PhD studentship in Neuromuscular disorders: Modelling of Disease Progression in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) through Multi-Omic and Clinical Data Integration

Award Summary

This is a 4-year studentship.  Stipend of £18,873 (stipend may be uplifted subject to confirmation) and home fees are covered.  

Overview

Interested in using your computational and bioinformatic skills to predict the evolution of rare diseases?  

FSHD is a rare neuromuscular disorder. No approved treatment is currently available. Slow and variable disease progression complicate trial design and significantly impair treatment development. The ability to identify patients at risk of rapid progression and to predict the extent of muscle degeneration in a specific individual are critical unmet needs. While muscle imaging from well-characterised patients and transcriptomic technologies provide rich data, these remain under-utilised for predictive modelling. Using machine learning, this project aims to generate integrated disease progression models, enabling the identification of patients likely to deteriorate more rapidly. Results will also enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms and suggest hypotheses for therapeutic targeting.  

This PhD studentship is part of the LifeArc ARDT, a UK-wide £12m partnership between Newcastle, Birmingham, and Belfast to accelerate rare disease trials. Students will receive training, engage in translational research, and collaborate across institutions. More info: https://rarediseasetrials.org.uk/. 

The PhD will be hosted at the John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre (JWMDRC), at Newcastle University. The JWMDRC is a Centre of excellence which brings together clinicians, geneticists, data scientists, biologists, and bioinformaticians from around the world under one roof, fostering a uniquely multidisciplinary and translationally focused environment. 

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

September 2025 

Award Duration

4 years 

Application Closing Date

10th August 2025 

Sponsor

This PhD project is funded and sponsored by LifeArc under grant no. 10747. LifeArc is a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1015243) and Scotland (no. SC037861). 

Supervisors

Primary supervisor: Prof. G.Tasca. 

Co-supervisors: Prof. J.Diaz-Manera, Dr. S.Cockell.  

Eligibility Criteria

• You must have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent, in a subject relating to biology/bioinformatics/data sciences 
• Competency in using bioinformatic software packages  
• MRes in a relevant discipline and previous experience in handling transcriptomic datasets are advantageous.  
• Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills. 
• Successful international candidates will be required to fund the difference between the home and international fees. 

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Application Portal: https://applyto.newcastle.ac.uk/ 

In ‘Course choice’ tab, put ‘Postgraduate Research’ in 'Type of Study', ‘Full Time’ in ‘Mode of Study’, ‘2025’ in ‘Year of Entry’, code ‘8440F’ in ‘Course Title’, blank in ‘Research Area’. Press ‘Search’, select ‘PhD Translational and Clinical Research (FT)’, and save selection. 

Either upload a document or write into ‘Personal Statement’. Put code ‘TC121’ in ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’. 

When prompted for research proposal, select ‘Write Proposal’. Type in the title of the research project from this advert. A research proposal is not required. 

You can also upload a covering letter/CV, stating how your interests and experience relate to the project. 

Degree transcripts/certificates and, if English is not your first language, a copy of your English language qualification if completed must be uploaded. 

Contact Details

Prof. G.Tasca, giorgio.tasca@newcastle.ac.uk

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