How Does Insulin Modulate Inflammation?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of worldwide mortality. Insulin is widely recognised as an anabolic hormone which plays a significant role in glucose and lipid metabolism.

However, insulin is now established to play a role in inflammatory responses - which may affect the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes and the main pathology underlying cardiovascular disease: atherosclerosis.

The mechanisms of how insulin affects blood glucose has been well studied. However, how insulin regulates inflammation and how dysregulated insulin levels in cardiometabolic disease may affect cardiovascular disease development are largely understudied and remain unclear.

The aim of this PhD studentship will be to explore insulin signaling in macrophages.

Approach: This project will involve mice, human samples and cell lines, incorporating a range of techniques including but not limited to: Genotyping, dissections, immunohistochemistry, histology, RT-qPCR, RNA Seq+ data analysis, cell line and primary cell culture, PCR, Western blotting, in vitro functional assays.

The project relies on the use of mice and therefore the candidate may need to acquire a Personal Home Office licence (training will be provided) and be willing to work with experimental mouse models of cardiometabolic disease.