Blood stem cells are used for treating patients whose bone marrow is no longer able to produce healthy stem cells of their own. Diseases - such as blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma, severe aplastic anaemia, sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia - can require a blood stem cell transplant. A transplant comes with risks, and success rates decline with patient age.
We want to understand better how human blood stem cells work and how they are molecularly regulated to improve patient outcomes when receiving a blood stem cell transplant. This studentship offers the opportunity to address the following questions:
-Where exactly do these stem cells live within the bone marrow? This is an important question, as the properties of a stem cell are strongly influenced by its surroundings, so it is crucial that we know how environment affects stem cell behaviour.
-What controls these stem cells to replicate themselves in the bone marrow?
-How can we develop a lab-based method of multiplying these stem cells that we can translate for use in a clinic?
-How human blood stem cells are impacted in a disease condition such as in leukaemia?
In this project, we will combine the use of lentiviral based shRNA or CRISPR, RNA-seq and ATAC-seq, flow cytometry, xenotransplantation and confocal microscopy approaches to study how human blood stem cells are regulated and cross-talked with their niche cells.
ELIGIBILITY
The successful student will be expected to work as part of a team and be willing to interact and collaborate with interdisciplinary groups. Candidates should hold an undergraduate degree in Life Sciences (minimum 2.1 grade, or 2.2 with a masters degree or additional relevant professional experience). Having a master degree in biological sciences and prior lab experience in cell and molecular biology would be beneficial. Students that are interested in bioinformatics are welcome.
In order to be considered, candidates must submit the following information:
•A personal statement outlining (i) your academic excellence, (ii) suitability for the project, (iii) what you hope to achieve from the PhD and (iv) your research experience to-date.
•A CV, including full details of all University course grades to date.
•Qualification certificates
•Proof of English language (if applicable)
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