MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Understanding how diabetes affects retinal cell crosstalk

We are inviting applications for a PhD research project to investigate how diabetes impacts communication between different cell types in the retina, which will enable to unlock new treatments for diabetic eye disease.

Why is this research important? Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes, affecting millions worldwide and leading to vision impairment and blindness. By 2045, It is estimated that 160 million people will suffer from this condition. Current research has mainly focused on how diabetes impacts blood vessels in the eye, but the retina is made up of over 12 different cell types that communicate with each other to maintain eye health. We believe that changes in this communication play a crucial role in diabetic retinopathy, and this project aims to uncover how.

We hypothesised that cell-to-cell communication within the retina is altered in diabetes. The aim of this research project is to investigate how diabetes alters the way retinal cells communicate, leading to disease progression. This work will fill a critical knowledge gap and could lead to the discovery of new treatments to prevent vision loss.

As part of this exciting project, you will:

1.     Uncover how diabetes changes cell communication in the retina.

2.     Investigate how the diabetic environment affects interactions between different cell types.

3.     Identify drugs that can restore healthy cell communication disrupted by diabetes.

To deliver this work, we will employ a wide range of research techniques, including PCR, Western blotting, flow cytometry, bioinformatics tools, high-resolution microscopy, advanced cell culture systems, and retinal organoid cultures.

This PhD project offers a fantastic opportunity to gain essential skills in a vibrant and supportive research environment, setting you up for a successful career in biomedical research.

The two supervisors have extensive research expertise in diabetic retinopathy, vascular biology, stem cell biology, and organoid biology.

Primary Supervisor. Professor Reinhold Medina. Professor of Vision and Vascular Sciences. Head of the Department of Eye and Vision Sciences. University of Liverpool.

Secondary Supervisor. Professor Majlinda Lako. Professor of Stem Cell Science. University of Newcastle.

Benefits of being in the DiMeN DTP:

This project is part of the Discovery Medicine North Doctoral Training Partnership (DiMeN DTP), a diverse community of PhD students across the North of England researching the major health problems facing the world today. Our partner institutions (Universities of Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, York and Sheffield) are internationally recognised as centres of research excellence and can offer you access to state-of-the-art facilities to deliver high impact research.

We are very proud of our student-centred ethos and committed to supporting you throughout your PhD. As part of the DTP, we offer bespoke training in key skills sought after in early career researchers, as well as opportunities to broaden your career horizons in a range of non-academic sectors.

Being funded by the MRC means you can access additional funding for research placements, training opportunities or internships in science policy, science communication and beyond. Further information on the programme and how to apply can be found on our website:

https://www.dimen.org.uk/