Novel Anti-inflammatory Approaches to Ameliorate Chronic Inflammatory Lung Disease

A number of patients with Chronic Lung Disease (CLD) (including Cystic Fibrosis lung disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)) experience periods of infection (exacerbations) which can result in a catastrophic loss of lung function, which may be irreversible. This loss in lung function is thought to be driven, in part, by an excessive inflammatory response to infection. Therefore, there is a significant need to develop effective anti-inflammatories that can ameliorate the damaging effects of inflammation in CLD. Taggart and colleagues have identified a family of proteases in the lungs of patients with CLD that may contribute to the deleterious features of CLD including lung damage, mucus plugging and cellular inflammation. Along with our partners in Germany (Professor Marcus Mall, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin) we now wish to target these proteolytic entities in models of CLD with newly developed protease inhibitors that may be of future therapeutic relevance in the treatment of CLD.

Supervisors’ track record of PhD completions, plus excellence and international standing in the project area Prof Cliff Taggart has supervised a large number of PhD student (17) to completion (100% success rate). He has an internationally excellent profile in the area of inflammation in lung disease and his research is funded by the MRC, CFF, EPSRC and EU FP7. He has published almost 100 papers to date mostly in high impact factor journals and is currently a member of the European Respiratory Society and European Cystic Fibrosis Society.

Intersectoral exposure and/or international mobility (e.g. secondments to/collaboration with partner organizations). Apart from research in the Taggart laboratory in the Centre for Experimental Medicine at QUB there will be the potential to spend time in Prof Mall’s laboratory in Berlin.

Describe briefly the international profile of the partner Prof Mall was the first researcher to develop a viable and reliable model of chronic lung inflammation akin to the type of inflammation that is observed in the CLD lung. He has subsequently published a number of papers evaluating various drugs and protease inhibitors in this model. He is also collaborating with Taggart’s group in QUB via EU FP7 and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) funding for the evaluation of protease inhibitors in the ENaC model and PBECs.

ELIGIBILITY

The following criteria must be met, in order for applications to be shortlisted for evaluation. The criteria are set by The Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions in Horizon 2020, Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes (COFUND).

EARLY STAGE RESEARCHER & MOBILITY RULE.

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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Candidates should have or expect to obtain a 2:1 or higher Honours degree or equivalent in a relevant field, such as the life sciences or Biomedical.

English Language

Candidates applying from countries where the first language is not English should produce evidence of their competence through a qualification such as IELTS or TOEFL score.

The minimum recommended score for the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science is:
• IELTS score of 6.0 with not less than 5.5 in each of the four component elements of listening, reading, speaking and writing taken within the last 2 years;
• TOEFL score of 80+ (internet basted test), taken within the last 2 years, with minimum component scores of; Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20, Writing 17);
• A valid Certificate of Proficiency in English grade A or B;
• A valid Certificate of Advanced English grade A; or
• A first or upper second class honours degree from a university based in the UK, Republic of Ireland or other suitably quality assured location in a country deemed by the UK Border Agency to be majority English speaking.

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http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Applying/English-language-requirements/#English

The English Language Unit (ELU) offers both pre-sessional and in-sessional courses in English for academic purposes and study skills. Courses vary in length and full information can be obtained from the ELU http://www.qub.ac.uk/tefl/