Interactions between Airborne Triggers of Asthma

Lead Institute / Faculty: Faculty of Medicine

Main Supervisor: Dr Matthew Loxham

Other members of the supervisory team: Dr Emily Swindle (Faculty of Medicine), Professor Damon Teagle (Ocean and Earth Science)

Duration of the award: 3 years full time

Project description:

This interdisciplinary project aims to investigate the combined effects on the airways of inhaled air pollution particles, allergens, and virus infection.

Air pollution dust, also known as particulate matter (PM) air pollution, comes from a wide range of sources, including vehicle exhaust, combustion, ships, industrial processes, and natural erosion. These particles may have very different physical and chemical characteristics depending on their source, and it is thought that these characteristics may play an important role in determining the effects of inhaled PM [1]. PM is linked to a number of effects on health, including lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, and cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.

Asthma is a disease of the airways, involving recurrent airway inflammation, reversible airway obstruction, and airway remodelling, which represents a major healthcare burden [2]. Asthma is known to be made worse by air pollution, and there is also good evidence that air pollution increases the risk of developing the disease. Asthma can also be exacerbated by inhalation of allergens, from such sources as house dust mites and fungal spores. Infection with rhinovirus (common cold) is thought to be the single most common factor in triggering asthma attacks which require hospitalisation. Importantly, there is evidence that the epithelial cells lining asthmatic airways may be more susceptible to the effects of PM, allergens, and cold virus, compared to cells from non-asthmatic people [3,4].

These triggers of asthma, known as asthmagens, may damage the epithelial barrier and elicit secretion of a battery of cytokines and chemokines specific to the asthmagen, giving rise to inflammatory responses and remodelling of the airways. In vitro studies usually consider such exposures in isolation, whereas real-life exposures occur simultaneously; indeed, there is epidemiological evidence of interactions in their effects [5], while we have shown that interactions may occur through novel mechanisms [6]. This project will study the interactions of the effects on bronchial epithelial cell functioning of airborne PM, allergens, and virus infection, improving our understanding of the role played by environmental exposures in asthma.

This interdisciplinary PhD studentship will train a talented postgraduate in areas of cell biology, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and environmental science. The student will develop laboratory skills in cell culture, molecular biology tools to analyse changes in cellular functioning (e.g. RT-qPCR, ELISA), immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and airborne PM sampling and chemical analysis. These will be complemented by training in key transferable skills including data analysis, communication of findings through writing and presentations, and critical analysis of published research. The project lies at the interface of cell biology, immunology, and environmental science, and will form part of a burgeoning air pollution research network in Southampton. The project will be performed under the guidance of senior academics from the Faculty of Medicine, and Ocean and Earth Science at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton, both of which host world-renowned expertise and state-of-the-art facilities relevant to this project.

[1] Loxham M (2015), Respirology 20(1):7-8
[2] Loxham M et al (2014), Clin Exp Allergy 44(11):1299-1313
[3] Bucchieri F et al (2002) Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 27(2):179-185
[4] Leino MS, Loxham M et al (2013), PLoS One 8(8):e71278
[5] Rubner FJ et al (2017), J All Clin Immunol 139(2):501-507
[6] Loxham M et al (2017), Mucosal Immunology doi:10.1038/mi.2017.63

Please contact: Dr Matthew Loxham – [Email Address Removed] (https://www.southampton.ac.uk/medicine/about/staff/ml24g09.page)

Person Specification: See below
https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/Upload/vacancies/files/18070/03%20Doctoral%20Researcher%20Person%20Specification_UoS_FoM_PhD.docx

The successful candidate is likely to have the following qualifications:
• A 1stor 2:1 degree in a relevant discipline (such as, but not limited to, (cell/molecular) biology, biochemistry, biomedical science, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology) and/or 2:2 degree with a related Masters

Administrative contact and how to apply:
Please complete the University’s online application form, which you can find at
https://studentrecords.soton.ac.uk/BNNRPROD/bzsksrch.P_Login?pos=7201&majr=7201&term=201819

You should enter Dr Matthew Loxham as your proposed supervisor. To support your application provide an academic CV (including contact details of two referees), official academic transcripts and a personal statement (outlining your suitability for the studentship, what you hope to achieve from the PhD and your research experience to date).

Informal enquiries relating to the project or candidate suitability should be directed to Dr Matthew Loxham ([Email Address Removed]).

Closing date: 17th July 2018
Interview date: 7th August 2018