PhD Studentship: The Role of SMURF1 in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension - Donald Heath PhD Studentsh

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease in which progressive pulmonary vascular remodelling leads to right heart failure and death. Current therapies target vascular constriction, however not all patients benefit from treatment and the cellular proliferation that drives disease persists. Novel anti-proliferative therapies are required and strategies to match patients to treatments would provide clinical benefit and reduce healthcare costs. We have recently demonstrated that SMAD-specific ubiquitin ligase regulatory factor-1 (SMURF1) is critical to pulmonary vascular remodelling in experimental PAH, and that SMURF1 expression is increased in blood from patients with PAH. The proposed studies will determine the vascular cell type in which expression of SMURF1 is important to PAH using transgenic and animal models of PAH and determine mechanisms though which SMURF1 mediates disease pathology using cell culture and novel small molecule inhibitors of SMURF1. An appropriate candidate will gain experience of cell culture, animal models, bioinformatics, data handling and presentation and writing for publication.

You will participate and develop in the exciting Donald Heath pulmonary hypertension research programme. This multi-disciplinary programme combines clinicians and clinician scientists with biologists, physicists and engineers based at the University of Sheffield and Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield towards the better understanding of the mechanisms driving Pulmonary Hypertension, and improved patient care. The successful candidate will undertake research towards a PhD in the Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, Faculty of Medicine Dentistry & Health. There is 1 fully funded PhD studentship available to work on one of the projects listed here - https://donaldheath.org/home/current-opportunities/

Interested candidates are encouraged to make contact with the primary supervisor to discuss their application. Further project details and additional Donald Heath PhD application form are available from - https://donaldheath.org/home/current-opportunities/

Funding Notes

This PhD is fully funded with a stipend of £19,057 for up to 3 years.

Enquiries:

Interested candidates should in the first instance contact the named PhD supervisor on the project of interest, or the Programme Director Dr Allan Lawrie (0114 215 9536 / a.lawrie@sheffield.ac.uk)

References

Entry Requirements:

Candidates must have a first or upper second-class honors degree. Completion of a Masters degree is highly desirable.