PhD Studentship: Candida Auris as a Global Health Issue: From Lab-Based Experiments to Public Health Action

Are you curious about how our organism fights against fungal diseases? Would you like to be involved in a project exploring Candida pathogenesis?

Candida auris is an emerging human pathogen (first described in 2009) that was reported so far in 33 countries including the UK. The pathogen is nosocomial which results in invasive life-threatening candidiasis, with a high crude mortality rate reaching up to 53% (World Health Organization 2022). It represents a challenge to public health due to subsequent hospital outbreaks, severity in immunocompromised groups and antimicrobial resistance. The proposed project can potentially provide the scientific basis for public health interventions by informing guidance on hospital outbreak management and propose effective agents to be assessed for primary prevention and secondary prevention. The experimental plan will initially challenge existing laboratory and health facilities antimicrobial practises by challenging the efficiency of currently used disinfectants and antiseptics against C. auris strains. The next step includes the scanning of known antifungal agent libraries checking their efficiency against C. auris. The hits from the previous step will be further assessed by using advanced microscopy and in vivo invertebrate research models (Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans) complimented by ex vivo human phagocyte models.

Further information

This three-year research studentship is funded by the Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at The Open University and provides a stipend of £17,668 per year (2023 rate) and all academic fees are covered.

The project is supervised by Drs Ilias Kounatidis, Zhraa Alhaboby, Rachel Mcmullan at The Open University (UK), and Prof Georgios Chamilos at the University of Crete (Greece). The student would be required to live in the UK and within commuting distance of The Open University in Milton Keynes.

Applicants will be expected to have a good undergraduate degree (upper second class or higher) in biology, biochemistry, public health, or related discipline.

This project will be well-suited to candidates who:

• Are interested in or have experience with microbiological assays.
• Are interested in or have experience with Drosophila models or/and human cell cultures
• Are interested or have experience in advanced microscopy methods

Informal enquiries relating to the project should be directed to Dr Ilias Kounatidis (ilias.kounatidis@open.ac.uk).

How to Apply

Please send an email with your CV, a completed application form and a personal statement (outlining your suitability for the studentship, what you hope to achieve from the PhD and your research experience to date) to STEM-LHCS-PHD@open.ac.uk

You can find more information in the following link: http://www.open.ac.uk/science/life-health-chemical-sciences/phd-studentships-vacancies

Closing date: Friday 07^th April 2023

Interview date: Online Interviews will be arranged promptly after the closing date.

LHCS holds Athena Swan Bronze Status. We promote diversity in employment and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

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