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UCL-NIMH Joint Doctoral Training Program in Neuroscience

Frequently asked questions.

Am I eligible for the UCL-NIMH Program? Applicants to the program must be U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents and hold or be on track to receive a Bachelor's degree by matriculation date. While the program will consider applications from candidates without research experience outside of their undergraduate degree, the majority of applicants will have a Master’s degree and/or be able to demonstrate a strong research background resulting from a Post baccalaureate or Research Assistant research experience. To meet the academic requirements for entry to the UCL Doctoral School, students must normally have an undergraduate or master’s degree with GPA 3.3 or above with a major in a subject relevant to their proposed studies. Any questions about these requirements should be directed to the program directors.

I understand that I will need to identify mentors from NIH and UCL. Where can I find a list of potential mentors at NIH? Can I contact them directly? NIH has a large number of postdoctoral trainees but a relatively small number of graduate students. For this reason, scientists at NIH are eager to hear from potential graduate students, and almost all are happy to provide advice and guidance. Feel free to contact them, probably initially by email. Before you contact them, review their lab web sites and some recent publications. About 20% of the NIH faculty have identified themselves as neuroscientists and provide a brief description of their research at Neuroscience @ NIH  .

Please email or call them with information about yourself, your interests, and whether they may be interested in being a mentor to you in this UCL-NIMH program. If they do not currently have space in their lab for a graduate student, ask them to recommend other mentors. Please refer them to this web page for further description of the program. Finally, if the faculty member clearly has interest in the program, s/he must be aware of their obligations as a mentor (see NIH Mentoring FAQ  ). Please have mentors contact Dr. Janet Clark for information regarding the NIH mentor’s financial responsibilities for a student in the UCL-NIMH Program.

See “A Guide to Training and Mentoring in the Intramural Program at NIH.” 

How can I identify a co-mentor from UCL? As a rule, it’s best to first identify a mentor at NIH. Then, work with your NIH mentor to review potential co-mentors at UCL. However, this program is quite flexible and it may, at times, work well in reverse order. For a listing of current mentor pairings, visit the Faculty page; beyond that feel free to visit the UCL Neuroscience   page to review a more expansive faculty list.

How long is the PhD Program? The PhD should be completed in four years from the date when the student is admitted as a PhD-student at UCL.

How much time should I spend at each institution? As a general goal, the student should spend approximately half their time at each institute, however, a minimum of 18 months should be spent at each institute. To maintain funding from NIH throughout the four to five years of training, at least 51% of the student’s time must be at the NIH. This time could certainly include large blocks (e.g., 1-2 years to complete a major component of the work), as well as shorter visits to complete smaller experimental components at one institution.

How can I keep my mentor and co-mentor coordinated for the successful completion of my PhD dissertation? The NIH mentor and UCL co-mentor will agree to serve in this capacity after a specific research plan is proposed and both endorse the merit and utility of such a project as a joint collaboration between labs. The research plan should outline what components of the project will be performed at each institution with a proposed timeline of effort. To enhance communication, regular telephone conference calls, skype meetings and/or routine emails (with copy to mentor, co-mentor, and student) should be established. Reciprocal visits should also be promoted.

Is a stipend provided? Yes. A stipend is provided for the UCL-NIMH Program. The designated NIH institute will pay the stipend and health benefits for the student during their graduate training. A stipend is paid to graduate students based on the Pre-doctoral Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) schedule throughout the duration of the program. For current NIH Pre-doctoral IRTA stipend levels, please see: https://www.training.nih.gov/predoctoral_irta_stipend_levels  . The NIH mentor is responsible for the stipend, medical insurance via FAES   and travel benefits.

NIMH oversees the administrative management of this joint PhD program. NIMH charges no overhead for these administrative services; however, the mentor’s institute must provide stipend, tuition, insurance, and travel.

