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Dr A MacDonald
Prof Stephen Griffin
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Patients with kidney transplants can develop a number of complications that result in the failure of the transplant. One of these is caused by infection with the BK polyomavirus (BKV). BKV causes a severe disease called polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN), which afflicts up to 10% of all kidney transplant patients. There are no effective therapies for this disease and we currently have a poor understanding of the virus life cycle. This studentship will utilize a combination of molecular, cellular and virological assays, established in the group, to study both host and virus factors that contribute to BKV infection and pathogenesis. Using primary cell culture model systems we will study the specific roles of BKV proteins during infection, with a particular emphasis on the enigmatic agnoprotein. Mutant viruses will be created and their abilities to infect will be tested. In addition, using a novel lentiviral library system, we will screen for host proteins implicated in virus infection. Together, these studies will increase our understanding of the BKV life cycle and may identify targets for therapeutic intervention.
Funding Notes
The PhD will start in Oct 2016. Applicants should have, or be expecting to receive, a 2.1 Hons degree in a relevant subject. EU candidates must have been resident in the UK for 3 years in order to receive full support.
References
Hurdiss DL, Morgan EL, Thompson RF, Prescott EL, Panou MM, Macdonald A, Ranson NA. (2016). New Structural Insights into the Genome and Minor Capsid Proteins of BK Polyomavirus using Cryo-Electron Microscopy. Structure. 2016 Apr 5;24(4):528-36
Richards, Watherston, Doble, Blair, Wittmann & Macdonald (2015). Human papillomavirus (HPV) E7 protein antagonises a novel imiquimod-induced inflammatory pathway in primary keratinocytes. Scientific Reports. 13;5:12922.
Muller, Wasson, Bhatia, Boxall, Millan, Goh, Haas, Stonehouse & Macdonald (2015). YIP1 family member 4 (YIPF4) is a novel cellular binding partner of the papillomavirus E5 proteins. Scientific Reports. 3;5:12523.
Hughes, D.J., Wood, J.J., Jackson, B.R., Baquero-Perez, B. & Whitehouse, A. (2015). NEDDylation is essential for Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus latency and lytic reactivation and represents a novel anti-KSHV target. PLoS Pathogens, 11(3):e1004771.
Jackson, B.R., Norenberg, M. & Whitehouse, A. (2014). A novel mechanism inducing genomic instability in Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infected cells. PLoS Pathogens, 10(5): e1004098.
Richards, Watherston, Doble, Blair, Wittmann & Macdonald (2015). Human papillomavirus (HPV) E7 protein antagonises a novel imiquimod-induced inflammatory pathway in primary keratinocytes. Scientific Reports. 13;5:12922.
Muller, Wasson, Bhatia, Boxall, Millan, Goh, Haas, Stonehouse & Macdonald (2015). YIP1 family member 4 (YIPF4) is a novel cellular binding partner of the papillomavirus E5 proteins. Scientific Reports. 3;5:12523.
Hughes, D.J., Wood, J.J., Jackson, B.R., Baquero-Perez, B. & Whitehouse, A. (2015). NEDDylation is essential for Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus latency and lytic reactivation and represents a novel anti-KSHV target. PLoS Pathogens, 11(3):e1004771.
Jackson, B.R., Norenberg, M. & Whitehouse, A. (2014). A novel mechanism inducing genomic instability in Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infected cells. PLoS Pathogens, 10(5): e1004098.
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View other supervisors at University of LeedsCareer overview
Professor Stephen Griffin studied Natural Sciences at Girton College, University of Cambridge, where he graduated with a first-class BA (Hons) in 1997. He continued his studies at Cambridge, completing a PhD in the Department of Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital under the supervision of Prof Andrew Lever in 2001. In 2001, he moved to Leeds to work as a post-doctoral researcher with Professors David Rowlands and Mark Harris, focusing on hepatitis C virus (HCV). He became an independent researcher in 2007 and was tenured in 2014 as an Associate Professor of Viral Oncology in the School of Medicine. Professor Griffin has been a member of the Microbiology Society since 1997 and served as the Chair of the Virus Division until January 2022. He is currently co-Chair of Independent SAGE and has participated in various government committees during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus. Professor Griffin actively engages in science communication, particularly regarding the pandemic, through various platforms including the Science Media Centre and FullFact.
Research interests
Professor Griffin''s research focuses on viruses, both as causes and cures for human disease. His specific areas of interest include understanding and exploiting ion channels encoded by viruses, known as viroporins, and exploring how viruses drive human malignancies, particularly liver cancers (hepatocellular and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas) and brain cancers (glioblastoma multiforme). Additionally, he is involved in developing viruses as immunotherapies to treat human cancer. Professor Griffin''s work encompasses various viral pathogens, including hepatitis C virus, SARS-CoV-2, Zika virus, influenza, and cytomegalovirus.
Cancer Virology
Antivirals
Viroporins
Viral Oncology
Hepatitis C Virus
SARS-CoV2
Zika Virus
Influenza
Cytomegalovirus
Oncolytic Viruses
Immunotherapy
Human Malignancies
Liver Cancer
Brain Cancer
Science Communication
Microbiology
Infectious Disease
Pharmacology
Chemotherapy
Post-Graduate Research
Medical Research
Translational Research
Antimicrobial Resistance.
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