Funded PhD SWBio DTP- CircadiAgeing: Clock excitability, circadian rhythms and healthy ageing

Project description

24 hour/circadian rhythms are essential for all lifeforms, allowing physiology and behaviour to be optimally aligned to light/dark cycles. Our health and wellbeing depend on appropriately timed circadian rhythms with disruption contributing to ageing and disease. Furthermore, our population is getting older having wider medical and socioeconomic consequences with ageing dampening daily rhythms in physiology and behaviour causing poor health in the elderly. About half of elderly population experience chronic circadian and sleep disturbances with neurodegenerative diseases causing more pronounced circadian deficits, with poor sleep contributing to disease pathology.

The Nobel prize was awarded to Drosophila researchers determining the fundamental mechanisms of circadian rhythms conserved from flies to humans. This molecular clock consists of clock genes which are rhythmically expressed in clock neurons controlling the circadian expression of genes encoding ion channels/receptors that drive daily changes in electrical activity. This membrane clock is vital for synchronising the molecular clock in different clock cells and communicating time of-day information to the rest of the brain and body. The molecular clock is well understood, but there is a lack of research on the membrane clock. You will help address this crucial knowledge gap and the effect of ageing on both clocks.

The hypothesis you will help test is the membrane and molecular clock become synergistically weaker during the lifespan compromising circadian rhythms and the individual’s health during ageing. This predicts that disrupted molecular and membrane clocks significantly contribute to ageing. You will help determine the conserved components and mechanisms of the membrane clock and how it ages (Fig.1) by defining:

1) The role of clock neuron excitability in circadian rhythms.

2) The mechanism of the membrane clock and effect of ageing.

3) The relationship between the membrane and molecular clocks.

4) How known ageing signalling pathways interact with the molecular and membrane clock.

5) If interventions designed to reverse age-dependent decline in the molecular and membrane clock promote healthy ageing.

Deciphering the membrane clock is important because it is composed of receptors and channels which are the first and third biggest targets for therapeutic drugs, thereby generating knowledge facilitating the development of chronotherapies for ageing.

In contrast to previous studies that are limited to certain aspects of the clocks, you will help address how the clock works as a whole spanning multiple levels from mathematical models to whole organisms across their lifetime, thereby identifying evolutionary conserved interventions to rejuvenate rhythms improving health during ageing.

Our aim as the SWBio DTP is to support students from a range of backgrounds and circumstances. Where needed, we will work with you to take into consideration reasonable project adaptations (for example to support caring responsibilities, disabilities, other significant personal circumstances) as well as flexible working and part-time study requests, to enable greater access to a PhD. All our supervisors support us with this aim, so please feel comfortable in discussing further with the listed PhD project supervisor to see what is feasible.

About 

The BBSRC-funded SWBio DTP involves a partnership of world-renown universities, research institutes and industry, based mainly across the Southwest and Wales. 

This partnership has established international, national and regional scientific networks, and widely recognised research excellence and facilities. 

We aim to provide you with outstanding interdisciplinary bioscience research training, underpinned by transformative technologies. 

Programme Overview  

Up to 34 fully funded 4-year PhD studentships* available to start in September 2025, across a wide range of bioscience disciplines.  

Please read more about the SWBio DTP structured training programme here. 

To view projects available, visit the SWBio DTP website. 

How to apply  

Using the University of Bristol application portal: Start your application | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol and select the programme “South West Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership (PhD)”. You can select any of the entry points, applying to up to 3 projects, although the start date will be in September 2025. 

The application deadline is 11:59 pm on 11/12/2024. 

You can find more information at the link: How to apply – SWBiosciences Doctoral Training Partnership, selecting “University of Bristol”.  

If you have any questions on the scheme, you are welcome to contact Sue Summerill (Graduate Administration Manager, Faculty of Life Sciences) with any questions - [Email Address Removed] 

For project-related enquiries, please contact the project supervisor.