He Group
Our group explores how the human brain works, both in health and disease, by using advanced technologies like brain-computer interfaces and neuromodulation. We aim to use our discoveries and tools to develop practical approaches that improve clinical care and patient outcomes.
We use brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and neuromodulation to investigate the causal relationships between brain activity and behaviour, including disease symptoms. BCIs are technologies that enable direct communication between the brain and external devices, often used to restore or enhance motor, sensory, or cognitive functions. Neuromodulation involves regulating neural activity through targeted electrical or chemical stimulation of specific areas in the nervous system, either to treat neurological conditions or to better understand brain function.
Our research integrates BCIs (e.g., neurofeedback training) with both invasive (e.g., deep brain stimulation) and non-invasive (e.g., repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation) neuromodulation techniques. This approach allows us to study how neural activity drives behaviour and how brain stimulation interacts with these processes. Ultimately, our goal is to translate these insights into personalised treatment strategies for neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, multiple system atrophy, and disorders of consciousness.
- Development of novel brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) leveraging cortical and subcortical neural signals.
- Application of both invasive and non-invasive neuromodulation techniques.
- Investigation of neural correlates underlying normal and pathological brain functions.
- Neuroimaging and neurophysiological methods, including EEG, MRI, and local field potential recordings
- Experimental studies involving healthy individuals and people with neurological conditions
- Time series analysis, machine learning, and programming
Studentships
Project
Phase-locked stimulation for modulating brain rhythms during wakefulness and sleep in Parkinson’s
In Parkinson’s disease, abnormal brain rhythms - such as elevated beta waves and disrupted slow waves - contribute to movement and sleep problems. Phase-locked Deep Brain Stimulation holds promise for correcting these brain activity patterns by timing stimulation to specific phases of rhythms. This studentship project will explore how phase-locked Deep Brain Stimulation can improve motor function and sleep in people with Parkinson’s, moving toward personalised brain stimulation therapies.
The aim of this PhD project is to determine how modulating abnormal brain rhythms with phase-locked Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) can improve movement and sleep symptoms in people with Parkinson’s. The research will combine real-time brain signal processing with closed-loop stimulation to target beta rhythms during wakefulness and slow-wave activity during sleep. The studentship holder will work with people with Parkinson’s who have already received DBS, develop stimulation protocols using a computer-in-the-loop system, and help build software interfaces for implantable devices. Through collaboration with clinical and engineering teams, the project seeks to advance understanding of how brain rhythms relate to behaviour and how neuromodulation therapies can be better personalised.
The project will take place in the Brain Network Dynamics Unit of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and in the Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Restorative Neural Dynamics (MRC CoRE RND). Students will benefit from the extensive interdisciplinary skills training and personalised career development opportunities available within the Unit and the MRC CoRE RND. Students will receive specialised training in their areas of project research (see below) as well as, for example, in the translation and commercialisation of research, best practice in Open Science, and how to effectively involve and engage patients and the public with research.
You will receive advanced training in human neurophysiology, including recording and real-time processing of signals from within and outside the brain. You will gain hands-on experience with closed-loop brain stimulation systems and work directly with people with Parkinson’s, learning clinical research methods, behavioural testing, and sleep quantification. You will also be given opportunities to build skills in time-series analysis, machine learning, and software development for neurotechnology, including designing software interfaces for implantable devices.
This four-year Ph.D. (D.Phil.) studentship offers three years of full-time tuition fees at the Home rate, and four years of non-taxable stipend at the full-time UKRI rate (including any uplifts announced). Both Home students and International students are eligible to receive this funding package. Please see further details about MRC/UKRI studentships and updated guidance regarding Home and International eligibility. Successful offer-holders who have applied by the December deadline may also be considered for other University of Oxford scholarships.
Interested candidates should possess, or expect to receive, a 1st class or upper 2nd class degree (or equivalent) in a related scientific discipline, e.g. physical sciences, medicine, computer science, engineering or mathematics. Previous experience in neuroscience research is highly desirable.
Candidates must contact the lead project supervisor before submitting an application. To find out more about this studentship, the research project, and the application process, please contact Professor Huiling Tan by email on huiling.tan@ndcn.ox.ac.uk.
To be considered for this studentship, please submit an application for admission to the D.Phil. in Clinical Neurosciences at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (course code RD_CU1), following the guidance for applications to this course. On the application form, in the section headed ‘Departmental Studentship Applications’, please indicate that you are applying for a studentship and enter the reference code “26NDCN01MRC” into the funding tab.
The closing date for applications is 12.00 midday UK time on Tuesday 2nd December 2025.
Opening in November 2025, the MRC CoRE RND is an exciting team science enterprise that is focused on harnessing the moment-to-moment interactions between nerve cells (‘neural dynamics’) to transform medical device-based therapy for brain conditions. The MRC CoRE RND incorporates discovery research and translational research aligned to empirical neuroscience, computational neuroscience, experimental medicine, and biomedical engineering. The MRC CoRE RND is exceptionally collaborative, involving partners in academia, neurotechnology industry, research charities, and clinical services. It will champion values supporting a positive research culture.
Supervisors
Applications are invited from both Home students and International students to join a multidisciplinary team of researchers studying how phase-locked Deep Brain Stimulation can be used to modulate pathological brain rhythms during wakefulness and sleep in Parkinson’s disease. This studentship is available from the start of academic year 2026/27, is for 4 years, and will be co-supervised by Professor Huiling Tan, Dr Shenghong He, and Professor Tim Denison at the MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Restorative Neural Dynamics.
Recent Publications
Datasets are available through our dataset platform is designed to enable the sharing of several classes of research data generated by the Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit at the University of Oxford (MRC BNDU). The datasets could include:
- Electrophysiological recording from humans and rodents
- Digital micrographs of brain tissue
- Scripts and code used for analysis of data
- Printable 3D models and microcontroller code
- Code for modelling of neuronal networks
All downloads require making an account; the primary reason for this is to enable us to monitor downloads of datasets which allows us to report this to funding bodies.



