T cell immune modulation during severe bacterial infection


   Cardiff School of Medicine

  , ,  Monday, November 04, 2024  Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

About the Project

Summary

There is no licenced vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus which produces life-threatening bloodstream infections ("bacteraemia") and has evolved antibiotic-resistant strains. However, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells can combat certain antibiotic-resistant bacteria, positioning them as ideal targets for new vaccines. The student will examine how MAIT cell responses against Staphylococcus aureus are affected by the bacterium during bacteraemia.

The GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP is offering up to 21 funded studentships across a range of biomedical disciplines, with a start date of October 2025.

These four-year studentships provide funding for fees and stipend at the rate set by the UK Research Councils, as well as other research training and support costs, and are available to UK and International students.

About the GW4 BioMed2 Doctoral Training Partnership

The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff (lead) and Exeter to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers. Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities, with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary and 'team science'. The DTP has already awarded over 90 studentships across 6 cohorts in its first phase, along with 58 students over 3 cohorts in its second phase.

The 120 projects available for application, are aligned to the following themes;

  • Infection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Repair
  • Neuroscience and Mental Health
  • Population Health Sciences

Applications open on Monday 4th September 2024 and close at 5.00pm on Monday 4th November 2024.

Studentships will be 4 years full time. Part time study may also be available.

Eligibility

Residency: The GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP studentships are available to UK and International applicants. Following Brexit, the UKRI now classifies EU students as international unless they have rights under the EU Settlement Scheme. The GW4 partners have agreed to cover the difference in costs between home and international tuition fees. This means that international candidates will not be expected to cover this cost and will be fully funded but need to be aware that they will be required to cover the cost of their student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD. All studentships will be competitively awarded and there is a limit to the number of International students that we can accept into our programme (up to 30% cap across our partners per annum).

Academic criteria: Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences, computing, mathematics or the physical sciences. Applicants with a lower second class will only be considered if they also have a Master’s degree. Please check the entry requirements of the home institution for each project of interest before completing an application. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.

English requirements: If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements of the university that will host your PhD by the start of the programme. Please refer to the relevant university website for further information.

How to Apply

A list of all the projects and how to apply is available on the DTP’s website at gw4biomed.ac.uk. You may apply for up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only.

Please complete an application to the GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP for an ‘offer of funding’. If successful, you will also need to make an application for an 'offer to study' to your chosen institution.

Please complete the online application form linked from the DTP’s website by 5.00pm on Monday, 4th November 2024. If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be notified from Friday, 20th December 2024. Interviews will be held virtually on 23rd and 24th January 2025. Studentships will start on 1st October 2025.

Further Information

For informal enquiries, please contact

For project related queries, please contact the respective supervisors listed on the project descriptions on the DTP’s website. 

Medicine (26)

Funding Notes

This studentship is funded through GW4BioMed2 MRC Doctoral Training Partnership. It consists of UK tuition fees, as well as a Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£19, 237 p.a. for 2024/25, updated each year).

Additional research training and support funding of up to £5,000 per annum is also available.


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