Are funds provided to support travel? Yes. NIH mentors supporting graduate students in this program are expected to provide travel funding. Travel funds are to be applied toward required trips between the NIH and UCL as well as scientific meetings/conferences for training purposes and UCL program symposia. All graduate students in the program must ensure that they follow their respective institutes policy on obtaining the appropriate travel authorization for any intended travel. Some institutes in addition to stipend, provide up to $4,000 per annum for travel between the two institutions but again this is an important factor to discuss with your selected NIH mentor.

Travel arrangements between NIH and UCL are arranged for students by the NIH Administrative Officers (AOs) of their respective mentor within the designated institute. All travel done while on a Pre-Doc IRTA fellowship at the NIH must receive pre-approval and clearance prior to the student beginning their travel to UCL or back to the NIH. No personal funds should be committed at any point for travel accommodations (flights, hotel, conference registration fees, etc.) without approval since that is considered an illegal purchase and will not be reimbursed.

Does UCL charge tuition or laboratory fees to students or their mentors? Yes, UCL charges tuition fees for graduate students over the course of the 4 year program. All tuition fees are covered by the mentor or NIH institute in which you will pursue your graduate research.

How can I arrange housing in Bethesda and London? The NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) has assembled a helpful Moving Guide  for individuals transitioning to the Maryland, Virginia, and DC area. Please check out the guide for information on housing and general resources local to the area. In London, there are several options for graduate student accommodation. Many students live in halls of residence, at least for the first year. There are several halls of residence to consider for graduate students on the UCL Accommodation   page as well as details on private housing providers. The UCL Accommodation team is available to help find accommodation at UCL and provide additional details about living expenses and other considerations.

Generally, students tend to find housing on referrals from fellow students or via personal searching on internet sites. More information on UCL housing can be found on the UCL Accommodation   page or by contacting the UCL Accommodation team directly at [email protected] .

Does the NIH have a graduate student activities office? The Office of Intramural Training & Education  (OITE) has developed a robust number of workshops, seminars and courses to enhance the graduate student experience at NIH. Graduate students at NIH (about 500 and growing) are encouraged to utilize OITE services to help them navigate to the next career step. Additionally, the NIH Graduate Student Council  (GSC) is another resource that is available to address and represent the needs of the graduate community. The GSC serves as a communication pathway for students and drives several activities which include efforts in Community Service, Socials, The Graduate Student Research Symposium and much more.

Many of the NIH institutes have Training Offices which also provide numerous career and professional development workshops and seminars as well as career guidance. Please visit the Intramural Training Office Program Contacts  for more information.

Students accepted into the UCL-NIMH Program will be invited and are welcome to attend Career and Professional Development Seminars and Workshops that are offered by the NIMH IRP Office of Fellowship Training.

Who can I contact for additional questions about this program? The UCL-NIMH Partnership has Directors at both the NIH and UCL. The NIH Program Director is Janet Clark, PhD ( [email protected] ) and the UCL Program Director is Jonathan Roiser, PhD ( [email protected] ). For administrative and application inquiries please contact Aneka Reid ( [email protected] ).

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8 Zelenograd, the Soviet Silicon Valley, 1962–1965

• Published: October 2005
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This chapter focuses on the construction of Zelenograd, the Soviet Silicon Valley, during the period from 1962–1965. The chapter reveals that Khrushchev signed the postanovlenie, or official decree, on August 8, 1962, authorizing the establishment of a center of microelectronics, to be called the “Scientific Center,” near Kryukovo railroad station. The satellite city was officially named Zelenograd (Green City) on January 15, 1963, by a decree of the Moscow Executive Committee. The first planned city in the Soviet Union, it was designed to accommodate approximately 65,000 people. Its designers had been influenced by the British New Town movement. Unlike in other Soviet industrial centers, where apartment buildings were often built adjacent to belching industrial smokestacks, living areas and factories were located in separate areas. Located 25 miles north of the Kremlin, Zelenograd was declared a part of Moscow.

