Faculty: Science and Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Flavia Cardini ([email protected]); Dr Elena Sakkalou ([email protected])
Location: Cambridge
Match-funded by: The London PANS Clinic and Research Centre
Apply online by 8 February 2026We strongly recommend contacting the supervisors for this project for a discussion prior to applying.
Applications are invited for a 3.5-year, fully-funded PhD in Psychology. The studentship represents an exciting partnership between ARU and the London PANS Clinic. The successful candidate will be a member of ARU’s Centre for Better Living and the London PANS Clinic Research Centre, will be supervised by Dr Flavia Cardini and Dr Elena Sakkalou, and will collaborate with Dr Tim Ubhi, Founder of The Children's e-Hospital and The London PANS Clinic and Research Centre.
Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS), is a clinical diagnosis given to children who present with a dramatic – sometimes overnight – onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms including obsessions/compulsions and tics, food restriction, uncontrollable emotions, irritability, anxiety and loss of academic ability (Swedo, 2002; Swedo et al., 1998). Its etiology has been identified in a streptococcus infection. The hypothesised etiopathogenetic mechanism underlying PANDAS is an autoimmune response targeting various subcortical areas, such as the basal ganglia, the thalamus and limbic structures (Zheng et al., 2020), eventually altering their functionality.
In the last 30 years, PANDAS has been the focus of considerable research, with some controversy regarding the diagnostic criterion and the effectiveness of suggested treatments. Results on successful relief from symptoms via different medications have been inconsistent and new therapies have been suggested (Monarch and Foss 2025, Han 2025). In particular, antibiotics and immune modulation have been proposed as potential effective treatments, but so far, no randomised controlled trials with adequate follow-up assessments have been conducted.
The proposed project is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a two-week antibiotic treatment with children diagnosed with PANDAS. A longitudinal randomised placebo controlled trial with a gold-standard crossover design will be conducted where electrophysiological, electromyographical, pupillometric, psychometric and behavioural assessment will be performed.
The successful candidate will have:
The project will be conducted at The London PANS Clinic and Research Centre where we value commitment to rigor, support and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Apply online by 8 February 2026The successful applicant for this project will receive a Vice Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship which covers the tuition fees and provides a UKRI equivalent minimum annual stipend for 3.5 years. For 2025/6 this was £20,780 per year. The award is subject to the successful candidate meeting the scholarship terms and conditions. Please note that the University asserts the right to claim any intellectual property generated by research it funds.