PhD Studentship - Study of Cystathionine ?-lyase/Hydrogen Sulfide pathway in Cardiomyopathy

College of Health & Life Sciences - Studentships

Applications are invited for a three-year Postgraduate studentship, the College of Health and Life Sciences, to be undertaken at Aston University. 

The position is available to start in January 2024.

Financial Support

This studentship includes a fee bursary to cover the home/EU fees rate, plus a maintenance allowance of £18,622 in 2023/4. This application is not available to Overseas students.

Background to the Project

Cardiovascular diseases have been the leading cause of mortalities worldwide. There are approximately 4 million deaths per year due to heart diseases in Europe, accounting for nearly 50% of all deaths in Europe. Despite the advancements in medical technology, the morbidity and mortality rate of heart failure remains high. Compared to the 1990s, death due to heart failure increased by 54% in 2016, posing a significant global health problem.

There are several types of cardiomyopathies, including dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) and arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy (ARVC), peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and Takotsubo (stress) cardiomyopathy, with DCM and HCM being the more general forms of the disease. Compare to DCM, a subset HCM patients who progress into dilated phase of HCM (D-HCM), have higher mortality risk than those with DCM. However, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are not fully understood.

We have discovered that the hydrogen sulfide producing enzyme, cystathionine -lyase (CSE), plays an important role in cardiac function. Loss of this enzyme leads to a deteriorating left ventricle (LV) systolic function. This is associated with hypertrophic phenotypes and dilated LV suggesting that loss CSE may be involved in D-HCM.

The proposed study will test the central hypothesis that CSE/H2S pathway play a key role in normal cardiac function. Dysregulation of this pathway promotes and leads to the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy. 

This studentship will provide appropriate training for a graduate in compliance with the principles of good clinical practice, animal research, cellular and molecular biochemistry. The successful outcome of this work may lead to development of new diagnostic, prognostic and intervention tools for patients with cardiomyopathy.

Person Specification

The successful applicant should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, a Masters degree in a relevant subject with a 60% or higher weighted average, and/or a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (or an equivalent qualification from an overseas institution) in a relevant subject area.  

Contact information

For formal enquiries about this project contact Keqing Wang on k.wang@aston.ac.uk

Submitting an application

As part of the application, you will need to supply:

• A copy of your current CV
• Copies of your academic qualifications for your Bachelor degree, and Masters degree (if studied); this should include both certificates and transcripts, and must be translated in to English
• A research proposal statement*
• A personal statement
• Two academic references
• Proof of your English Language proficiency

Details of how to submit your application, and the necessary supporting documents can be found here.  

Please select “Research Health Sciences” from the application form options.

*The application must be accompanied by a “research proposal” statement. An original proposal is not required as the initial scope of the project has been defined, candidates should take this opportunity to detail how their knowledge and experience will benefit the project and should also be accompanied by a brief review of relevant research literature.

Please include the supervisor’s name, project title and project reference in your Personal Statement.

If you require further information about the application process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at pgr_admissions@aston.ac.uk 

Aston University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.  It promotes equality and diversity in all aspects of its work. We strive to have robust inclusivity strategies in place, including race and sexual orientation, to encourage colleagues to have the confidence and freedom to be themselves in the workplace. For more information, visit: https://www2.aston.ac.uk/about/inclusive-aston

We recognise the value of flexible working.  Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss what flexible working options are available for particular roles.

If you require the job details document or an application form in an alternative format please contact the recruitment team at recruitment@aston.ac.uk

 

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