Dupret Group
Our laboratory studies how neural activity in the hippocampus and connected brain regions supports memory-guided behaviour, enabling individuals to draw from past experience how to respond to ever-changing life situations.
The idea that groups of distributed neurons transiently coordinate their spiking activity to organize information-representing cell assemblies is central to our investigation. Our laboratory uses a transdisciplinary approach that combines multichannel electrophysiological recordings (tetrodes, silicon probes, and neuropixels) during behaviour with cell type-selective, neural input-defined and network pattern-informed (closed-loop) optogenetic manipulations of brain dynamics. The group performs neuronal population-level analyses to: (i) determine how internal representations of the external world are computed, consolidated, and recalled for the purpose of adaptative memory; (ii) establish the mnemonic contribution of oscillatory patterns of network activity (e.g., theta, gamma, sharp wave/ripples); and (iii) identify neuronal motifs and pathways supporting memory-guided behaviour. We perform this work while keeping in mind that not all memories serve adaptive responses. This is notably the case for memories that are related to experience of drugs of abuse, and those memories that underpin maladaptive responses. Accordingly, our work is intended to provide principles of interventions aimed at rebalancing brain network physiopathology of maladaptive memory.
- In vivo study of brain networks for memory-guided behaviour
- Mnemonic roles of neural ensembles and oscillations
- Multichannel recordings and associated data analyses
- Cell-type-selective, neural-input-defined, and network-pattern-informed optogenetics
- Memory-guided behaviour
We are committed to fostering an inclusive work environment that celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunity within our group and the wider MRC BNDU.
After the viva voce: A happy D.Phil. candidate (centre right) with satisfied examiners (left) and proud supervisor (right).
Mary Muers (far right) moderates an interactive session about training and career development opportunities.
A visiting school pupil tries their hand at implanting a dummy stimulation electrode in a jelly brain!
Studentships
Project
Interacting with memory dynamics in the human brain
Studies in rodents have uncovered how neural oscillations shape memory, revealing causal links between brain rhythms and behaviour. In contrast, studying memory in humans presents unique challenges. Researchers often face limited access to detailed brain recordings, fewer opportunities to apply advanced analytical techniques, and only emerging use of real-time methods to influence brain activity during memory tasks. These factors make it more difficult to explore the underlying network dynamics as precisely as in animal models.
The aim of this PhD studentship is to uncover the mechanisms by which oscillatory brain dynamics support memory in humans. The project will integrate high-density intracranial recordings, closed-loop stimulation, and multivariate analytical frameworks to monitor and manipulate hippocampal and connected neural circuits with high spatiotemporal precision. By leveraging these innovative techniques in human participants, the research will explore how medial temporal lobe oscillations reorganise during memory processes and develop targeted interventions to enhance memory and treat related disorders.
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.
The project will build on a collaboration with neurologists and neurosurgeons at the University Hospital of Toulouse, France, where the Dupret laboratory is collaborating with Dr. Leila Reddy to conduct brain-wide intracranial tetrode recordings in human participants engaged in memory and inferential reasoning tasks. The studentship holder will harness cutting-edge methods for identifying, monitoring, and manipulating network oscillations and neuronal ensembles. You will receive advanced training in several of the following techniques: brain network electrophysiology, closed-loop systems, behavioural assays, and advanced data analysis.
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 such as biological or physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, medicine, or computer science. Previous experience in neuroscience research is desirable. The ability to interact in French with human participants is also highly valuable, given the collaborative nature of the project with clinical teams in France.
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 David Dupret by email on david.dupret@bndu.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 the brain network electrophysiology of memory processes. This studentship is available from the start of academic year 2026/27, is for 4 years, and will be co-supervised by Professor David Dupret and Professor Tim Denison at the MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Restorative Neural Dynamics.
Project
State-dependent control of hippocampal oscillations for enhancing memory
Hippocampal neurons support memory through temporally precise coactivity patterns that enable the rapid encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of behaviourally relevant information. This process is facilitated by several prominent network oscillations, which coordinate the timing of neuronal population activity in the hippocampus and its associated neuronal circuits. In rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease, the core properties of theta and gamma oscillations are disrupted, interfering with memory encoding and retrieval processes. Additionally, sharp-wave ripples become weaker, impairing memory reactivation. Restoring these oscillatory activities to their normative state using closed-loop brain stimulation holds promise for alleviating the memory deficits associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Achieving this will require the development of approaches that can reliably modulate memory-related oscillations using approaches that can be implemented on human brain stimulation devices.
The overarching goal of this PhD studentship is to develop, optimise, and implement closed-loop stimulation strategies that can enhance the oscillatory neural activities underpinning memory processing. We can already amplify specific oscillatory patterns by delivering stimulation based on their instantaneous power and phase. However, to fully exploit these approaches, they should be applied during the specific behavioural states (e.g., exploration, rest, sleep) associated with each oscillatory activity. For translation into therapeutic applications, this state-dependent control must be fully automated and resilient to artefacts introduced by the stimulation itself. Where phase-targeted stimulation is used, the optimal phase for achieving a specific outcome parameter will also need to be determined automatically. The student project will focus on integrating these approaches into a unified framework and testing them in behaving rodents, in collaboration with other members of the research team.
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.
The studentship holder will receive training in the development and validation of closed-loop algorithms, and their implementation across a range of hardware platforms (e.g. FPGA, embedded processors). You will gain extensive skills in analysing neural data from behaving animals and will have the opportunity to develop expertise in performing high-density recordings in rodents performing cognitive tasks during electrical and/or optogenetic stimulation. As part of the wider team, you will also gain valuable insight into the development of neuromodulation approaches for clinical applications.
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 computer science, engineering or mathematics. Candidates with equivalent qualifications in biological/physical sciences or medicine and who can also demonstrate considerable programming experience will also be considered. Previous experience in neuroscience research is 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 Andrew Sharott by email on andrew.sharott@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 the state-dependent control of brain oscillations for enhancing memory. This studentship is available from the start of academic year 2026/27, is for 4 years, and will be co-supervised by Professor Andrew Sharott, Professor David Dupret and Professor Hayriye Cagnan at the MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Restorative Neural Dynamics.
Like other Groups at the MRC BNDU, we are committed to best practice in open research. We have created and curated a range of primary data, metadata and related resources that can be readily downloaded by external users from the MRC BNDU's Data Sharing Platform. We highlight below just a few examples of the datasets and other resources we have shared for the benefit of our stakeholders.
