Clinical Brain Sciences PhD

The programme is 100% research-based. There are no compulsory taught components. However, students can sometimes enroll on relevant courses after discussion with their supervisor.

There are formal assessment points at 10 weeks and 1 year (or pro-rata for part-time students), as well as regular meetings with the supervisory team.

On top of the standard 3 year (full-time) or 6 year (part-time) studentship, an additional 1 year is permitted for students to complete writing-up their thesis.

As a postgraduate student, you will be mentored and supported by at least two supervisors and receive long-term guidance from your thesis committee.

There are many opportunities for you to attend seminars and take courses in a wide variety of transferable or specific research skills. This includes opportunities to become involved in science communication and public engagement.

You will join a diverse community of researchers and clinicians. PhD meetings and the annual Centre Away Day provide valuable opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Clinical research and trials

Direct clinical links, Specialist Centres of Excellence, well characterised patient cohorts, national biobanks and disease registers permit detailed phenotyping for surveillance, clinical epidemiological studies and trials.

Find more information on the research centres:

• Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research
• Centre for Dementia Prevention
• Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre
• Patrick Wild Centre for Research into Autism, Fragile X Syndrome & Intellectual Disabilities

The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic provides an interface between patients and researchers and space to conduct studies.

We also have expertise in meta-analysis & systematic review (e.g. CAMARADES, Cochrane Stroke Group).

Neuroimaging

CCBS is part of Edinburgh Imaging, which provides state-of the-art imaging for preclinical and clinical studies.

Facilities include:

• 1.5T research MR scanner
• 3T MR scanner
• PET MRI
• PET-CT
• 7T animal MR
• image analysis suites including fMRI compatible EEG

Neuropathology

We are experts in detailed pathological analysis of post-mortem human brain tissue. We run the Edinburgh Brain and Tissue Banks, part of the Medical Research Centre (MRC) UK Brain Banks Network.

The Edinburgh Brain Banks include:

• CJD
• HIV
• stroke
• motor neurone disease
• dementia
• sudden death

Laboratory research

Our laboratories are fully equipped for molecular biology, protein biochemistry and cell biology research. This includes large-scale studies, for example; molecular analyses of multiprotein complexes at the synapse.

CCBS researchers use patient-derived (induced pluripotent) and human embryonic stem cells to model disease processes using :

• confocal microscopy
• electrophysiology
• Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)
• biochemistry

Translational neurosurgery

An emerging area of interest for CCBS, the research aims to inform, enable and accelerate the translation of advances from the laboratory to the operating theatre, with a focus on neuro-oncology.

Research methodologies

Find more information on our research methodologies on our website

• CCBS Research Methodologies

A PhD in Clinical Brain Sciences will provide an excellent springboard for a career in academic or clinical research into all aspects of the brain.

Most of our graduates go on to postdoctoral positions in top academic labs in Scotland and around the world, while others go on to complete clinical academic training.

Graduates who do not wish to pursue an academic career have found employment in industry, for example in:

• managerial roles at Universities
• science communication and public engagement
• charities

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 65 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Application fee

None.

Deposit

None.

Additional programme costs

None.

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money

  • taking out a loan

  • family support

• personal savings

• income from work

• employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

A funded PhD project will generally cover:

• modest living costs
• tuition
• additional funds for research consumables
• travel

Amounts do vary so please check the provision carefully.

If the PhD project is not already funded, it is your responsibility, in conjunction with your supervisor, to secure sufficient funds.

There are many funding opportunities available but securing a scholarship can take some time so please make funding applications well ahead of your intended start date.

Your supervisor is likely to be the best source of information about funding opportunities for your particular project.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding