Investigation into lung microvasculature heterogeneity and how inflammation impacts spatial interaction.

Call for Applications for October 2025

Supervisors: Dr Régis Joulia, Professor Beata Wojciak-Stothard

Applications are invited for a BHF CRE 3-year PhD studentship starting in October 2025 funded jointly by the Imperial BHF Centre of Research Excellence (BHF CRE) and the NIHR Imperial BRC

Students will join a well-established doctoral training program with bespoke teaching activities, seminars, mentors and workshops.

The Cardiovascular Sections of the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, are located within the Main Campus at South Kensington, the Brompton Campus and Hammersmith/White City Campus. Students will have the opportunity to work in state-of-the-art facilities within a highly developed research environment where our ambition is to translate research findings to help those with cardiovascular diseases. All students benefit from a full programme of training in research and transferable skills organised through the Graduate School, the quality of which has been recognised several times at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.

Project summary

The BHF CRE & BRC 3-year PhD studentship will address a topic of the BHF CRE Cardiovascular Disease Heterogeneity, is interdisciplinary and will cover one or more of the CRE themes – please visit our website for more information:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/bhf-research-excellence/ https://imperialbrc.nihr.ac.uk/research/cardiovascular/

The labs of Dr. Régis Joulia and Prof. Beata Wojciak-Stothard are based at the Hammersmith/White City Campus focuses on understanding the impact of lung diseases on the vasculature using advanced imaging tools, from large whole-organ imaging to high-resolution methods that uncover intricate cell-cell interactions.

The skills gained in lab of the supervisors will be invaluable for the next generation of researchers, especially as bioinformatics becomes essential for modern scientific research. Beyond providing the necessary scientific training, we are committed to equipping the student with key professional skills, including effective presentation, work organization, and fostering awareness of equality, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and a positive research environment culture.

Project summary: The lungs are the organ with the highest density of blood vessels. During diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, patients experience not only breathing difficulties but also heart and vascular complications. This is because the blood vessels in the lungs undergo significant changes due to the disease. These changes affect the identity of individual cells and how they interact with each other.

In our laboratory, we have identified specific areas within the lungs where blood vessels possess a unique capacity to trigger highly efficient immune responses. While this capability is beneficial during microbial infections, as it promotes inflammation to combat pathogens, it becomes detrimental during chronic conditions like COPD and asthma. These areas are characterised by a distinct architecture, requiring us to study the lung as a whole to understand how they function and how they might be targeted for therapeutic interventions.

The primary aim of this project is to identify the specific cells present in these proinflammatory regions and understand how they interact. We refer to this approach as “neighbourhood analysis,” as it involves studying how the entire microenvironment changes during disease. The student will:

1. Learn and develop advanced techniques: utilise cutting-edge tools to investigate how the architecture of blood vessels is altered in human diseases.
2. Conduct neighbourhood analysis: examine cellular interactions within these proinflammatory areas to determine their contribution to inflammation.
3. Advance therapeutic insights: contribute to developing more precise treatments that target these specific regions, potentially improving outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disorders associated with lung diseases.

This project offers an exciting opportunity to gain deeper insights into blood vessel function and architecture, with the ultimate goal of improving therapies for individuals suffering from chronic lung and vascular diseases.

Potential applicants can contact the primary supervisor, Dr. Régis Joulia ([email protected]) for informal request about the PhD position.

Applicant Requirements

Applicants must:

1.    Hold a first or upper second-class undergraduate honours degree or equivalent in an appropriate subject from a recognised academic institution.

2.    Masters in a relevant subject

3.    English language requirements.

4.    Basic knowledge of vascular and lung biology.

5.    Experience of immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and RNA extraction.

6.    Expertise in bioinformatics recommended but full training will be provided 

7.    Strong communication and team skills

8.    Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature

9.    Willingness to undertake any necessary training for the role

How to Apply

To apply, please email Jaya Rajamanie ([email protected]) with the following documents.

–       Your CV

–       The names and addresses of at least two academic referees.

–       A personal statement of no more than 1,000 words explaining your interest in the project.

–       Please ensure that you specify your degree classification for your undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (and attach scanned copies of your certificates if possible).

Selected candidates will get a tour of the relevant campus. Please assume that your application has not been successful if you have not heard from us within a month of the closing date.

Closing date for all applications: 31 March 2025

Interviews will be held in person in April.