Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT): Investigation of the expression and functional roles of proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases and modulation by small molecules

We invite applications for a 3-year self-funded PhD project to investigate molecular pathways in neurodegenerative diseases to find new therapeutics.

Processes that regulate protein degradation in neurons are of fundamental importance for normal cell function. Perturbations of degradative systems and the resulting protein aggregations are implicated in a wide range of neuropathological conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Motor Neuron Disease. A prominent feature of these neurodegenerative disorders is the accumulation of proteins that can overwhelm various pathways. Membrane protein degradation occurs via their sorting (after ubiquitination) into intralumenal vesicles of late endosomes to form multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and subsequent fusion with lysosomes, targets these proteins for degradation. This initial sorting event is primarily mediated by large protein complexes known as Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRTs). Misregulation and mutations in ESCRT proteins and their interacting endosomal proteins have been linked to many diseases (e.g. cancer, infection, wound healing and neurodegenerative diseases). Understanding these mechanisms will provide therapeutic opportunities to prevent synapse loss that is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Motor Neuron Disease. The PhD candidate will be involved in testing the hypothesis that small molecules can be employed to modulate ESCRT function within neurodegenerative models and studying ESCRT mechanisms in regulating receptor trafficking in neurons, which has the potential to identify new molecular targets for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative diseases.

This project uses state-of the-art techniques including molecular cell biology, molecular pharmacology, molecular neuroscience and drug discovery packages.

You will be part of highly active research environment with an excellent track record in PhD training and completion.

How to apply

Formal applications can be made through the University of Bradford web site. Applicants should register an account, choose ‘Full-time PhD in Cancer Therapeutics’ as the course, and provide the project title on the ‘Research proposal’ section.

About the University of Bradford

Bradford is a research-active University supporting the highest-quality research. We excel in applying our research to benefit our stakeholders by working with employers and organisations world-wide across the private, public, voluntary and community sectors and actively encourage and support our postgraduate researchers to engage in research and business development activities.

Faculty of Life Sciences

The faculty comprises a mixture of academic divisions, research centres and outreach facilities. We provide high-quality teaching with a professional focus and engage in cutting-edge research – which we seek to apply through our extensive links with industry and business. We also offer a wide range of postgraduate taught and research courses.

Many of our academics are active researchers and international research experts.

Our interdisciplinary research themes are focus on:

• Computational and Data-driven Science
• Interface of Chemistry Biology and Materials
• Health, Society, People and Place
• The Life Course

Our research centres include:

• Centre for Pharmaceutical Engineering Science
• Digital Health Enterprise Zone
• Institute of Cancer Therapeutics
• Wolfson Centre for Applied Research

University investment in research support services, equipment and infrastructure provides an excellent research environment and broad portfolio of developmental opportunities.

Positive Action Statement

At the University of Bradford our vision is a world of inclusion and equality of opportunity, where people want to, and can, make a difference. We place equality and diversity, inclusion, and a commitment to social mobility at the centre of our mission and ethos. In working to make a difference we are committed to addressing systemic inequality and disadvantages experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students.

Under sections 158-159 of the Equality Act 2010, positive action can be taken where protected group members are under-represented. At Bradford, our data show that people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups who are UK nationals are significantly under-represented at the postgraduate researcher level. 

These are lawful measures designed to address systemic and structural issues which result in the under-representation of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic students in PGR studies.