Understanding the connectivity of human striatal transplants in a rodent model of Huntington’s disease

Studentship Summary
This studentship is part of a SCTN-Training network of 14 studentships, funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018) under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Initial Training Network and Grant Agreement No. 813851. ASCTN-Training is addressing existing gaps within Human Stem Cell-based Neuronal disorders (NDs) Modelling (NDM) for research to develop new medicines for the treatment of neurological disorders (e.g. Parkinson´s (PD), Huntington´s (HD) and Demyelination’s (DM) diseases), which occur as a result of acute or progressive loss of cells, glial or neuronal, and structures and function in the brain. ASCTN-Training sets out with the ambition to educate and train students within and across different scientific disciplines: biotechnology (Human Pluripotent Stem Cells (hPSCs) neuronal and glial differentiation using brain-on-chip technology and microfluidics, 3D tissue engineering/cerebral organoids and nanoengineering of culture conditions), molecular biology (Ex vivo gene expression, Direct cellular reprograming, mouse genetic modification, single cell analysis), in vivo mouse manipulations (Animal models of NDs, stem cell transplants into the brain, scaffold implantation, direct tissue engineering).
This project will investigate transplantation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons in models of Huntington’s disease. Novel tools will be developed to examine and understand graft/host neural connectivity and the mechanisms of graft survival and integration in the striatum.
Principal investigators: Anne Rosser and Nick Allen ([Email Address Removed] ; [Email Address Removed])


Requirements:
• A scientific university degree with exceptional academic performances (for EU qualification equivalences see http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying/admissions-criteria)
• Less than 4 years full time equivalent research experience and not yet been awarded a doctoral degree (PhD)
• Having resided less than 12 months in the UK in the 3 years prior to selection
• Excellent communication and organization skills
• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Excellent writing and presentation skills
Flexibility and ability to work in a team environment
• Availability to travel nationally and internationally two to three times a year