Early Career Researcher Opportunities
Our Network is committed to promoting opportunities for early career researcher to build their skills and experience.
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We will post resources, funding avenues and development opportunities below that can help propel your research career forward.
PhD Project
Disrupted Sleep: Mechanisms Linking Sleep Deprivation, Neurovascular Dysfunction, and Metabolic Pathways
Location: Leeds Beckett University
Application deadline: 5pm, Wednesday 7th January 2026
Sleep deprivation is a major public health issue, associated with cognitive decline, cardiovascular risk, and neurological disorders. This interdisciplinary PhD will;
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Explore how inadequate sleep disrupts neurovascular coupling - the brain’s ability to regulate blood flow during cognitive tasks
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Investigate underlying metabolic mechanisms - focusing on tryptophan metabolism, particularly the kynurenine pathway, which generates neurotoxic metabolites that may impair neuronal and astrocyte function
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Examine how restricting specific sleep stages (REM vs. non-REM) affects neurovascular responses and cognition, with emphasis on the glymphatic system’s role in neurotoxin clearance during non-REM sleep
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PhD Project
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Bitter Taste, Gut Hormones, and Brain Function
Location: Leeds Beckett University
Application deadline: 5pm, Wednesday 7th January 2026
Are you excited by the science of food, the brain, and health? This interdisciplinary PhD will give you the opportunity to explore how bitter taste compounds influence metabolism and cognition, working across nutrition, physiology, and neuroscience.
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Bitter perception is more than just flavour, it is linked to the release of gut hormones that regulate appetite, glucose control, and satiety. People experience bitterness differently depending on their genotype (e.g., TAS2R38 variation), being classified as “super-tasters,” “tasters,” or “non-tasters.” This project will investigate how these genetic and perceptual differences shape both metabolic responses and brain activity when consuming bitter foods. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop skills in molecular biology, human sensory testing, neuroimaging, and cognitive assessment, while working with international collaborators. You will be part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary team, with training tailored to support your career in academia, health sciences, or industry.
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We are looking for a motivated postgraduate researcher with a background in nutrition, physiology, neuroscience, psychology, or a related field. Strong analytical skills, enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research, and a willingness to travel are essential.
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Job vacancies
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Jonathan Knowles' Research Fellow: Brain-Gut Axis
Location: University of East Anglia
Application deadline: Monday 1st December 2025
Salary: £48,822 per annum with an annual increment up to £56,535 per annum.
Contract: Full-time. Available from 1st January 2026, for three years.
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The University of East Anglia UEA, in partnership with the Quadram Institute, invites applications for a visionary Research Fellow to lead pioneering research at this exciting interface.
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You will join a world-class research environment, working alongside experts in neuroscience, microbiology, immunology, and clinical medicine. Your research will focus on the mechanisms and health implications of brain-gut communication, with the opportunity to drive cross-disciplinary collaborations and real-world impact.
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Research Scientist x2
Location: Quadram Institute, Norwich
Application deadline: Friday 28th November 2025
Salary: £37,500 to £45,350 per annum depending on qualifications and experience
Contract:
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The Quadram Institute is a new interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to understanding how food and microbes interact to promote health and prevent disease.
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The Institute is looking for Research Scientists to undertake research projects which advance our understanding of the microbiome-gut-brain axis and its role in ageing. This roles will be based in the group of Dr Aimee Parker in the Food, Microbiome and Health Programme. Dr Parker is also the Early Career Research lead for the GIBA Network+.
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Communication between microbes, the gut, and the brain contributes to health across the life course. Scientists at the Quadram Institute have shown in a preclinical model that modifying the gut microbiota by faecal microbiota transfer (FMT) can protect against some of the inflammatory hallmarks of brain ageing in mice.
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The successful candidate for the 56-month post will use animal models, multiomics, immunoassays, imaging, and functional analyses to identify beneficial microbial agents which, in FMT studies, have been shown to delay or protect against age-related decline in the brain.
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The successful candidate for the 27-month contract will establish gut-brain/gut-CNS microfluidic chip systems to enable the study of the role of microbial products in regulating gut-immune-CNS communication in human-relevant systems, paving the way to development of microbial therapeutics for clinical trials.
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