Investigating Move-to-Hold Integration in Dystonia: A Behavioural and Neuroimaging Study

Dystonia is a movement disorder characterised by involuntary muscle contractions, twisting movements, and abnormal postures. The underlying brain mechanisms remain poorly understood. A recent breakthrough showed that the brain’s “hold” commands (which keep a limb still) are generated by integrating preceding movement commands (Albert et al., 2020, eLife). This project will test whether this “move to hold” integration is disrupted in dystonia.
The main experimental work will be conducted at Aston University, where you will use a vBOT robotic interface to precisely quantify movement and postural control, alongside EEG and OPM MEG (a wearable brain imaging technology) to measure neural activity during movement and holding tasks.
Participants with dystonia will be recruited through the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham movement disorders clinic, in collaboration with Dr Benjamin Wright and Dr Venkat Srinivasan.

What you will do:
•    Year 1: Establish the vBOT platform at Aston University; run experiments in healthy volunteers (EEG + vBOT); receive training in OPM MEG.
•    Year 2: Recruit patients with dystonia via QE Hospital; collect behavioural and neuroimaging data primarily at Aston University.
•    Year 3: Analyse data, test whether brain oscillations predict movement and holding behaviour, and prepare publications.

Why this matters:
•    First direct test of the integrator hypothesis in dystonia.
•    Potential identification of a new brain based biomarker (beta oscillations).
•    A 4 month clinical placement at QE Hospital provides hands on experience in a world class neurology centre.

Training and placement: You will receive expert supervision from a multidisciplinary team spanning neuroscience, neuroimaging, and clinical neurology.
The project includes a 4 month PhD+ clinical placement at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, where you will work directly with movement disorders patients and clinicians, complementing your Aston based experimental research.

International applicants: International applicants are welcome and will not need to pay any difference between Home and Overseas tuition fees.
 

Candidates should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, EITHER:

a] a First or Upper Second Class award in their undergraduate degree, in a relevant subject.

OR

b] a First or Upper Second Class award in their undergraduate degree, and a Merit or Distinction in a Masters degree, both in a relevant subject.

Qualifications from overseas institutions will be considered, but performance must be equivalent to that described above, and the University reserves the right to ascertain this equivalence according to its own criteria.

Desirable / Essential Skills or Experience 

Essential:
•    Interest in movement disorders and brain imaging.
•    Good communication and team working skills.
Desirable:
•    Experience with EEG/MEG or other neuroimaging.
•    Programming skills (Python, MATLAB, or similar).
•    Experience working with clinical populations.
 

This project covers all tuition fees and includes an annual stipend.

Please note that the successful candidate will be responsible for any costs relating to moving to Birmingham and/or visiting the Aston campus. International students must meet the financial requirements for the visa, flights, and NHS Surcharge. Applicants should be confident that they can meet these costs before applying.

Further information can be found here: Financial Requirements | Aston University
 

International Applicants

International applicants are welcome to apply for this position.

Apply now

If you require further information about the application process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at pgr_admissions@aston.ac.uk

Main Supervisor                 Dr Boubker Zaaimi

Associate Supervisors     Professor Caroline Witton, Professor Stuart Baker, Dr Benjamin Wright, Dr Venkat Srinivasan

PhD programmes are for those who are seeking to develop greater in-depth knowledge in a specific area. Completing this level of study is about making an original contribution to knowledge, making new discoveries and developing lifelong skills. 

Studying a PhD is great route into academia and industries that are centred on research and innovation. Areas with a demand for very high level and specialised research skills often demand PhDs.

In addition to this specialist knowledge, PhD education will help you to develop a set of valuable transferrable skills. The very nature of studying an intensive research degree will enable you to become a team player, develop problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and advanced presentation and communication skills.