The contribution of extracellular vesicles to the outcome of SCI

The peripheral immune system coordinates the response to spinal injury and impacts on outcome. Hitherto, the mechanisms responsible for signalling the presence of injury or disease to selectively activate inflammatory responses in distant lymphoid (primary and secondary) organs were unclear. Circulating endogenous extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increased after brain and spinal cord injury, and have the potential to carry targeted injury signals around the body. Indeed, we have shown that EVs isolated from the circulation after injury activate the systemic acute phase response. After brain injury, the payload and number of EVs changes over time; it is not clear, however, how the EV population changes after spinal cord injury (SCI) and how they contribute to outcome. Under this proposal you will discover: how the EV population changes after SCI, and how this affects the immune response. Furthermore, you will learn how the generate artificial EVs that can be used to therapeutically target and manipulate the peripheral immune response to SCI.

The successful candidate will benefit from extensive training in a wide range of methods including surgical techniques, in vivo behavioural analysis, and molecular biology as well as techniques in histology and immunohistochemistry.

This is a joint DPhil project between the University of Oxford’s Department of Pharmacology and the University of Queensland’s School of Biomedical Sciences in Australia. The successful applicant will be expected to spent ~1/3 of their time in Queensland.

The student should have, or expect to gain, a first or strong upper second class degree (or equivalent) in a relevant biological sciences discipline.