Oxford Brookes University
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Department of Biological and Medical Sciences
3 year full time studentship
Eligibility: Only UK/EU applicants can apply
Closing date for applications: 15th March 2015
Start Date: 14th September 2015
Value p.a.: Bursary of £14,057 for 2015/16 & fees
EU Applicants
Must provide IELTS certificate minimum score level 6 in each of the four areas of reading, writing,
listening and speaking with overall minimum score 7.0 or undergraduate degree awarded by UK
university within the last two years. IELTS certificate must not be older than two year.
Applicants require a good Honours degree level equivalent to a UK degree BSc (minimum 2.1 or
higher).
Director of Studies Dr Alistair McGregor.
Second Supervisor Dr Maria Daniela Santos-Nunes.
Research Title: The development and evolution of organ size
Project
The regulation of organ size is crucial for the development and evolution of multicellular organisms.
However, we have much to learn about how cell number regulation is coordinated with organ
differentiation to specify the correct final size of organs. This project will take advantage of natural
variation among populations of Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the genetic and developmental
bases of differences in the regulation of organ size. A combination of developmental biology, genetics
and computer modelling will be employed to characterise the cellular basis and genetic variants
underlying evolutionary changes in the size of insect compound eyes. This will provide new insights
into the regulation of cell division and differentiation to specify organ size and how these processes
evolve to generate diversity in organ size and function.
Hilbrant, M., Almudi, I., Leite, D. J., Kuncheria, L., Posnien, N., Nunes, M. D. S. and McGregor, A. P.
(2014). Sexual dimorphism and natural variation within and among species in the Drosophila retinal
mosaic. BMC Evolutionary Biology 14, 240.
Nunes, M. D. S., Arif, S., Schlötterer, C. and McGregor, A. P. (2013). A Perspective on Micro-EvoDevo: Progress and Potential. Genetics 195, 625-634.
Arif, S., Hilbrant, M., Hopfen, C., Almudi, I., Nunes, M. D. S., Posnien, N., Kuncheria, L., Tanaka, K.,
Mitteröcker, P., Schlötterer, C. and McGregor, A. P. (2013). Genetic analysis of differences in eye and
face morphology between Drosophila simulans and Drosophila mauritiana. Evolution and
Development 15, 257-267.
Posnien, N., Hopfen, C., Hilbrant, M., Ramos-Womack, M., Murat, S., Schönauer, A., Herbert, S. L.,
Nunes, M. D. S., Arif, S., Breuker, C. J., Schlötterer, C., Mitteroecker, P. and McGregor, A. P. (2012).
Evolution of eye morphology and rhodopsin expression in the Drosophila melanogaster species
subgroup. PLoS One 7, e37346.
As part of the studentship, any successful applicant will be required to undertake up to 6 hours
undergraduate teaching per week during semesters without further remuneration. This may include
supporting the teaching of statistics.
How to apply
Please download application formhttp://www.hls.brookes.ac.uk/images/research/phd-studentship-application-form-jan-14.doc
Applications will only be accepted by email to the Research Administrator at the following address:
hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk
Please additionally submit a CV and if appropriate IELTS test score certificate