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Special meditation program helps to improve mental health in seniors, study finds

A recent study conducted by researchers in London has revealed that a specially designed meditation program can significantly enhance the mental health and well-being of older adults. This groundbreaking program consisted of a nine-month mindfulness module, followed by a nine-month module focused on loving-kindness and compassion.

The participants in the meditation program attended weekly group sessions lasting two hours and engaged in daily 20-minute home practice. Additionally, they participated in a one-day retreat to deepen their meditation experience.

How meditation can improve the mental health of older adults

The study's results were off the charts.The people who finished the program saw some serious improvements in their overall well-being and mental health . It was a major growth in areas like being awake, feeling connected, and gaining new insights.

They felt very calm, totally satisfied, and their view on life got way more positive. And check it, their relationships with others got even better, leading to some next-level connections.

Marco Schlosser, a PhD student at University College London (UCL) and the lead author of the study, stated:

"As the global population ages, it is increasingly crucial to understand how we can support older adults in maintaining and deepening their psychological well-being."

He emphasized that the study's findings suggest that long-term meditation training holds great promise as a non-pharmacological approach to supporting the flourishing of older adults.

Iit's important to know that the gains from the meditation program weren't the same for everyone. The ones who started off with lower levels of mental well-being? They saw some major growth, way more than the ones who were already doing pretty good. It's like they leveled up big time and left their initial struggles in the dust.

Longest randomized meditation training trial shows significant benefits for older adults

Dr. Natalie Marchant, a co-author of the study from the UCL Division of Psychiatry, expressed hope for further research to identify specific groups who would benefit the most from meditation training. The researchers believe that with further refinements, meditation programs can become even more beneficial for older adults.

This study represents the longest randomized meditation training trial to date, covering a span of 18 months and involving over 130 healthy individuals aged 65 to 84 who were fluent in French.

Dr. Antoine Lutz, a senior author of the study from the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center in Inserm, France, noted that the study's findings open up opportunities for better meditation programs that specifically aid older adults in prospering.

This signifies a change in emphasis from solely preventing illness or poor health to adopting a comprehensive approach that encompasses the entire range of human well-being.

If you're looking to start your meditation routine, focusing on your breath is a popular and effective technique. Find a calm space where you can relax without any interruptions. Just tune in to your breath as it flows in and out of your body. And, if your mind starts to wander, no stress, just gently bring it back to your breath without judgment!

This great study published in PLoS ONE, and it's got some surprising evidence on how specially designed meditation program helps when it comes to seniors mental health. It's crystal clear that meditation does help prevent or reduce the risk of mental illness for seniors.

This study shows that when our elders get their meditation on, their mental well-being skyrockets. They feel calmer, more connected, and they gain a seriously positive outlook on life.

UCL Mental Health

blogs on latest mental health research from UCL

Top posts of 2023 on the IoMH blog

By Rosie Niven, on 25 January 2024

We published 22 posts over the course of 2023 – a record for the IoMH blog! Here is the most popular content posted in the past year.

#1 : This guest blog marking University Mental Health Day is our top post from 2023. Lucy Foulkes of the University of Oxford looks at the concept of awareness days or weeks and asks whether we are doing enough to measure their outcomes. Read post >

#2 . A PhD scholarship may last just a few years, but today’s scholar could become tomorrow’s supervisor as Jen Dykxhoorn from UCL’s Division of Psychiatry wrote in February, as a prestigious Mental Health Research UK scholarship opened for applications. Read post >

#3 Research from UCL’s Marie Curie Palliative Care Department shows that people with SPMI want to make their own choice about end-of-life care – just like anyone else. Nivedita Ashok describes the findings. Read post >

#4 The discoveries and positive impacts of academic research can give researchers great job satisfaction but the role also brings stresses that pose a risk to their mental health, write Helen Nicholls, Jo Billings and Danielle Lamb . Read Post >

