Prof N Bobola, Prof N Hanley
Applications accepted all year round
About the Project
Our DNA contains instructions on how to build our cardiovascular system. In addition to coding for proteins that contribute to assemble the heart and the vessels, the genome also contain instructions on when and where these proteins are to be made. Clinical diagnostic sequencing currently focuses on identifying causal mutations in coding regions. Thousands of non-coding regions of the genome act like switches to generate the precise patterns of gene expression which drive morphogenesis of the cardiovascular system. Similar to mutations in coding regions, inherited DNA sequence variants in these regulatory regions cause conditions such as congenital heart disease or risk to develop disease later in life. However, they have remained largely unexplored in clinical diagnostics due to interpretative challenges and the high cost of whole genome sequencing. In this project, we will use advance analytics and machine learning methods to identify noncoding regulatory mutations. We will analyze and integrate maps of chromatin landscapes from developmental time courses of mouse and human embryogenesis with additional available datasets and whole genome sequencing, This study will help clarifying the basis of human cardiovascular pathology and enable a better understanding and diagnostic solutions for currently unexplained genetic disorders.
This is a potential studentship to be funded via the MRC Doctoral Training Programme. Projects under this scheme are competitively funded; i.e. there are more projects advertised than available.
Funding Notes
Please make direct contact with the Principal Supervisor to arrange to discuss the project and submit an online application form as soon as possible. There is no set closing date; projects will be removed as soon as they are filled.
Applications are invited from UK/EU nationals. Candidates from outside of the UK must have resided in the UK for 3 years prior to commencing the PhD in order to be eligible to apply. Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, at least an upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.
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