2017/18
School of Health and Life Sciences /
Project Title: Identification of novel biomarkers of ocular surface inflammation and retinopathy in patients with diabetes
Project Reference Number: S2017SHLS004
Key words: Vision, Diabetes, Inflammation
Applications are invited for a full-time PhD research studentship at Glasgow Caledonian University within the School of Health and Life Sciences. The studentship of £19,100 per year is for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress. The studentship covers the payment of tuition fees (currently £4,300 for UK/EU students or £15,000 for international students) plus an annual stipend of £14,800 for UK/EU students or an annual scholarship of £4,100 for international students.
Project Summary
Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most common eye diseases and reasons for patients to seek eyecare. It is associated with ageing and autoimmune disease, and symptoms include pain, blurred vision, and in severe cases, blindness. DED also has a significant impact on patient quality of life (QoL), and patients have reported effects on their QoL similar to those observed for patients with angina, hip fractures and those undergoing dialysis. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease affecting 347 million people globally and is predicted to double by 2030. DM is associated with ocular surface disorders (reduced tear fluid, impaired corneal wound healing, corneal nerve damage), and type 2 patients show a particularly high DED prevalence compared to their non-diabetic counterparts. Moreover, up to 5 million people are blind due to diabetic retinopathy (DR). Thus the global epidemic of DM will result in increased numbers of patients with DED and DR. In a recent pilot study, we showed a significant association between DM and DED incidence, which together worsened the QoL of patients. Moreover, our previous work has shown significantly increased cytokines in tear fluids of patients with DED, versus normals.However, to date, no studies have investigated tear protein profiles specifically as markers of diabetes-associated DED and/or DR. This will be the first study to investigate tear fluid inflammatory proteins (cytokines)of patients with type-2 diabetes-associated DED. Tear proteomes will be assessed alongside DED prevalence and other clinical parameters.
Example References
Zhang X, et al. Dry Eye Syndrome in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: Prevalence, Etiology, and Clinical Characteristics. J Ophthalmol. 2016;2016:8201053.Costagliola V., et al. TNF-Alpha Levels in Tears: A Novel Biomarker to Assess the Degree of Diabetic Retinopathy. Mediators Inflamm. 2013;2013:629529.
Hagan S, Tomlinson A. Tear Fluid Biomarker Profiling: A Review of Multiplex Bead Analysis. Ocular Surface. 2013; 11(4):219-35.
Aims
This PhD will focus, for the first time, on tear fluid protein profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is anticipated this work will correlate QoL and DED in the rapidly-increasing type 2 diabetes demographic, while also identifying novel biomarkers of diabetes-associated DED (and DR, where present), which may be used as an early-screening tool to identify DED before chronic surface damage occurs.Research Supervisors
Candidates are encouraged to contact the following researchers for further details:
· Dr Suzanne Hagan, , (http://www.gcu.ac.uk/hls/staff/drsuzannehagan/)
· Prof Andrew Collier, is
Mode(s) of Study
The studentship is available as a 3 year full-time PhD.
Eligibility
Applicants will normally hold a UK honours degree 2:1 (or equivalent); or a Masters degree in a subject relevant to the research project. Equivalent professional qualifications and any appropriate research experience may be considered. A minimum English language level of IELTS score of 6.5 (or equivalent) with no element below 6.0 is required. Some research disciplines may require higher levels.
Specific requirements of the project:
The successful applicant will either be a) a qualified optometrist (or ophthalmologist) with an interest in cell biology or b) have a relevant Life Sciences background with a particular interest in biomarkers of eye disease.
How to Apply
Candidates are encouraged to contact the research supervisor(s) for the project before applying. Applicants should download and complete the GCU Research Application Form, available from: http://www.gcu.ac.uk/phdopportunities stating the Project Title and Reference Number (listed above).
The completed GCU Research Application form should be sent with copies of academic qualifications (including IELTS if required), 2 references and any other relevant documentation to: . Applicants shortlisted for a PhD studentship will be contacted for an interview.
The closing date for applications is Monday 3 April 2017
Version1.1Feb17