Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

The University of Manchester

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  Investigating the genetic basis of immunological overlap between inflammatory diseases

  Mr Paul Martin, Prof Stephen Eyre, Prof Andrew Morris  Applications accepted all year round  Self-Funded PhD Students Only

About the Project

Genetic studies have identified numerous variants within the human genome associated with susceptibility to common complex inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Many of these lie near to immune-related genes and show extensive overlap between diseases. Recent single cell studies have identified molecularly distinct immune cell populations from disease relevant tissues which are associated with pathological inflammation. However, while the overlap of fibroblast sub-types has been explored, the extent of overlap between immune cell populations or their relevance to the genetic basis of the diseases has not.

This project aims to explore this overlap to identify shared states which could drive common inflammatory mechanisms within these diseases and to elucidate the genetic basis behind them. This will be achieved by integrating the wealth of publicly available single cell and bulk omics data to generate an annotated, shared resource across inflammatory diseases which has the potential to identify novel drug targets or inform the selection of existing therapies based on genetic risk.

PM will supervise training in single cell and bioinformatics analysis and interpreting results. SE will supervise training in RA epidemiology and literature reviewing and interpreting results. AM will providing training and support statistical analysis and interpreting results.

Training will be provided in the statistical approaches required to analyse the data available and the interpretation of the results. Specifically, in-house training courses in Epidemiology and statistical analysis are held annually. The successful applicant will join other students and research staff investigating the functional genomics, particularly the immunological aspects of these studies.

Entry Requirements

Candidates are expected to hold (or be about to obtain) a minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a related area / subject. Candidates with experience in bioinformatics and with an interest in immunology are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

For information on how to apply for this project, please visit the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Doctoral Academy website (https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/apply/). Informal enquiries may be made directly to the primary supervisor. On the online application form select the PhD Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. The full Equality, diversity and inclusion statement can be found on the website

https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/apply/equality-diversity-inclusion/

Biological Sciences (4) Mathematics (25)

Funding Notes

Applications are invited from self-funded students. This project has a Band 3 fee.
Details of our different fee bands can be found on our website https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/fees/

References

Ge, X., Frank-Bertoncelj, M., Klein, K., McGovern, A., Kuret, T., Houtman, M., Burja, B., Micheroli, R., Shi, C., Marks, M., Filer, A., Buckley, C. D., Orozco, G., Distler, O., Morris, A. P., Martin, P., Eyre, S., & Ospelt, C. (2021). Functional genomics atlas of synovial fibroblasts defining rheumatoid arthritis heritability. Genome Biology, 22(1), 247. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-021-02460-6
Korsunsky, I., Wei, K., Pohin, M., Kim, E. Y., Barone, F., Major, T., Taylor, E., Ravindran, R., Kemble, S., Watts, G. F. M., Jonsson, A. H., Jeong, Y., Athar, H., Windell, D., Kang, J. B., Friedrich, M., Turner, J., Nayar, S., Fisher, B. A., … Raychaudhuri, S. (2022). Cross-tissue, single-cell stromal atlas identifies shared pathological fibroblast phenotypes in four chronic inflammatory diseases. Med, 3(7), 481-518.e14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medj.2022.05.002

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Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Tackle real world challenges, make a difference, and elevate your career with postgraduate research in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at Manchester. From biochemistry to neuroscience, cancer sciences to medicine, audiology to mental health and everything in between, we offer a wide range of postgraduate research projects, programmes and funding which will allow you to immerse yourself in an area of research you’re passionate about.

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Ranked the best place to live in the UK (The Economist Global Liveability Index, 2022), Manchester boasts world-class culture, iconic sports, a thriving music and food scene, and much more. It's not just a place to research, it's a place to call home.

Experience PhD life as part of a diverse postgraduate research community of more than 1,000 postgraduate researchers at the 29th most international university in the world (Times Higher Education, 2023).

With 93% of research activity at the University rated as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (Research Excellence Framework, 2021), you'll get the chance to have an impact on global health and science challenges.

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About Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

At Manchester, postgraduate researchers are at the heart of our mission to tackle pressing global challenges in biological, medical and healthcare sciences - and you could be too.

By choosing Manchester for your postgraduate research, you’ll be joining a university with an exceptional research reputation, where 93% of research is world-leading or internationally excellent (REF, 2021) and where your work will have real-world impact.

You’ll research in world-class facilities alongside leading experts at the forefront of innovation, collaborating across disciplines to pioneer new treatments, advance scientific knowledge, and improve healthcare globally.

Supported by our dedicated Doctoral Academy and strong industry links, you'll experience PhD life in a vibrant, welcoming and diverse postgraduate research community.

And you’ll leave with the specialist knowledge, research experience and transferable skills that will shape your future in academia, research or industry.





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