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Understanding the molecular biology underlying environmental exposure and identifying biomarkers of resilience to non-communicable diseases

School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences | PHD

Applications are now CLOSED
Funding
Funded
Reference Number
SMED-2231-1243
Application Deadline
9 May 2023
Start Date
1 October 2023

Overview

Quantifying the numerous impacts of the urban environment on cancer and other chronic diseases is critical. This studentship will use multi-omic data to conduct pathway-based enrichment analyses to define the functional contribution of exposure-associated (urban environment) changes in methylation levels influencing cancer and other chronic diseases.

This PhD project will use state-of-the-art approaches to explore how a person’s outdoor environment (i.e. the built and physical environment characteristics) ‘gets under the skin’, by identifying biomarkers associated with environmental stressors and resilience factors that help people live better lives for longer.

Quantifying the numerous impacts of the urban environment on cognitive health and other chronic diseases is critical. Molecular biomarkers and individual characteristics, including chronic diseases, are fundamental determinants of health over the lifecourse. DNA methylation may provide a dynamic link mediating causal influences of lifestyle behaviours and urban environments on NCDs, demonstrating the need for further socio-biological insights from cohorts with multi-omic data. This studentship will use multi-omic data to conduct pathway-based enrichment analyses to define the functional contribution of exposure-associated (urban environment) changes in methylation levels influencing cancer and other chronic diseases.

Further details about the GroundsWell consortium can be found here:
https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/groundswell/

Funding Information

Funded by the Department for the Economy (DfE). For UK domiciled students the value of an award includes the cost of approved tuition fees and maintenance support (Fees £4,596, Stipend £15,609 – 2023 TBC). To be considered eligible you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the full 3 year period prior to the start of the studentship and you must be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland on the first day of the start of the studentship. For further information about eligibility criteria please refer to the DfE Postgraduate Studentship Terms and Conditions 2022-23 at https://go.qub.ac.uk/dfeterms

Project Summary
Supervisor

Professor Ruth Hunter

Research Profile


Mode of Study

Full-time: 3 years


Funding Body
DfE leveraged for GroundsWell consortium
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