#5 Recent UCL research finds that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults report higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts than their heterosexual peers. In this blog Garrett Kidd describes how the study came about and its significance. Read post >

…and the rest of the top 10

• IoMH Conference 2023 – a PhD student’s report – Jennifer Fielder
• Mental Health is a human right – a workplace perspective – Sally Belcher
• Children’s Mental Health and the Permacrisis – Charlotte Burdge and Tamsin Ford
• University Mental Health Charter Award – how was it for you ? Denise Long, Umair Mehmood and Tony David
• Connecting with others through the power of music – Naaheed Mukadam

Thank you to all our contributors in 2023. If you have an idea for a blogpost about mental health research or clinical practice and would like to contribute to the IoMH blog – do get in touch !

Filed under Mental Health

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Poor mental health is not random: what can we do to achieve social justice?

By iomh, on 12 January 2024

Earlier this year a prospective PhD supervisor blogged for us about recruiting for a PhD scholarship focused on historically marginalised groups and mental health inequalities. That student is Alua Yeskendir , who provides this post on new research summarising the current state of the evidence around the social determinants of mental health.

We used to see mental health problems as primarily a biological phenomenon. But is it true? If we say that your mental health also depends on the distribution of social, economic and political wealth, power, and resources, does it make easier to solve the problem?

Filed under Mental Health , Research , Study

Tags: inequalities , Mental Health

Mental Health is a human right – a workplace perspective

By iomh, on 10 October 2023

UCL’s Head of Workplace Wellbeing, Sally Belcher outlines how dedicated workplace health teams and researchers have come together to support the mental health of members of staff.   

World Mental Health Day is recognised annually on 10 th of October. It is a day that encourages everyone to reflect on their own mental health, and that of those around them. This year’s theme is ‘Mental health is a universal human right’, and in the workplace that means ensuring mental health is treated equitably and with the same respect and dignity as that of a physical injury. Working in Workplace Health, especially around the time of World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to improve knowledge and raise awareness of staff but it also serves as a stark reminder on how far we as a society have to go.

Tags: Mental Health , University Mental Health Charter Award , University Mental Health Day

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How can we improve end of life care for someone with an intellectual disability or serious mental illness?

People with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) often have poor experiences of health care, including end-of -life care, yet their voices often go unheard, leading to decisions being made on their behalf. Nivedita Ashok describes research from UCL’s Marie Curie Palliative Care Department, which shows that people with SPMI want to make their own choice, just like anyone else.

People with a diagnosis of intellectual disability or a serious mental illness die much earlier from serious physical illnesses than the general population. Lack of support to have healthier lifestyles, only seeking help when very unwell, late presentation to services, delays in diagnosis, and insufficient treatment provision are all problems.

Despite this gap, they are often excluded from palliative care research, and their experience of healthcare services are often poor, e.g. failure to make reasonable adjustments.

Our research team has been studying these issues to identify the gaps and uncertainties in the evidence. The findings have helped us understand what service users, their families, and the professionals who work with them find challenging, and what they suggest can help improve this.

Tags: Mental Health , palliative care , Psychiatry , World Mental Health Day

How we talked to young adults about dementia and end-of-life care

By iomh, on 9 October 2023

Dementia and end of life care is a challenging topic to engage young adults with but the EMBED-Care team took the opportunity to do this by putting together an event for Science Museum Lates to engage young adults with these themes. Sophie Crawley describes their experiences.

The Science Museum in London is a well-known destination for families and children to spend a day looking at all things science related. A lesser-known aspect of the museum’s work are Science Museum Lates . These are primarily targeted as a young adult social event for groups of friends to attend. There is a lively and engaging atmosphere with music, DJs and a bar, while they explore the Museum’s regular exhibits after hours and engage with events and activities run by external groups centred around a specific science-related theme.  

