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Dr N Forde
Dr Julie Aspden
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
In all mammalian species studied the majority of pregnancy loss occurs prior to implantation of the embryo into the uterine endometrium. We know a lot about how the transcriptional profile of the endometrium is modified in response to key hormones or signaling molecules however, the function that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA)s play in facilitating these interactions has not been studied. This PhD project addresses how lncRNAs regulate the implantation process in a variety of species with different implantation strategies. To address this question available omics data sets will be assessed to determine if any novel peptides may have been translated from candidate lncRNAs regulated by early pregnancy cues. Cellular localization of lncRNAs from endometrial cells from different species will be assessed and pull down of protein partners those that are conserved to identify functional role of these in establishing uterine receptivity to implantation. Collective this project will enhance our understanding of the role lncRNAs play in the implantation process and how conserved this is in species with different early pregnancy morphologies.
Funding Notes
White Rose BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership in Mechanistic Biology
4 year fully-funded programme of integrated research and skills training, starting Oct 2020:
• Research Council Stipend
• UK/EU Tuition Fees
• Conference and research funding
Requirements:
At least a 2:1 honours degree or equivalent. We welcome students with backgrounds in biological, chemical or physical sciences, or mathematical backgrounds with an interest in biological questions.
EU candidates require 3 years of UK residency to receive full studentship
Not all projects will be funded; the DTP will appoint a limited number of candidates via a competitive process.
https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/81-white-rose-bbsrc-doctoral-training-partnership-in-mechanistic-biology
4 year fully-funded programme of integrated research and skills training, starting Oct 2020:
• Research Council Stipend
• UK/EU Tuition Fees
• Conference and research funding
Requirements:
At least a 2:1 honours degree or equivalent. We welcome students with backgrounds in biological, chemical or physical sciences, or mathematical backgrounds with an interest in biological questions.
EU candidates require 3 years of UK residency to receive full studentship
Not all projects will be funded; the DTP will appoint a limited number of candidates via a competitive process.
https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/81-white-rose-bbsrc-doctoral-training-partnership-in-mechanistic-biology
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Career overview
Professor Niamh Forde holds a BA (Mod) in Biochemistry from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD from University College Dublin. She is currently the Professor and Chair of Molecular Reproductive Biosciences at the School of Medicine, University of Leeds. In addition to her academic role, she co-founded and serves as Co-Director and Academic Lead for LeedsOmics, a virtual research institute. Professor Forde''s research focuses on the molecular interactions between the uterine endometrium and the embryo necessary for successful early pregnancy across various mammalian species, including humans, cattle, pigs, and mice. Her work examines how maternal environmental factors and the sex of the embryo influence these interactions and their implications for the long-term health of offspring. To explore these topics, she employs a range of methodologies, including in vivo and in vitro techniques, microfluidics, organoids, and extracellular scaffolds, alongside omics technologies to investigate the regulatory roles of both protein-coding and non-coding genomic elements in endometrial function related to food, fertility, and health. Additionally, her research investigates the role of extracellular vesicle components, such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, and proteins, in these processes.
Research interests
Professor Forde''s research focuses on the molecular interactions between the uterine endometrium and the embryo necessary for successful early pregnancy in various mammalian species, including humans, cattle, pigs, and mice. Her work investigates how maternal environmental factors and the sex of the embryo influence these interactions and their implications for the life-course health of offspring. Professor Forde employs a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches, including microfluidics, organoids, and extracellular scaffolds, alongside omics technologies to explore the regulatory roles of both protein-coding and non-coding regions of the genome on endometrial function. Additionally, her research examines the role of extracellular vesicle components, such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, and proteins, in these processes.
Molecular Reproductive Biosciences
Reproductive Biology
Uterine Biology
Transcriptomics
Proteomics
Comparative Molecular Physiology
3D Models
Microfluidics
Extracellular Scaffolds
Organoids
Non-Coding RNA
MicroRNA
Early Pregnancy
Embryo-Maternal Interactions
Life-Course Health
In Vivo
In Vitro
Omics Technologies
Extracellular Vesicles
miRNAs
lncRNAs
Protein Coding
Endometrial Function.
Career overview
Dr. Julie Aspden read Biochemistry at The Queen’s College, Oxford, before undertaking a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, focusing on the initiation of mRNA translation. Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Aspden completed two postdoctoral positions; the first at the University of California, Berkeley, where her research centred on alternative mRNA splicing in the fruit fly, and the second at the University of Sussex, where she defined novel regions of translation. In 2015, Dr. Aspden was awarded a University Academic Fellowship in Pervasive Transcription, which allowed her to establish her own research group at the University of Leeds in August 2015. Her research combines biochemistry, genomics, molecular biology, and genetics to investigate the roles of RNAs in fruit flies and mammalian tissue culture, leveraging the genetic and genomic advantages of *Drosophila* as a model organism.
Research interests
Dr. Aspden''s research focuses on the regulation of mRNA translation, non-coding RNA function, and the role of specific RNA-protein complexes. Her work combines biochemistry, genomics, molecular biology, and genetics to study RNAs in *Drosophila* and mammalian tissue culture. She is particularly interested in how translation is regulated during initiation, especially by the 5'' untranslated region (UTR) and associated proteins, and how disruptions to RNA-protein interactions and translational regulation can play significant roles in various cancers and disorders such as spinal muscular atrophy. Dr. Aspden also investigates long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the cytoplasm, exploring their role in gene expression and their association with neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. She studies the function of cytoplasmic lncRNAs, which are increasingly recognised as being translated and involved in gene regulation. Furthermore, her research delves into the history of mRNA ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes, examining how proteins interact with mRNAs during processing and translation. Dr. Aspden aims to understand how RNA processing in the nucleus affects translation in the cytoplasm and how disturbances in mRNP composition can be detrimental to cellular function. Her research is currently funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and the Royal Society.
RNA
mRNA Translation
Ribosomes
RNA-Binding Proteins
Long Non-Coding RNAs
mRNA Splicing
Drosophila
Spermatogenesis
Biochemistry
Genomics
Molecular Biology
Genetics
Translational Regulation
Non-Coding RNA Function
Cytoplasmic lncRNAs
Gene Expression
Neuronal Disease
RNA-Protein Complexes
Alternative mRNA Splicing
RNA Processing
mRNP Composition
Cancer
Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Epigenetic Control
Plant Gene Expression
Virus Replication
Specialised Ribosomes.
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