About the Project
A 3-year full-time PhD studentship is available at the Division of Biotherapeutics, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), in collaboration with the Division of Medicine, University College London (UCL). The studentship is anticipated to commence on 1st October 2019.
NIBSC, the Centre of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), is a global leader in the characterisation, standardisation and control of biological medicines and has a major role in protecting and improving public health worldwide. NIBSC is the leading WHO International Laboratory for Biological Standardisation and is responsible for producing and distributing over 90% of all WHO International Standards introduced for the quality assurance of biological medicines. NIBSC scientists also test products, carry out valuable research and provide advice on a routine basis and in response to emergencies. The importance of the Institute’s work is well recognised nationally and internationally.
The Division of Biotherapeutics
The Division of Biotherapeutics is a central element of NIBSC, covering a wide range of biological medicines used in treatment or diagnosis of diseases, and is internationally recognised. It establishes and provides primary standards and undertakes monitoring of therapeutic biologics. This is underpinned by cutting-edge research, carried out by highly skilled and motivated expert scientists and staff, supported by the Institute’s modern equipment.
UCL is one of the world’s leading multi-disciplinary universities and operates in a global context. UCL is committed to excellence, innovation and the promotion of global understanding in its activities: research, teaching, learning, enterprise and community engagement. UCL’s distinctive approach to research, education and innovation inspires the staff, students and partners to transform how the world is understood, how knowledge is created and shared and the way that global problems are solved.
The Division of Medicine
The Division of Medicine, part of Medical Sciences Faculty UCL, brings together clinical and basic scientists undertaking world-leading interdisciplinary research, teaching and patient-care. Its aims are to understand the basis of disease, and to develop better diagnostics and treatments for diseases with an emphasis on Experimental Medicine. This is achieved through world-leading research in Medicine and Biological Sciences and PhD courses which attract the best students from all over the world.
Project Description
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) are leading causes of blindness in elderly and working-age populations worldwide, representing significant challenges for global public health. Excessive new blood vessels, which arise from pre-existing ones in the process of angiogenesis, produce fluid leakage in the macula underlying the progression of these eye diseases. In both AMD and DME, the abnormal angiogenesis is predominantly driven by overexpressed vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a pivotal regulator of angiogenesis and vascular permeability. Consequently, anti-VEGF drugs including monoclonal antibodies, ranibizumab and bevacizumab (off-label use), have revolutionized the treatment of AMD and DME. Despite favourable clinical results, a proportion of patients develop resistance towards anti-VEGF agents, and the mechanisms for this have not been defined.
The hypothesise of this PhD project is that anti-VEGF treatment can cause the switch to VEGF-independent signalling and metabolic reprogramming in intraocular cells, which in turn potentially bypasses VEGF blockade and promotes resistance to VEGF antagonism responsible for recurrence of intraocular neovascular diseases. The aim of the project will be to investigate (1) whether anti-VEGF drugs influence the biological activities and metabolic profiles of cultured human intraocular cells in the key interest areas including the expression and function of neuropilin-1, a co-receptor for VEGF and other ligands, glycolytic metabolism and insulin signalling, and (2) how the drug-induced alterations of molecules of interest regulate angiogenesis and blood-retinal barrier function in-vitro and affect anti-VEGF efficacy to gain an in-depth understanding of their mechanisms of action.
The student will be a motivated individual with a keen interest in undertaking research in the field of pathological angiogenesis-related diseases. The student will have a first or upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant discipline from a recognised higher education institution.
For further details of the project, essential requirements for study and details on how to apply, see
https://nibsc.org/about_us/careers_and_vacancies/phd_studentships.aspx
Closing date for applications: 5 pm 11th Feb 2019