrounds. Quantitative skills are part of the programme; the FAQ states that A-level mathematics is no longer a shortlisting requirement.
English language	Birmingham requires evidence that its applicable English-language conditions are met, unless an exemption is approved. Test certificates may be supplied after the initial application as an offer condition. IELTS is not identified as the only accepted route; a project-specific test score is not stated.
Research proposal	Not required for Birmingham MIBTP. The university permits a blank document in the portal’s mandatory proposal-upload field.
Personal statement	Optional for Birmingham MIBTP; the university permits N/A in the mandatory portal field if no statement is supplied.

About University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham is a public research university in Birmingham, England, and a Russell Group member. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral study across engineering, medicine, science, business, humanities and social sciences. Research and teaching bring together different disciplines to investigate challenges affecting health, technology, communities and the environment.

Official website: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/

Application Dates and Location

Deadline, start month and selection schedule

Item	Details
Application deadline	23 November 2026. A specific closing time is not stated in the checked Birmingham guidance.
Expected start	October 2027; the exact calendar day has not been published.
Location	University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Warwick hosts the shared MIBTP project profiles.
Shortlisting	Birmingham aims to notify shortlisted applicants by late January 2027.
Interviews	Early February 2027. Birmingham normally uses face-to-face interviews with travel reimbursed for Home applicants and Zoom for Overseas applicants.

Contact

• Email: h.botfield@bham.ac.uk
• Email: a.p.holmes@bham.ac.uk
• Email: uob-mibtp@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Questions about this position, eligibility or the application process should be sent to the contacts above or raised through the channel given on the official announcement page.

Important Notes

• Application deadline: 23 November 2026 - late or incomplete applications are normally not considered.
• Listing details were recorded from the official source at the time of publication; always confirm the latest requirements on the official page before applying.
• Prepare the documents listed in the eligibility and application sections before starting the online form - transcripts, CV and references take the longest to collect.

How to Apply

1. Open the Birmingham MIBTP recruitment page and use the application link attached to this project under Biomedical Sciences (630G). Apply to the MIBTP-specific programme, not the general PhD programme.
2. Select “Advertised research area” and copy the exact project title and primary-supervisor name from Birmingham’s current listing. Contacting the supervisor beforehand is encouraged but is not mandatory.
3. Upload a CV and academic transcripts/certificates. Include the modules, grades and overall result in your academic evidence, and answer the question about research-methods training.
4. A research proposal is not required: Birmingham permits a blank document in that mandatory upload field. The personal statement is optional; enter N/A if you choose not to provide one.
5. For funding, select “Research Council Funding” and “Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)”.
6. Submit the online application by 23 November 2026 and complete the separate MIBTP ED&I form linked from the official guidance. Email applications are not accepted.

You may apply to only one project per Birmingham PhD programme, across a maximum of five programmes. Each project needs a separate application; a single application naming multiple projects will be rejected.

Application Checklist

• CV uploaded.
• Academic transcripts/certificates supplied in English, with modules, grades and overall result.
• Research-methods training question completed.
• Correct MIBTP programme, exact advertised project title and primary-supervisor name entered.
• Mandatory proposal and personal-statement fields handled according to Birmingham’s guidance.
• Online application submitted and separate MIBTP ED&I form completed.

Supervisors and Contact

Supervisory team and public contact details

Supervisor	Role	Email
Dr Hannah Botfield	Primary Supervisor	h.botfield@bham.ac.uk
Dr Andrew Holmes	Co-supervisor	a.p.holmes@bham.ac.uk

For Birmingham application questions, email uob-mibtp@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Supervisor contact does not replace submission through the online portal.

Application Preparation

Prepare your required academic CV and use the supervisor email guide if you want to discuss this project before applying; contact is encouraged, not compulsory. Review how to check international funding eligibility. These NextApply articles support preparation; the official Birmingham instructions determine what you must submit.

Official Link

• Official MIBTP project outline
• Birmingham project listing and application instructions
• MIBTP eligibility and application guidance
• MIBTP funding, training and application FAQs
• Dr Hannah Botfield — official profile and contact
• Dr Andrew Holmes — official profile and contact

Application guides

• How to Email a PhD Supervisor: 7 Templates and Practical Tips
• How to Read a PhD Job Advert: Funding, Eligibility and Application Steps
• UK Student Visa Application: CAS, Documents and Financial Evidence