Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of Motor Neuron Disease and is a fatal neurological disorder with death generally occurring within 2–4 years from disease onset, although 5–10% of ALS patients survive over 10 years. The progression of ALS is characterised by the degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons (MNs) in the brain and spinal cord, although the cause of MN cell death is not yet understood. Some hypotheses implicate adjacent non-neuronal cells, astrocytes, in their pathology. These cells are responsible for maintaining an ideal environment for the MNs, including removing excitotoxic neurotransmitters and ions from their surrounding space; failure to do this can contribute to neuronal oxidative stress and death. Furthermore, there are numerous different metabolic pathways connecting astrocytes and MNs, which are disturbed in ALS. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in MN death will better improve therapeutic targets and treatment of ALS.
Within this PhD, the candidate will explore several different disciplines including neuroscience, physics, and cell biology to develop a computational biophysical model which will help our understanding of the pathway to MN death in ALS. The candidate will consider the environment of the MN neurons, including glutamate pathways, surrounding astrocytes and the movement of ions, integral to proper neuronal function. The candidate will work closely with experimental neuroscientists to validate their model in vitro, to help further our understanding of the disease and offer insights into treatment development.
The PhD candidate will be based at the Magee campus of Ulster University, rated in the UK’s Top Ten Research Schools. They will be supported by a team of academic staff, postdoctoral researchers, and fellow PhD candidates within the ISRC, ranked 2nd for the Best PhD Experience. The candidate will have an opportunity to learn new skills in their development of computational models and in involvement in in vitro experiments, which will broaden their experience for their future career.
Continue with Facebook
