About the Project
A PhD opportunity is available in our vibrant, multi-disciplinary, Nutrition and Preventive Medicine Department within Norwich Medical School. The main focus of our research is examining dietary fatty acid and plant bioactive metabolism and their independent and interactive impact on cardio-metabolic and cognitive health.
Given the current aging population demographics, the prevalence of dementia worldwide will approximately double every 20 years, increasing to 115 million by 2050. In aging individuals, lifestyle strategies to preserve or even improve memory and cognition provide significant health, social and economic benefits. Importantly, these same strategies will likely reduce the risk, delay the onset, or slow the pathology of dementia, particularly in individuals identified as being at “high-risk” (“western diet”, APOE4, female, mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
An APOE4 genotype increases risk of dementia several fold and reduced the age of onset by up to 15 years. The PhD will investigate the aetiology of APOE4-cognitive decline associations and dietary strategies to mitigate the increased risk.
This PhD project will be associated with ongoing human interventions in older adults and is likely to also involve the use of rodent or cell model systems.
The exact focus of the work will be decided in conjunction with the student and depend on your background, interests and career plans
To find out more about the supervisor for this project, please go here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/medicine/people/profile/a-minihane
Type of programme: PhD
Start date: October 2018
Mode of study: Full time of part time
Deadline: 31 May - 2018 NB Applications are processed as soon as they are received and the project may be filled before the closing date, so early application is encouraged.
Applicants should hold a 2:1 degree or above or a master’s degree in Biological or Biomedical sciences, Psychology, Nutrition or equivalent.
References
Calabuig-Navarro MV, Jackson KG, Kemp CF, Leake DS, Walden CM, Lovegrove JA, Minihane AM. A randomized trial and novel SPR technique identifies altered lipoprotein-LDL receptor binding as a mechanism underlying elevated LDL-cholesterol in APOE4s. Sci Rep. 2017;7:44119-44128.
Vauzour D, Robles MC, Miquel-Kergoat S, Andres-Lacueva C, Bánáti D, Barberger-Gateau P, Bowman GL, Caberlotto L, Clarke R, Hogervorst E, Kiliaan AJ, Lucca U, Manach C, Minihane AM, Mitchell ES, Perneczky R, Perry H, Roussel AM, Schuermans J, Sijben J, Spencer JP, Thuret S, van de Rest O, Vandewoude M, Wesnes K, Williams RJ, Williams RS, Ramirez M. Nutrition for the ageing brain: towards evidence for an optimal diet. Ageing Res Rev. 2017;35:222-240
Welma Stonehouse, Cathryn A Conlon, John Podd, Stephen Hill, Anne M Minihane, Chrystal Haskell, David Kennedy. Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation improves memory and speed of memory in healthy young adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2013;97:1134-43
Carvalho-Wells AL, Jackson KG, Lockyer S, Lovegrove JA, Minihane AM. APOE genotype influences the triglyceride and C-reactive protein response to altered dietary fat intake in UK adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2012;96:1447-1453
Vauzour D, Minihane AM. Neuroinflammation and the APOε genotype: Implications for Alzheimer’s disease and modulation by dietary flavonoids and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Nutrition and Aging 2012;1:42-53
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