Chronic psychosocial stress as a risk factor for developing Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the fastest growing neurological disorder globally. However, it remains incurable due to our lack of understanding of its aetiology and pathophysiology. Studies have shown that 90-95% of PD cases do not have a genetic cause and may develop due to environmental factors such as exposure to chronic psychosocial stress. Exposure to chronic stress has been shown to damage cells by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation. Interestingly all these processed have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. Furthermore, several recent observational studies have shown that individuals with high-stress level jobs and post-traumatic stress syndrome are at a higher risk of developing PD. Despite such strong evidence linking stress to PD, whether chronic stress does lead to development of PD later in life and if so, the mechanisms through which this happens remains unknown.

This project directly addresses these questions through employment of a range of cutting-edge research techniques including histology, pharmacology, molecular biology and behavioural assays, with the overall aim of providing invaluable insight into pathogenesis of PD and its prevention.

Enquiries

Potential applicants can contact Dr Mohsen Seifi, for any questions about the project or for informal enquiries (mohsen.seifi@dmu.ac.uk).

Applicants must:

• Possess a UK Honours degree with at least an upper second class, or overseas equivalent degree, or a relevant Masters qualification.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of the English language. Please see section 5b here for further details on meeting our English language entry criteria.

The deadline to apply is Monday 8^th July 2024.

Information on how to apply for this scholarship please visit https://www.dmu.ac.uk/doctoral-college/study/scholarships.aspx