The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary is one of the UK’s elite research centres, according to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). We offer a multi-disciplinary research environment and have approximately 180 PhD students working on projects in the biological and psychological sciences. Our students have access to a variety of research facilities supported by experienced staff, as well as a range of student support services.
Our PhD students become part of Queen Mary’s Doctoral College which provides training and development opportunities, advice on funding, and financial support for research. Our students also have access to a Researcher Development Programme designed to help recognise and develop key skills and attributes needed to effectively manage research, and to prepare and plan for the next stages of their career. The Department of Psychology, SBBS, and Queen Mary, provide a environment for high quality training.
Autoimmune diseases are a major burden to our society which affects a vast number of the UK population. There are about 3 million people diagnosed with conditions such a rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, or type I diabetes. These are long-term illnesses which persist through-out the patient’s life which incur combined costs of 13 billion pound per year to our health system. A major contributing factor for the etiology of autoimmune disease is the dysregulation of cellular immune signals, which result in an uncontrolled inflammatory response to certain stimuli.
A central role in this process plays a molecule known as NFkappaB, which activates various genes required to trigger an inflammatory reaction. The function of NFkappaB is usually tightly regulated and only activated if an inflammatory response is beneficial. Since imbalanced activity of the NFkappaB pathway is a widely recognized cause for pathological inflammation, a major aim in the research area of autoimmune diseases is to understand the regulation of NFkappaB in detail. One of the main regulatory mechanisms is facilitated by an enzyme called LUBAC. This enzyme attaches a molecule chain know as linear poly-ubiquitin onto several components of the NFkappaB activation pathway. Although linear poly-ubiquitin is a potent activator for the inflammatory response, the mechanism which control the production of linear-poly ubiquitin is not well understood.
This project focusses on the molecular characterisation of a recently identified molecule N4BP1 which regulates this activity. We aim to identify a detailed function of this protein and will deliver a molecular analysis how N4BP1 integrates into the process of linear poly-ubiquitin synthesis and attachment to target proteins. The findings of this research project will provide an atomic description about the regulatory role of N4BP1 which aids the discovery of new therapeutic avenues for the intervention of autoinflammatory disease.
This studentship is open to students applying for CONACyT funding. CONACyT will provide a contribution towards your tuition fees each year and Queen Mary will waive the remaining fee. CONACyT will pay a stipend towards living costs to its scholars. Further information can be found here: https://conacyt.mx/convocatorias/convocatorias-becas-al-extranjero/
Please refer to the CONACyT website here: https://conacyt.mx/convocatorias/convocatorias-becas-al-extranjero/ for full details on eligibility and conditions on the scholarship.
Applications are invited from outstanding candidates with or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in Biology, Biochemistry or Pharmacology. A masters degree is highly desirable, but not essential. The candidate should have strong interest in Structural Biology.
Applicants from outside of the UK are required to provide evidence of their English language ability. Please see our English language requirements page for details: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/international-students/englishlanguagerequirements/postgraduateresearch/
Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Ben Stieglitz at b.stieglitz@qmul.ac.uk
Applicants will need to complete an online application form to be considered, including a CV, personal statement and qualifications. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a formal interview by the project supervisor. Those who are successful in their application for our PhD programme will be issued with an offer letter which is conditional on securing a CONACyT scholarship (as well as any academic conditions still required to meet our entry requirements).
Once applicants have obtained their offer letter from Queen Mary they should then apply to CONACyT for the scholarship as per their requirements and deadlines, with the support of the project supervisor.
Only applicants who are successful in their application to CONACyT can be issued an unconditional offer and enrol on our PhD programme.
Apply Online