PhD Studentship: Endotoxin Tolerization of Macrophage-Mediated Inflammatory Processes in an Oral 3D-Mucosal Tissue Model

Endotoxin tolerization of macrophage-mediated inflammatory processes in an oral 3D-mucosal tissue model

DoS: Dr Andrew Foey (andrew.foey@plymouth.ac.uk, tel.: +44-1752-584623)

2^nd Supervisor: Dr Laure Ries (laure.ries@plymouth.ac.uk, tel.: +44-1752-585642)

3^rd Supervisor: Dr Vehid Salih (vehid.salih@plymouth.ac.uk, tel.: +44-1752-586752)

Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 1^st October 2024.

Project Description

Mucosal macrophages can be activated and drive tissue-destructive inflammatory processes. Endotoxin tolerization is a process of repeated microbial stimulation that suppresses inflammation and regulates this tissue destruction. These processes are understood in mono-culture, but poorly understood in poly-culture, whereby cell-to-cell interactions present in oral mucosal tissue can exert both positive and negative effects on these tolerance-fate decisions.  We have developed an organotypic 3D immune-competent oral mucosal model to investigate the role of cellular interactions in modulating endotoxin tolerance. Such investigations will progress our understanding towards clinical translatability of controlling macrophage TLR-driven inflammatory responses in chronic periodontitis. The successful candidate will study these tolerance-fate decisions using a wide variety of macrophage-centric immune cellular and molecular techniques, investigating pattern recognition receptor-cytokine responses to oral pathogens, leading to adopting a proteomic approach in the identification of therapeutic targets for resolution of chronic inflammatory mucosal disease.

Eligibility

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject or a relevant Masters qualification.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.

The studentship is supported for 3 years and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend of £18,110 per annum 2023/24 rate (2024/25 rate TBC). The studentship will only fully fund those applicants who are eligible for Home fees with relevant qualifications. Applicants normally required to cover International fees will have to cover the difference between the Home and the International tuition fee rates (approximately £13,244 per annum 2024/25 rate).

NB: The studentship is supported for three years of the four-year registration period. The fourth year is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ year.

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Andrew Foey by e-mail andrew.foey@plymouth.ac.uk.

To apply for this position please click on the Apply button above.

Please clearly state the name of the studentship that you are applying for on the top of your personal statement.

Please see here for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application.

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our How to Apply for a Research Degree webpage or contact the Doctoral College.

The closing date for applications on Friday 31^st May 2024. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview week of 10^th - 14^th June, 2024, shortly after the deadline. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications.  Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Advert information