A role for epigenetic changes in Dementia with lewy bodies, Neuroscience, Epigenetics – MPhil/PhD (Funded)

Supervisors
Professor Katie Lunnon, University of Exeter
https://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/people/profile/index.php?web_id=Katie_Lunnon
Dr Ehsan Pishva, University of Exeter
https://www.epigenomicslab.com/ehsan-pishva/
Professor Jonathan Mill, University of Exeter
https://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/people/profile/index.php?web_id=Jonathan_Mill

The University of Exeter’s Medical School is inviting applications for a fully-funded PhD studentship from The Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust to commence in January 2019, or as soon as possible thereafter. For eligible students the studentship will cover UK/EU tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £14,777 for 3.5 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in the Complex Disease Epigenomics group at RILD in the Medical School at the RD&E Hospital in Exeter, https://www.epigenomicslab.com/

The University of Exeter Medical School is seeking to attract a PhD candidate of outstanding ability to join their exciting and rapidly expanding programme of internationally rated research, in a Charles Woldson Charitable Trust funded PhD studentship. The successful applicant would join the Dementia and Neurodegeneration research theme within the Complex Disease Epigenomics group, working under the supervision of Prof Katie Lunnon, Dr Ehsan Pishva and Prof Jonathan Mill, and would investigate the role of epigenetic changes in Dementia with lewy bodies (DLB). DLB is characterised by the accumulation of aggregates of a protein called a-synuclein, forming Lewy bodies (LBs) in specific populations of neurons in the brain. DLB is a complex disease and it is believed that both genetic and environmental factors can alter a person’s risk. Epigenetic mechanisms are one way in which genes and the environment interact. We have recently shown a number of robust epigenetic changes in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) donors, and we would now like to extend our studies to investigate whether similar changes occur in DLB. This project will initially use microarray or sequencing based technology to profile genome-wide epigenetic changes in post-mortem brain samples, before using a range of other molecular biology techniques, such as quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and/or pyrosequencing to follow up interesting loci. The student will be responsible for generating both the epigenomic data in the laboratory, as well as performing the bioinformatic analyses on the data, with full training provided in all aspects of the project as required.

This award provides annual funding to cover UK/EU tuition fees and a tax-free stipend. For students who pay UK/EU tuition fees the award will cover the tuition fees in full, plus at least £14,777 per year tax-free stipend. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply, but should note that the award will only provide payment for part of the international tuition fee and no stipend.

The studentship will be awarded on the basis of merit for 3.5 years of full-time study to commence in January 2019, although there is the possibility for an earlier or later start date, depending on the student’s circumstances.