A conversation with the Science Museum about our work to improve the end-of-life care of people dying with or dying from dementia led to an offer to participate in a Lates event celebrating the 75 th Anniversary of the NHS. This was a great opportunity to share our research with a young adult audience who may not have thought about dementia or the end of life, but who will be increasingly affected by dementia as the prevalence, and the need to care for those with a diagnosis, increases. It also gave all the EMBED-Care team from UCL and King’s College London an opportunity to collectively ‘have a go’ at public engagement.

Tags: Dementia , palliative care

IoMH Conference 2023 – a PhD student’s report

By iomh, on 29 September 2023

The fourth UCL Institute of Mental Health Conference explored a diverse range of topics including health economics, suicide prevention and cognitive neuroscience. UCL Wellcome PhD student Jennifer Fielder shares some of her highlights of the day.

As a PhD student in Mental Health Science, I was excited to hear some of the latest mental health research showcased by leading experts at the Institute of Mental Health (IoMH) Conference.

The first session on mind and body interactions followed warm welcomes from Professor Anthony David, director of UCL IoMH, and Professor Alan Thompson, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences. UCL’s Professor Sarah Garfinkel focused on how our ability to sense internal contexts and signals, known as interoception, shapes mental health. This covered her work on interoceptive training, where people learn to detect their heartbeats more accurately, which decreased anxiety in autistic adults for up to one year after the training. The talk finished with the exciting prospect that effective psychiatric treatments may work via interoceptive pathways. For example, one dose of the antidepressant Citalopram was found to increase interoceptive accuracy.

Filed under Event , Mental Health

Tags: Mental Health , suicidality , suicide

“Truly alone for the first time in my life”

By iomh, on 19 July 2023

UCL Psychiatry MSc student Kangning Zheng’s research focuses on the experiences of loneliness among international students. This blog describes what her work reveals about the impact on students’ mental health.

Studying in another country might be an exciting prospect for many people but some international students can feel lonely during a period of study abroad. Transient loneliness at the start of a move to a new country is common and can be a positive stimulus to meet more people and establish oneself. However, some people can become chronically lonely, and this poses a threat to health and wellbeing. Loneliness is therefore an important consideration for policymakers in relation to the economic and social benefits of international students.

Filed under Mental Health , Research

Tags: Mental Health

‘Self-binding directives’ – should it be possible to request involuntary treatment in advance?

By iomh, on 5 July 2023

Earlier this year in a BBC Radio 4 programme Tania Gergel documented her treatment for bipolar. In this blog, she describes how she has used ‘self-binding directives’ to manage the risks associated with these treatments.

Shortly after I moved into the field of mental health ethics and law about twelve years ago, I found my work focusing on one particular area – mental health advance directives or ‘advance choice documents’, as they will soon be known within the upcoming revisions to the Mental Health Act in England and Wales.

Research and practice in this area had been dominated by the idea that advance choice documents could provide a way for people with severe mental illness to avoid hospitalisation and involuntary treatment. But it soon became evident that, in fact, many people might also want to harness the power of advance decision-making to do the opposite – to ensure that they received treatment, even if against their will, during future episodes of illness when they knew from past experience, they would resist.

Tags: bipolar , Bipolar UK , mental health ethics , Self-binding directives

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The Michael King Prize winner: one year on

By iomh, on 21 June 2023

Entries are invited for the 2023 Michael King Prize, which is awarded to the UCL PhD awardee with the best thesis on a subject relating to mental health. In this blog, last year’s winner Aaron Kandola, shares his experiences of the award and reveals what he’s been doing since then.

Last year I was awarded the Michael King Prize for my PhD thesis on the relationship between physical activity, fitness, and sedentary behaviour with depression and anxiety symptoms in the population.

Filed under Event , Mental Health , Research , Study

Tags: Michael King Award

Examining the relationship between sexual orientation and suicidality

By iomh, on 9 June 2023

Recent UCL research finds that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults report higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts than their heterosexual peers. In this blog Garrett Kidd describes how the study came about and its significance.

