Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

The University of Manchester

  The role of Human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein polymorphisms in disease pathogenesis

  ,  Applications accepted all year round  Self-Funded PhD Students Only

About the Project

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) produces asymptomatic infection in most immunocompetent individuals but thereafter establishes life-long infection with periodic reactivation and asymptomatic shedding. However, during pregnancy, the virus can cross the placenta to infect the fetus following primary or reactivated infection in the mother. Congenital HCMV infection of the fetus (cCMV) is the most common congenital infection affecting 0.2 - 2.2% of all live births. There are three possible outcomes: 10-15% of infants are born with severe disease evident at birth and have a poor prognosis; 85-90% are born asymptomatic, but 10-15% of these asymptomatic babies develop late sequelae most common among which is sensorineural hearing loss; the remaining babies develop normally without sequelae. There is currently no way to predict which of the asymptomatic babies will go on to develop sequelae making it difficult to justify a universal newborn screening programme for cCMV as most babies who would test positive in such a programme would remain healthy. 

Work in our laboratory has examined the role of the major envelope glycoproteins of cytomegalovirus which are known to be highly polymorphic. Current understanding of their role in disease pathogenesis is limited and various studies have produced contradictory results. If particular glycoprotein types or combinations of types could be shown to have a role in altering disease outcome, there is potential to identify a viral biomarker for asymptomatic infection likely to progress to late onset sequelae and provide justification for a universal screening programme. 

Using viral BAC constructs we will substitute different glycoprotein types into the Merlin strain of the virus (which is closest to wild-type) to assess the effect of altering the glycoproteins on the virus characteristics such as growth rate, cell tropism and ability to induce an immune response. This will help to elucidate the role of glycoproteins in disease outcome.

Eligibility 

Applicants must have obtained or be about to obtain a First or Upper Second class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in a biological discipline including Biology, Neuroscience and allied fields, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology. Applicants with experience in basic molecular techniques and an interest in neurodevelopment are encouraged to apply.

Before you Apply 

Applicants must make direct contact with preferred supervisors before applying. It is your responsibility to make arrangements to meet with potential supervisors, prior to submitting a formal online application.  

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 appropriate subject title - PhD Neuroscience.

For international students, we also offer a unique 4 year PhD programme that gives you the opportunity to undertake an accredited Teaching Certificate whilst carrying out an independent research project across a range of biological, medical and health sciences. For more information please visit https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/international-phd/

Your application form must be accompanied by a number of supporting documents by the advertised deadlines. Without all the required documents submitted at the time of application, your application will not be processed and we cannot accept responsibility for late or missed deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you have any queries regarding making an application please contact our admissions team   

Equality, Diversity and 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)

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 here: View Website

Open Days


Register your interest for this project



Where will I study?

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.

Why study at Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health?

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.

1000+

postgraduate students

220

PhDs

6

ranked in UK - QS (2025)

Manchester  United Kingdom

main campus

Upcoming Open Days & Webinars


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.





Main campus

The University of Manchester

Manchester

North West

United Kingdom

PhD saved sucessfully

(International Partnership Studentship) Using white matter network alterations relating to stroke risk to predict cognitive and health outcomes

The project aims to investigate how age-related changes in brain white matter impact upon cognitive and health outcomes. Using advanced software and MRI data from the UK Biobank, the researchers will create effective cross-sectional and longitudinal models of how white matter abnormalities predict cognitive function. Read more
More details

(MB-PhD) Gene regulatory networks driving metastatic progression in oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) incidence is increasing and yet survival rates remain very poor. There are limited treatment options, especially for metastatic disease, which is especially problematic as patients usually present with late stage disease. Read more
More details

(MB-PhD) MYST Histone Acetyltransferases as Therapeutic Targets in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Cytotoxic chemotherapy has been the standard of care for treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) for the last 50 years. Unfortunately, more often than not, it fails to cure patients, and the 5 years survival rate for all-comers with AML is only around 20%. Read more
More details

(MB-PhD)Immunomodulation in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a devastating B-cell malignancy for which there is no cure. The development of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) has proved transformative to multiple myeloma care, however, their remain unanswered questions related to the mechanism of action of this important drug class. Read more
More details

(MRC DTP CASE) Developing a cortical organoid model of genetic autism to understand early brain development

Neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and ADHD affect 4-8% of the paediatric population. These conditions present in the preschool period, are highly heritable and can severely affect quality of life, academic and occupational functioning. Read more
More details

(MRC DTP CASE) Drug Binding on human G-Protein Coupled Receptors under Tension-Altered Biomechanics in Diseases

Integral membrane proteins (MPs) constitute a significant part of the genome and are targets of ~30% of therapeutics. However, structural and functional understanding of these proteins often lags behind that of their soluble counterparts. Read more
More details

(MRC DTP) Circadian mechanisms in psoriasis: translating genomic and computational analysis to clinical care.

Despite numerous lines of evidence supporting a role for the circadian clock regulating multiple immunological axes, the dominant cell type driving rhythmic disease expression in psoriasis remains undetermined and there has been no progress on time-of-day regulation of psoriasis. Read more
More details

(MRC DTP) Combinatorial targeting of multiple disease mechanisms in drug-resistant epilepsy using microRNA inhibitors

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases, affecting ~70 million people worldwide. Epilepsy is characterised by susceptibility to spontaneous seizures, and can also include challenges with cognition, sleep and mental health. Read more
More details

(MRC DTP) Controlling G-protein coupled receptors to understand and treat obesity

The socioeconomic burden of obesity is ever increasing. Therefore, deciphering the neural substrates that control energy intake, expenditure and partitioning is an important step to developing novel treatments to reduce obesity rates. Read more
More details

(MRC DTP) Decoding the Brain-Immune Axis: Neuronal Circuitry and Metabolic Impact on Immune Responses

The immune system's response is intricately linked to nutritional status, with fasting and caloric restriction reducing inflammatory damage and extreme dietary perturbations increasing susceptibility to infection and inflammatory disorders. Read more