Postgraduate Study Opportunities

The University of Sheffield is one of the UK's top universities in terms of its teaching and research, as rated by The Times Good University Guide, the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, HEFCE Teaching Quality Assessments and the Virgin 2008 Alternative Guide to UK Universities. The Department of Cardiovascular Science is able to offer students state of the art laboratories, 24/7 access to library and computing facilities, excellent accommodation, world class sporting facilities and easy access to the stunning countryside of the Peak District National Park.

Three main types of graduate activities take place in the Department of Cardiovascular Science and the Medical School.

Taught Courses

The Medical School at Sheffield offers a range of taught postgraduate courses, some of which will be of interest to clinicians, who wish to specialise in a given area of work, others will be of interest to postgraduates wishing to explore clinical sciences in greater depth, or start a career in medical research.

PhD research degrees

Graduates with, or who expect to receive either a first class, or upper second class degree, or who already have a Master's qualification in a suitable subject are eligible to apply on PhD programmes within the Medical School. These are degrees by research, and offer you the chance to make a unique contribution to your selected field of study.

MD Research Degrees

Graduates in Medicine who are interested in research may be eligible to apply for the research degree of MD.

Current Opportunties in the Department of Cardiovascular Science.

Details of studentships will appear here when available. Many funded PhD projects are available throughout the year. Some of these projects are in competition for funding with the other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be awarded the funding.

  • PhD Project: Coronary angioplasty risk scoring.
    We have established a robust 'Sheffield' risk scoring system based upon clinical criteria for patients undergoing coronary angioplasty. We now seek to incorporate systematic lesion-based factors to improve the predictive accuracy of the scores. You would learn all about coronary artery disease, its latest management and the associated risks in this clinically-based project in association with the Sheffield NIHR CV-Biomedical Research Unit. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Julian Gunn, j.gunn@sheffield.ac.uk.

  • PhD Project: Identification and characterisation of a putative OPG receptor on pulmonary arterial vascular smooth muscle cells.
    We have recently identified up-regulated expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and current data suggest that OPG plays an important role in disease pathogenesis. This project will identify OPG binding partners expressed by pulmonary artery vascular smooth muscle cells, characterise the down-stream signalling pathways and determine their role in disease pathogenesis. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Allan Lawrie, a.lawrie@sheffield.ac.uk.

  • PhD Project: Regulation of IL-1RI complex formation through TILRR- a novel co-receptor .
    We have recently identified a novel co-receptor, TILRR, which amplifies inflammatory responses controlled by the type I IL-1 receptor (IL-1RI). Our data show that TILRR associates with the signalling receptor IL-1RI and enhances activation of the transcription factor NF-kB and induction of inflammatory genes. We have demonstrated that TILRR is expressed in a variety of cell types, including vascular cells. The current project will focus on identifying changes in receptor complex composition and function which underlies these changes in cell responses, and determining their relevance to vascular disease . Informal enquiries can be directed to Professor Eva E Qwarnstrom, e.qwarnstrom@sheffield.ac.uk.

  • PhD Project: MicroRNA activity in Acute Coronary Syndromes: discovery of novel functional miRs and potential new drug targets using deep sequencing assays.
    MicroRNAs (miRs) are a class of RNAs that regulate expression by acting - on “target” genes. They are therefore “master” controllers of the majority of human genes, and orchestrate a wide variety of biological and pathological processes. Very little is known about miR expression in disease, including cardiovascular disease. The goals of this study are to discover novel microRNAs in samples taken from patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction (heart attack) that can be used as biomarkers and facilitate the development of molecules targeted to specific miRs for use as drug therapy. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Marta Milo, m.milo@sheffield.ac.uk or Dr Tim Chico, t.j.chico@sheffield.ac.uk.

  • PhD Project: Identification of transcriptional biomarkers for Acute Coronary Syndromes.
    Acute coronary syndrome (myocardial infarction (MI) and unstable angina) is the commonest cause of death in the developed world. This project will use RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) performed using deep sequencing of RNA taken from patients after a heart attack, to robustly identify candidate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as candidate genetic functional variations associated to the disease. The project will make use of the available gene expression data currently being collected by Affymetrix GeneChip assays on the same set of samples, to focus the RNA-Seq assays on specific genomic regions of interest. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Marta Milo, m.milo@sheffield.ac.uk or Dr Tim Chico, t.j.chico@sheffield.ac.uk.

  • PhD Project: The role of P2Y12 in inflammation in zebrafish.
    The platelet receptor P2Y12 is a key mediator of thrombosis, but is also expressed on inflammatory cells and may be required for inflammatory cell recruitment. This project will use novel transgenic zebrafish to determine the role of P2Y12 in thrombosis and inflammation, and test the effect of novel P2Y12 antagonists in these models. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Tim Chico, t.j.chico@sheffield.ac.uk or Dr Rob Storey, r.f.storey@sheffield.ac.uk.

  • PhD Project: Preventing and treating vascular disease by ultrasound gene therapy.
    Interleukin -1 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in atherosclerotic vascular disease. Treatment with the endogenous inhibitor interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1 RA) is effective in animal models of vascular disease and is being tested in patients with acute coronary syndromes in a major MRC-funded clinical trial (CI Prof Crossman, Sheffield). However, IL1-RA must be given as daily subcutaneous injections, which is inconvenient and very expensive. We have evidence to show that longer term therapeutic levels of IL-1RA may be achieved by the alternative approach of ultrasound-mediated gene therapy (UMGT). This project will optimise UMGT in models of vascular injury as a prelude to potential clinical studies in patients. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Chris Newman, c.newman@sheffield.ac.uk.

  • PhD Project: Investigation and Optimisation of a Method for Strain Measurement based on Stereoscopy and Image Registration.
    The Medical Physics group at the University of Sheffield is developing expertise in optical methods for the measurement of strain. Currently, a stereoscopic approach permits 3D analysis from a limited distribution of spatially discrete landmarks visible on the object surface (either naturally occurring or manually imprinted). This PhD will investigate techniques for overcoming such limitations using image registration, complemented by various optimisations that can refine its implementation. This will require familiarisation with stereoscopy, registration theory and its implementation within a finite element framework. Computer algorithms will be developed and optimised with migration to a GPU platform as an end goal. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr John Fenner, j.w.fenner@sheffield.ac.uk.

How to Apply

  1. Complete an on-line application form.
  2. Send a full CV, via email to Melanie Lovatt, m.j.lovatt@sheffield.ac.uk, or hard copy to Melanie Lovatt, Research Administrator, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX.

    Please remember to state which project you're applying for.


See also