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Prediction of Alzheimer's disease risk using integrative metabolomics and other omic technologies.

 

Start date:  1st October 2018

Award: 1 fully funded 3 year PhD studentship (funded by the van Geest Endowment Fund) 

Project

We are advertising an exciting three-year data-science PhD studentship, funded by the van Geest Endowment fund.This is an excellent opportunity for candidates who wish to develop a career in data science, biostatistics and bioinformatics. The student will use large multi-omic datasets and well-characterised longitudinal cohorts with a wealth of biological and clinical data. The successful candidate will apply cutting edge methodology and will have the opportunity to develop novel methods with an application to dementia.

The main aim of the project is to integrate peripheral metabolite with other omics data,  such as genetic and proteomic data, to predict Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) outcomes including clinical diagnosis, brain atrophy and β-amyloid deposition and to identify causal pathways involved in disease pathogenesis.

The studentships offer the opportunity to work on one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century. Worldwide, about 47 million people are estimated to have dementia, the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), with the number projected to increase to more than 75 million by 2030. Since most dementias have a long pre-symptomatic phase it is important to identify targets for intervention at an early stage. Blood metabolites are easily accessible and potentially modifiable small molecules that closely represent the physiological status of an organism, reflecting what has been encoded by the genome and modified by systemic and environmental exposures.  Markers of lipid metabolism have received particular attention in the context of AD.  We have previously shown associations of blood lipids such as phosphatidyl cholines (PCs), long chain triglycerides and ceramides with AD, cognitive decline and brain atrophy and between fatty acids and HDL subclasses and cognition in late midlife. However, the exact nature of the underlying biological mechanisms of these associations remains unclear. This project will identify markers of AD diagnosis, prediction and progression and will subsequently interrogate whether these lie in the causal pathway to the studied outcomes and investigate the pathways through which they mediate disease susceptibility.  Results from this project could be used to stratify individuals for treatment and aid the development of effective targeted therapeutics. 

Candidates should be enthusiastic and dedicated, with a background in bioinformatics, statistics, computer science or a similar field, or in biological sciences with quantitative skills experience.

The successful applicant will benefit from being supervised by experts in the fields of Alzheimer’s disease genetics/ genetic epidemiology, bioinformatics, and metabolomics. The applicant will be based at the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience at the world leading Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, at the Institute of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Psychology (IoPPN), at King’s College London.  The student will interact with world-class basic and clinical neuroscientists at the UK Dementia Research Institute at King’s College London that drives a strong translational mission for neurodegenerative disorders. The applicant will also interact with bioinformaticians from the department of Biostatistics at the IoPPN where the 2nd supervisor is based,  as well as with analytical chemists from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and the University of Denmark through collaboration with Dr Cristina Legido-Quigley.

Supervisors: Dr Petra Proitsi, Professor Richard Dobson, and Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi.

Entry requirements: Applicants should have a Bachelors degree with at least 2:1 honours. A 2:2 degree may be considered only where applicants also offer a Masters with Merit.

Award types and eligibility: Fully funded for three years, Home/EU tuitions fees (studentship not available to Overseas applicants), annual stipend and some research and travel costs.

How to apply:

Applicants must complete and submit an online admissions application, via the admissions portal by midnight (23:59 GMT), Sunday 8th July 2018. 

On the ‘Choosing a programme’ page, please select ‘Research degrees’ and enter the keyword Neuroscience Research MPhil/PhD (Full-time).

In your application, you will be asked to include:

  • Academic Transcripts – where applicable, academic transcripts must be submitted with the online admissions application
  • Details of your qualifications (you will need to attach copies)
  • Details of any previous employment
  • A personal statement describing your interests. Please include this as an attachment rather than using the text box.
  • Academic References – all admissions applications require two supporting references. If the applicant is relying on his/her referees to submit references directly to the College after he/she has submitted his/her admissions application, then the applicant must ensure that their chosen referees are made aware of the funding deadline.

In the Funding section, please tick box 5 and include the following reference:

    PP-PhD-2018

Please note there is no need to complete the Research Proposal section in your application as the project has already been set.

You are welcome to email Dr Petra Proitsi for more information regarding the project and studentship.

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact Lauren Soules, Postgraduate Research Administrative Assistant. 

References must be received by the deadline for the applicant to be eligible.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Closing date: 8th July 2018 (23:59 GMT)

Interviews: 23rd July 2018

 

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