Postgraduate Opportunities
Newcastle University
Supervisor: Professor John Loughlin
Sponsor: Arthritis Research Campaign
Institute: Institute of Cellular Medicine
Duration: 3 years from October 2008
Brief description of the project
You will work under the supervision of Professor John Loughlin, a world-leader in osteoarthritis (OA) genetics, and you will conduct molecular genetic and functional analysis of OA susceptibility loci that arise as part of large-scale genome-wide association scans (GWAS). At present there is a major OA GWAS underway entailing an analysis of 8000 OA cases and 6000 controls. This study, known as arcOGEN, is being funded by the Arthritis Research Campaign and is led by Professor Loughlin. There is also a pan-European project called TREAT-OA that is funded by the EU to collate together data from a number of OA genetic studies, with Professor Loughlin as a co-applicant.
These two studies are highlighting a number of novel OA loci and this studentship will embark on detailed studies of one or more of the loci. One component of the functional work will be an analysis of gene expression, in particular allelic expression effects of candidate polymorphisms using RNA extracted from the joint tissues of OA patients. There is also the potential for the student to investigate novel in-vitro strategies for the delivery to articular joint tissues of small molecules identified via the GWAS studies as a first step toward translating the finds from the OA genetic projects.
Person Specification
Applicants should have a first-class or upper-second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in a biological science subject.
Value of the Award and Eligibility
Due to funding criteria, this studentship is only available to UK and EU students. The award covers tuition fees and provides for an annual stipend starting at £16,748 per annum.
How to Apply
To apply for the studentship please complete the University’s online postgraduate application form (www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply), selecting PhD Faculty of Medical Sciences as the programme of study and quoting the reference number CMS47. Only mandatory fields need to be completed (no personal statement required) and a covering letter and CV should be attached to the application form.
Further information
Informal enquiries are strongly encouraged and can be made to Professor Loughlin, john.loughlin@ncl.ac.uk
Closing date: 13 June 2008
Funding information
- Funding applies to:
- EU applicants (including UK)
