Funded PhD opportunity: AI agents for autonomous hypothesis testing in neural circuits (UCL, deadline 23 April)

[p.gl...@gmail.com]

Dear colleagues,

I'd like to flag a funded four-year PhD opportunity in my lab (https://openneuroai.org) in the Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology at UCL. The project will develop an AI-driven pipeline — integrating large language models and AI agents with biophysical simulation — to autonomously generate, test, and refine biological hypotheses about neural circuit function. We're using C. elegans and the OpenWorm simulation platform (https://openworm.org) as a proving ground: with its fully mapped connectome and compact nervous system, the worm offers a unique opportunity to close the loop between AI-generated hypotheses and executable whole-organism models. Full project details can be found here.

This project proposal is part of the UCL Division of Biosciences Graduate Training Assistant PhD Studentship scheme, with five studentships to be awarded competitively. Successful candidates will start in October 2026, with Home tuition fees covered and a four-year stipend at the UCL standard rate. In addition to their research, GTA students contribute to undergraduate teaching and receive structured pedagogical training, including working towards Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Due to funding restrictions, applicants must be eligible for Home fee status.

I would be very grateful if you could pass this on to any students or early-career researchers in your groups who might be interested — we'd welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds, whether in neuroscience, computational biology, or AI/machine learning. The application deadline is 23rd April 2026. Informal enquiries about the research project are welcome to me, and full application details can be found here.

Regards,
Padraig Gleeson