Department of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Department of Physiology, University of Otago PhD Scholarships available ($25,000 stipend plus tuition fees for three years)

PhD opportunities exist in our internationally-recognised research programmes in the areas of Cardiovascular & Respiratory Physiology, Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience and Membrane & Ion Transport. You will have the opportunity to use state-of-the-art equipment and technologies to undertake integrative, cellular and molecular investigations aimed at understanding animal and human physiology. Some of these techniques include mouse and rat transgenics, patch-clamp electrophysiology, optogenetics, animal models of disease, genetic modulation of the heart, tissue engineering and confocal and multiphoton microscopy. We have one of the few multiphoton microscopes in the world which allows our researchers to view living brain cells for the first time.

Whilst applications to undertake a PhD are welcome at any time, applications for our Departmental Scholarship round close on Monday 4 September. Candidates can be of any nationality and must have attained an excellent degree in biomedical science or closely related subject.

We have a huge range of exciting research being undertaken in the Department of Physiology – the following projects are available:

Membrane & Ion Transport

• Dysregulated signalling in pancreatic ß-cells under hyperuricemic conditions - the cause for the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus?
• Hyperuricemia as a driver for the onset of cancer
• The role of the Exocyst complex in trafficking ion channels in polarised epithelia
• Epithelial sodium channel as a target in breast cancer
• Does retromer control epithelial polarity and ion channel delivery to the cell surface?

Cellular & Molecular Neurophysiology

• Central regulation of pregnancy

Cardiovascular & Respiratory Physiology

• Novel approaches for treating cardiovascular disease
• Identifying the best source of stem cells for the regeneration of diseased heart

To see more detailed information about the projects available and the application process (currently there are 8 projects being advertised), refer to the following website and send the documents listed to the supervisor(s) with whom you wish to work.

If you have any questions, please contact our Departmental Administrator at physiology@otago.ac.nz