Project summary:
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a common chronic inflammatory condition affecting the joints and musculoskeletal system. PsA is characterized by considerable clinical heterogeneity, making the disease difficult to assess in routine clinical practice. Treatments are focused on controlling inflammation in affected joints, however patient responses to these treatments are varied and unpredictable. Therefore, there is a need for biomarkers that stratify patients according to their molecular endotypes and predict treatment response. There is increasing evidence that PsA has a significant metabolic component and that metabolite signatures may be key in chronic inflammatory conditions. In this project, advanced metabolomic strategies will be used to correlate the biochemical changes in blood and urine samples from PsA patients with clinical phenotype and response to therapeutic interventions. The student will obtain practical experience of processing of liquid biopsy samples and high-resolution liquid chromatographymass spectrometry as well as becoming proficient in the bioinformatic and statistical interrogation of metabolomic data sets. The project ties into a large project focused on defining molecular changes in PsA (HIPPOCRATES Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Consortium www.hippocrates-imi.eu/) and offers the potential to develop tools for improving prognostic evaluation and directing treatment decisions under the supervision of experts in the field.
About the Programme
This MRC programme is joint between the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. You will be registered at the host institution of the primary supervisor detailed in your project selection.
All applications should be made via the University of Edinburgh, irrespective of project location. For those applying to a University of Glasgow project, your application along with any supporting documents will be shared with University of Glasgow.
How to Apply: https://www.gla.ac.uk/colleges/mvls/graduateschool/mrcdtpprecisionmedicine/howtoapply/
Please note, you must apply to one of the projects and you must contact the primary supervisor prior to making your application. Additional information on the application process is available here: http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/degrees/index.php?r=site/view&id=919
For more information about Precision Medicine visit:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/usher/precision-medicine
Application Enquiries
Alexis Merry
[Email Address Removed]
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