In the 2021 census lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people represented 3.2% of the English and Welsh populations.

However, the UK is a heteronormative society where LGB people have experienced systemic and historical persecution under British law; homosexuality was partially decriminalised only in 2017. Legal recognition and protections have advanced since then, but a legacy of discrimination and lack of legal protection has impacted the lives of generations of LGB individuals.  Minority stress theory suggests that experiences such as discrimination or bullying might account for the poorer mental health of LGB people, as suggested in our previous work at UCL .

Tags: LGBTQ+ , Mental Health , Psychiatry , suicidality , suicide

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UCL academics lead award-winning ’Oh Pod! x UCL’ Podcast project

15 May 2024

‘Oh Pod! x UCL’ is a mental health podcast series hosting honest discussions between researchers and communities in east London.

The podcast series is co-produced by UCL academics, Waltham Forest Future Formed and the Oh Pod! podcast team. The aim of the project is to host honest discussions between researchers and communities in east London, that lead to developed trust.

Funded by UCL East Engagement's Development Fund , the podcast grew out of the Diverse Voices participatory photography project (funded a year previously by a UCL East Community Engagement Seed Fund) and was led by Dr. Rupy Matharu ( UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering) & Dr. Shoba Poduval (UCL Institute of Health Informatics).

The ‘Oh Pod! x UCL’ podcast project provides a platform to open the dialogue between academics and people from marginalised communities in east London on issues pressing to the public. The podcast focused on mental health, neurodiversity and illnesses that are often taboo in diverse communities. Guests include Dr Kate Adlington discussing perinatal mental health, Professor Kurinchi Gurusamy discussing Autism and Professor Oliver Robinson discussing anxiety and psychological distress.

The UCL team worked with Kaveh Rahnama from Future Formed (a Borough of Waltham Forest initiative) that offers residents exposure to creative industries. The podcast is produced and presented by Shakira Crawford and Iman Issa-Ismail, who interviewed health experts, asking them questions about commonly held concerns, worries or misconceptions about mental health. The format of the podcast helped ground conversations in reality and allowed members of the public to lead the conversation. The skills and experience gained by the community members led to improved confidence and will allow them to continue their work in podcasting and the creative field. Shakira and Kaveh are with now working with UCL’s IHE on the second series of their podcast, Health in a Handbasket.

The UCL East Community Engagement Development Fund is a small grants funding scheme for UCL staff and post graduate research students who have previously received funding for an engagement project in east London. It is designed to build capacity for previously funded projects to deepen the impact of ongoing engagement practice. The team worked with multiple public and professional partners to achieve the UCL East principles of collaboration, co-production and mutual benefit through creative means.

The podcast was celebrated at the inaugural UCL IHE Engagement Awards. The awards recognise excellence in public engagement within the healthcare engineering and digital health community. ‘Oh Pod! x UCL’ was the winner in the co-production category.

Dr. Rupy Matharu said,

“We’re proud to be helping to correct some negative stigma and healthcare taboos by working with Waltham Forest residents. The podcast is a tangible demonstration of successful co-production in action, and we hope the impact will be felt across communities who wouldn’t usually engage with health research.”

• IHE celebrates its first Engagement Awards at ceremony
• UCL East Engagement Overview:  Oh Pod! x UCL Demystifying Health Research at UCL  
• Episode 1 Perinatal Mental Health with Dr Kate Adlington:  Spotify ,  Apple Podcast ,  SoundCloud ,  Youtube
• Episode 2 Autism and Common Misconceptions with Prof Kurinchi Gurusamy:  Spotify ,  Apple Podcast ,  SoundCloud ,  Youtube
• Episode 3 Anxiety and Psychological Distress with Prof Oliver Robinson:  Spotify ,  Apple Podcast ,  SoundCloud ,  Youtube
• Diverse Voices Engagement Project blog from Shoba Poduval

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