Exciting Ph.D. Opportunities Available in Infectious Diseases and Global Health

The Institute of Infection and Global Health is currently offering fully funded PhD studentships to UK and other EU candidates for PhD projects. Stipend £13,726pa. The veterinary stipend rate for 2013/14 is £21,180pa

Short-listed applicants - Projects are due to start in September/October 2014. Interviews will take place in February 2014 and the closing date for applications is Friday 31st January 2014.

Why Liverpool?

Research environment
With its international standing and long tradition in infection and tropical medicine, the University of Liverpool is the natural home for a research institute dedicated to infectious disease and global health. We have 101 full-time academic staff, including 21 professors, as well as 39 professional services staff and 119 research students, all working to further the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of todays prevalent and emerging infectious and non-communicable diseases.

Liverpool and surroundings
Architecturally Liverpool has the largest concentration of Grade I and Grade II listed buildings of high architectural value outside of London. Recently its waterfront and the historic city area were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Liverpool contains a remarkable collection of art galleries, museums and theatres. Our city also has a rich variety of historic pubs, night clubs and restaurants. Liverpool is an excellent place for those who like parks and botanic gardens. It is also close to two impressive national parks – Lake District and Snowdonia National Park

BBSRC Studentships (1 year MRes plus 3 year PhD starting September 2014)

• Sequencing, annotation and analysis of the genome of Besnoitia besnoiti - an emerging parasite of European livestock (Professor Jonathan Wastling)
• A new generation of in vitro models for enteric infections of food producing animals (Professor Jonathan Wastling)
• Is Giardiasis a zoonosis? (Professor Jonathan Wastling)
• Combating the effects of Global Change on Bovine Lungworm Infections (Dr Jan Van Dijk)
• Improved diagnosis of liver fluke infection in sheep and cattle in the UK (Professor Diana Williams)
• Intra-flock transmission dynamics of Campylobacter species in commercial broilers (Dr Nicola Williams)
• Minimising the impacts of bTB on farm production (Dr Robert Christley)
• The role of the chicken in transmission of invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella infections (Dr Paul Wigley)
• The role of Acanthamoebae in the transmission of bovine paratuberculosis among dairy cattle (Dr Andrew Jackson)
• Role of endosymbiotic bacteria in vectors of Schmallenberg and bluetongue viruses (Professor Matthew Baylis)

IGH Studentships (3 year PhD starting October 2014)

• Characterisation of the interferon induction pathway targets of rotavirus NSP1 using NSP1 genes from rotaviruses isolated from different mammalian species (Dr Miren Iturriza-Gomara)
• The burden of Group A Streptococcal disease in Africa. Understanding disease pathogenesis through genomics and in vivo modelling (Dr Dean Everett)
• Real-time identification of bacterial infection and antibiotic resistance sequences (Professor Cheng-Hock Toh)
• HIV treatment strategies for Africa (Professor Anna Maria Geretti)
• Measuring childhood rotavirus and influenza vaccination effectiveness (Professor Neil French)
• The role of environmental amoebae in the epidemiology of bovine paratuberculosis (Dr Philip H Jones)
• Examining adjunctive therapies for treatment of Herpes Simplex virus encephalitis using human models (Dr Michael Griffiths)

How to apply

Please visit our website for further information on our Studentships and to download an application form www.liv.ac.uk/infection-and-global-health/postgraduate/phd-studentships/

Applications should be emailed to Laura Hand (l.c.hand@liv.ac.uk) along with your CV and covering letter stating why you want to study for a PhD, why you believe that you are suitable and why you have chosen the project/s in no more than 400 words.