Prof Cherry Wainwright, Dr Sarah Walsh
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Academic Supervisors: Professor Cherry Wainwright, Dr Sarah Walsh, Dr Emma Hector and Professor Hari Hundal (University of Dundee)
Obesity and metabolic syndrome increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is characterised by insulin resistance and abnormal glucose handling and leads to the development of cardiovascular complications that impair the ability of the heart to work efficiently as a pump, especially under conditions of increased workload such as exercise. Exercise in lean healthy individuals induces an adaptive response in the heart to increase the number of receptors (β1) that respond to the chemical (noradrenalin) that increases force of contraction; however in obese and T2D individuals this response is attenuated. Furthermore, abnormal handling of glucose by the heart cells in T2D reduces the amount of energy available to generate sufficient contractile force to meet demand. GPR55 is a novel receptor that appears to work together with the receptors for both insulin and noradrenalin to produce their cellular responses, and if GPR55 is dysfunctional or absent there is a reduced cellular response to activation of these receptors. The underlying premise of this project is that GPR55 represents a novel target for the improvement of heart function, both at rest and upon exercise, in obesity, with or without T2D. To study this the project will explore the role of GPR55 activation in glucose uptake cultured heart cells and assess whether the beneficial effects of exercise on heart function and glucose utilisation are dependent upon a functioning GPR55, using a mouse model of GPR55 gene deletion.
Potential applicants should, in the first instance, make direct contact (rather than emailing via this website) with the Principal supervisor, Professor Cherry Wainwright ([Email Address Removed]), Director of the Centre for Cardiometabolic Health Research, to discuss the project further before submitting a formal application, in which they should quote the studentship title in the project outline section of the on‐line form.
Funding Notes
This project is part of a competition for a Tenovus Scotland Moulton‐Barrett Research Scholarship to support a studentship at the Robert Gordon University or the University of Aberdeen for a promising new researcher, to provide training to develop the professional and personal attributes they need to compete for prestigious postdoctoral fellowships upon completion of their PhD. The successful applicant will be awarded a 4‐year studentship including full tuition fees (UK/EU rate) and a tax‐free maintenance stipend (currently £14,728). Candidates should have (or expect to achieve) a First Class Honours degree in a relevant subject and/or an excellent postgraduate qualification.
References
1. Varma U., BBA Molecular Basis of Disease (2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.10.035.
2. Joshi et al., Heart (2010) 96: 36–41.
3. Simcocks et al., Drug Discov Today (2014) 19: 1145-51
4. Walsh et al., PLoS One. (2014) 9:e108999.
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