Immunosenescence in cardiovascular disease
Qualification: PhD
Department: Cardiovascular Sciences
Application deadline: 7 June 2024
Start date: 23 September 2024
Overview
Supervisors
- Professor Gavin Murphy (gjm19@le.ac.uk)
- Dr Shameem Ladak (ssl17@le.ac.uk )
- Dr Veryan Codd (vc15@le.ac.uk)
Project description
Having heart surgery can come with some risks, such as organ injury. If patients have two or more long-term health issues (e.g. diabetes, cancer, etc.), their risk is increased. Therefore, it is an international research priority to identify the underlying pathways that make people with two or more long term health conditions susceptible to external stressors (e.g. infection, trauma, or surgery).
In our previous work, we’ve identified innate immune system activation and homeostatic inflammation in people with less severe chronic diseases, and T cell exhaustion, dysregulated tissue resident macrophage activity, and dedifferentiated cardiomyocytes in people with more severe disease. People in the latter group experience more severe organ injury, and slower recovery post-surgery.
We therefore aim to further explore this by identifying underlying processes and biomarkers that will allow development of accurate diagnostic tests to reverse or prevent risk with targeted treatments.
The aim of this project will be to use high precision -omics such a single cell RNA sequencing to simultaneously characterise bone marrow progenitor cells and heart cells collected from patients undergoing surgery. Data obtained from these experiments will be analysed through bioinformatics analysis methods to identify molecular signatures that can be measured by diagnostic tests, and/or druggable targets for new treatments. The identified targets/ processes will be validated using RNAScope in situ hybridisation, qRT-PCR, western blotting and ELISA amongst other molecular biology techniques.
The aim of the studentship is to develop familiarity with the most modern research techniques, and skill sets of value to world class research groups as future early career researchers.
Funding
Funding
College of Life Sciences Studentship
- 3 year UK tuition fees
- 3 year stipend at UKRI rates currently £19,237 per year (2024/25)
International applicants are welcome to apply but must be able to demonstrate they can fund the difference between UK and overseas fees for the duration of their study. This will amount to £18,864 per year of study (2024/25).
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Applicants are required to hold/or expect to obtain a UK Bachelor Degree 2:1 or better in a relevant subject or overseas equivalent. The degree needs to be within the broad field of biological sciences.
The University of Leicester English language requirements apply.
Informal enquiries
Informal enquiries
- Project enquiries to Professor Gavin Murphy (gjm19@le.ac.uk)
- Please email enquiries to cvspgr@le.ac.uk
How to apply
How to apply
To apply, please use the Apply button at the bottom of the page and select September 2024 from the dropdown menu.
With your application, please include:
- CV
- Personal statement explaining your interest in the project, your experience and why we should consider you
- Degree certificates and transcripts of study already completed and if possible transcript to date of study currently being undertaken
- Evidence of English language proficiency if applicable
- In the reference section please enter the contact details of your two academic referees in the boxes provided or upload letters of reference if already available
- In the funding section please specify that you wish to be considered for the CVS Murphy
- In the proposal section please provide the name of the project supervisors and project title you want to be considered for. (we do not require a proposal).
Eligibility
Eligibility
UK and International applicants can apply.
International applicants please refer to the funding section before applying.
*EU applicants who hold EU settled or EU pre-settled status please provide PGR Admissions with a share code (the one that starts with S) so we can verify your fee status email to pgradmissions@le.ac.uk. Please include your PhD application number.
