Deciphering the metabolic regulation of inflammasome activation

A 3-year PhD studentship is available to work in the laboratory of Dr Paras Anand, in the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London. The successful applicant will be joining an internationally renowned Department, within one of the world’s top research universities. 

The laboratory of Dr Paras Anand is broadly focused on understanding how metabolic processes regulate innate immune signalling, with a particular emphasis on the NLRP3 inflammasome. The NLRP3 inflammasome is a critical mediator of inflammation, playing pivotal roles in infections, chronic inflammatory conditions, and autoimmune diseases. Our previous work established a role for lipid metabolism, specifically cholesterol trafficking, as a key regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome activation (J Cell Biology, 2018). More recently, we discovered the requirement of post-translational lipid modification of NLRP3 (NLRP3 palmitoylation) for inflammasome assembly and activation (Cell Reports, 2024).

This exciting PhD project will explore the roles of metabolic pathways in inflammasome activation. The aim is to uncover how lipid metabolism influences inflammasome activity and identify novel pathways to calibrate inflammatory response and immunity to pathogens. The project will utilize cutting-edge methodologies, including CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, high-resolution microscopy, lipidomics, and biochemical assays, to uncover mechanistic insights.

We seek a highly motivated individual with a strong interest in immunology. Experience in innate immunity, inflammasomes, or metabolism will be a plus. The selected candidate will work at the interface of immunology and cell biology (training will be provided), while extensively using biochemistry, molecular biology, and experimental models to gain mechanistic insights into inflammasome activation. This work will be carried out in collaboration with Dr. Alejandra Tomas’ lab at Imperial.

 Imperial College London is among the top 10 universities in the world. The university provides support with high-quality training and career development activities that include development of skills essential for career progression. The student will be based in the Department of Infectious Disease at the Hammersmith Hospital Campus of Imperial College London.

Eligibility: Candidates must have a first class or upper second-class Honours degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant subject area. 

How to Apply: To apply, please send your CV (with contact details of 2 academic referees) and a research statement (max. 1.5 pages) describing why you are suitable for this PhD studentship as a single PDF file, to Ms. Devina Alexandra (devina.alexander@imperial.ac.uk) by Monday, 27^th January 2025. Please name your PDF file as (FirstName_LastName_PhDApp). Informal enquires can be sent to Dr Paras Anand (paras.anand@imperial.ac.uk). Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.