Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Links Between Mental, Hormonal and Cortical Health

About the Project

• Supervisors: Dr. Paul Faulkner
• Studentship Funding:
  Name: SBBS Studentship
  Funder: SBBS

Application Deadline: July 1^st 2026

PhD Route: PhD Psychology

Expected Start Date: Oct 2026

Project Overview

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder accompanied by intense symptoms of anxiety, depression, cognitive deficits and pain in the final two weeks of the menstrual cycle (i.e. the ‘luteal’ phase), all of which disappear immediately upon the onset of menses. Due to both failures in supporting women’s mental health and scientific complexity of the disorder, an accurate diagnosis of PMDD can take up to twelve years. In addition, current treatments are inadequate, with first-line treatments of antidepressants and hormonal treatments being borrowed from other disorders. As such, there is a need to develop novel interventions to improve the lives and wellbeing of women with PMDD. Our own research indicates that use of the non-invasive brain stimulation technique transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can alleviate some of the symptoms of PMDD when used over several menstrual cycles, meaning that this may be a useful intervention for this disorder.

This PhD project will many techniques to investigate the mechanisms by which non-invasive stimulation can improve symptoms of PMDD. The student will utilise mental health questionnaires, cognitive testing, EEG, hormonal assays and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to examine cortical excitability and cortical inhibition in women with and without PMDD. A key element of the role will be in the designing and testing of novel paradigms, and data collection and analysis, to test hypotheses of the behavioural, hormonal and neural mechanisms of PMDD and response to stimulation.

The project provides training in experimental design, data acquisition, advanced analysis, and offering an excellent foundation for future clinical applications.

Applications are open for a 3-Year funded PhD Studentship in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at Queen Mary University of London.

Keywords:

PMDD, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Hormones, Brain, Behaviour, EEG

Research Environment

This PhD will be based in the Centre for Brain and Behaviour at Queen Mary University of London, within the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS). The school is recognised as one of the UK’s leading research centres (REF 2014) and provides a multi-disciplinary, supportive environment with around 160 PhD students across the biological and psychological sciences.

Our Psychology Department is lively and expanding, with regular departmental seminars, student-led journal clubs, and workshops that create plenty of opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and feedback to strengthen your work. Queen Mary also offers excellent training and career development programmes to help you build a broad skill set for your future career.

PhD students follow a 3-year programme with clear milestones, including talks, posters, and symposia, which help develop strong research communication skills. The department has an excellent completion rate, reflecting the supportive training environment. Students also have opportunities to co-supervise undergraduate projects, gaining valuable teaching and mentoring experience.

My group has particular expertise in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, and in linking basic neuroscience with clinical questions - providing an ideal environment for this project. I also have strong clinical collaborations across London, offering further opportunities and connections for the PhD student.

Dr. Paul Faulkner

Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website.

Entry Requirements & Criteria

We are looking for candidates to have or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an area relevant to the topic, such as Psychology, Neuroscience or Computational Statistics applied to Psychology. A Master’s degree in an area relevant to the project is desirable but not essential. Candidates must have some experience conducting research.

Knowledge of TMS, EEG, hormonal and endocrine function, women’s mental health and computational modelling would be highly advantageous but are not required.

Find out more about our entry requirements here.

Applicants from outside of the UK are required to provide evidence of their English language ability. Details can be found on our English Language requirements page.

Funding

The studentship is funded by the SBBS. It will cover home tuition fees and provide an annual tax-free maintenance allowance for 3 years (£22,618in 2026/27).

To qualify for Home Fees, this typically means the candidate will be unrestricted in how long they can remain in the UK.

International students will need to cover the difference in fees between the home and overseas basic rate from external sources. Further details can be found on our PhD Tuition Fees page.

Funding and eligibility queries can be sent to the sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk

How to Apply

Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by the stated deadline for consideration

Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Your CV
• A Personal Statement, including:
  • Previous experience relevant to the project
  • Your motivations for pursuing this position
  • Your career aspirations
  • Any further information you think is relevant to the application
• References
• Copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates

Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.

Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Dr. Paul Faulkner at p.faulkner@qmul.ac.uk

Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk.