Opportunities

Applications from suitably qualified individuals are invited for a full-time Master’s (starting January 2027) in Neuroscience and Stem Cell Biology. Laboratory work will take place in the Goolam Laboratory, supervised by Dr Rebecca Casterton in the Department of Human Biology at the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town and under the Neuroscience Institute.

The MPhil in Intellectual Disability aims to contribute to knowledge generation and translation in the field of intellectual disability in South Africa and Africa. Areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to self-advocacy and self-determination, community inclusion, evaluating and improving public service provision and promoting the health and wellbeing of people with Intellectual Disability.

The degree does not lead to a professional qualification that can be registered with a professional body but rather aims to enhance students’ knowledge and research skills in the field of Intellectual Disability. 

Prospective students should have an approved professional health degree/profession (e.g., medical doctor, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech-language therapist, nurse, social worker, registered counsellor, psychologist) and be registered with the appropriate professional body as a practitioner.

Course outline: The degree is offered as either a two-year fulltime or 3-year part-time research degree comprised of coursework and a dissertation:

Research supervisors are jointly appointed mental health practitioners in the WC Department of Health and the Division of Intellectual Disability, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UCT. Supervisors will offer supervision and support aimed at assisting students to master the research process (finalising their research proposals, gaining ethics approval for the research, gathering and analysing data for their research, writing up and submitting their dissertations). 

Further details of the course and course assessments can be obtained from the UCT Health Sciences (postgraduate) Student Handbook which can be found at https://uct.ac.za/students/study-uct-handbooks/handbooks

Applications must be made online. A guide for submitting your application is available at https://uct.ac.za/postgraduate-hub/apply-uct/application-process

Prof Sharon Kleintjes can be contacted via email for queries related to the degree at sr.kleintjes@uct.ac.za. Please use the subject heading “MPhil Application 2027” for your query.

We are looking for a motivated PhD student to join the Psychiatric Genetics Group within the Centre for Brain-Behaviour at the UCT Neuroscience Institute. The PhD candidate will be supervised by Dr Megan Campbell in the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The successful candidate will be supported by grants awarded to Dr Campbell. A stipendwill be offered and continuation after the first year will be contingent on satisfactory academic progress.

Research scope

The doctoral project will align with key research priorities within psychiatric genomics. The successful candidate will conduct large-scale genomic analyses, statistical genetics, or computational genomics, with a dedicated focus on developing and applying analytical methodologies optimised for diverse and admixed populations.

Position Details & Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will receive specialised training tailored to the technical scope of the project. In addition to primary research activities, the candidate will be expected to contribute to broader project operations, including community engagement initiatives.

Start Date

This scholarship is tenable from early 2027.

Requirements

We particularly encourage applications from students with a background or strong interest in genetics, bioinformatics, neuroscience, or related disciplines. Experience working with large datasets, as well as experience working in R and Python and utilizing command line tools, would be beneficial. Applicants should have strong analytical and writing skills.

Application procedure

Submit your application as a single consolidated PDF file via email to bronwyn.malagas@uct.ac.za. Ensure the subject line clearly states: "PhD Application". The application must include:

• A cover letter, outlining your research interests and alignment with the group's research directions.

• A full curriculum vitae.

• The names and contact details of two academic referees.

The Master of Neuroscience degree is UCT’s most interdisciplinary offering to date and was conceptualized to meet the growing interest in Neuroscience from students who have trained in completely different fields. 

It is currently the only degree of its kind in the country.

We hope to use it as a bridging degree to prepare students from various backgrounds (e.g. Engineering, Math, CompSci, Humanities etc) to pursue their doctorate in Neuroscience.

If you've developed a fascination with all things neuro and dream of doing a doctorate in neuroscience then take note, this programme was designed for you!

Eligibility requirements: Any four-year degree - Honours or in the case of Engineering/Medicine - an undergraduate degree

Applications for the 2027 intake are currently open and close at the end of September 2026. 

More info in the PDF.

An INFO WEBINAR will be held to discuss the programme structure, who it is suited to, and the application process.

🗓️ Date: Thursday, 10th September 2026
⏰ Time: 14h00–15h30
✏️ RSVP here
💻 MS Teams webinar link

Questions? Please email  mneurosc.ni@gmail.com

We will respond as quickly as we are able to - but please make sure to read the attached doc and webpage carefully FIRST!