Department of Infection and Immunity

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 Infection and Immunity 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 Infection and Immunity and the Medical School.

Current Opportunties in the Department of Infection & Immunity

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.

• Three PhD Scholarships in Infectious Disease
  Healthcare across the Disciplines aims to bring together researchers from non-medical backgrounds to work in partnership with medical professionals and researchers to develop solutions that will impact on patient care, lifelong health and wellbeing. As part of this research theme, three prestigious, University-funded, PhD scholarships are available to start in October 2010 as part of an integrated “Infectious Diseases Network”. The three linked projects will study S. aureus and its control at different scales from host interaction at the whole organism to cellular level through to the development of novel control regimes. Each project will be jointly supervised and be part of a vibrant network, facilitating an integrated, multidisciplinary approach. The scholarships are funded by the University for three years, providing a stipend of £13,650 per annum, home/EU fees and a research training grant of £1,000 p.a.
  
  For more information on the projects and details of how to apply, download more information from the box on the right hand side of the page. The deadline is 24 March 2010 at 5pm.
• PhD Project: Pathogenesis of Bacterial Meningitis - role of S-nitrosothiol depletion.
  The project will investigate the pathogenesis of meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia. Specifically the student will investigate whether and how Neisseria meningitidis perturbs host cell S-nitrosothiols and the effect of this on cell biology. Informal enquiries can be directed to Professor Rob Read, r.c.read@sheffield.ac.uk.
  
• PhD Project: Signal transduction mechanisms of the interleukin-25 receptor.
  This project will investigate the mechanisms by which the cytokine, IL-25, directs normal immune responses against parasites or triggers inappropriate allergic reactions. The focus will be on testing experimentally the involvement of a small number of candidate proteins. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Francois Guesdon, f.a.guesdon@sheffield.ac.uk.
  
• PhD Project: Regulation of expression of IL-25 in normal immunity against parasites and in allergic diseases.
  This project will investigate the mechanisms by which the expression of the Il-25 cytokine is regulated, both in the context of normal immune responses and in response to exposure to allergens. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Francois Guesdon, f.a.guesdon@sheffield.ac.uk.
  
• PhD Project: Cross-talk between bacterial virulence factors.
  There is evidence that there is genetic cross talk between the master regulator of the Aeromonas Type III secretion system (T3SS) and the Aeromonas lateral flagella colonisation system. We wish to confirm this evidence of cross-talk and investigate whether the lateral flagella systems master regulator (LafK) also affects T3SS expression. Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Jon Shaw, j.g.shaw@sheffield.ac.uk. For more information please download the further details from the box on the right.
  
• PhD Project: Probing the mechanism of a bacterial toxin-secreting machine.
  We have recently identified a novel mechanism for secretion of proteins in bacterial pathogens. This molecular machine has been termed the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) and we have determined that it is composed of 13 different protein subunits (many of which are likely to be present as oligomers, thereby adding to the complexity of the machine). Our work is aimed at building a picture of how the T6SS is organised and functions, and we are also interested in identifying the substrates (i.e. the 'effectors' or toxins) that are secreted by this system.
  
  References: 1. Cascales, E. (2008). The type VI secretion toolkit. EMBO Rep. 9, 735-741. 2. Mougous, J. D., Cuff, M. E., Raunser, S., Shen, A., Zhou, M., Gifford, C. A., Goodman, A. L., Joachimiak, G., Ordonez, C. L., Lory, S., Walz, T., Joachimiak, A. and Mekalanos, J. J. (2006). A virulence locus of Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes a protein secretion apparatus. Science 312, 1526-1530. 3. Pukatzki, S., Ma, A. T., Sturtevant, D., Krastins, B., Sarracino, D., Nelson, W. C., Heidelberg, J. F. and Mekalanos, J. J. (2006). Identification of a conserved bacterial protein secretion system in Vibrio cholerae using the Dictyostelium host model system. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103, 1528-1533. 4. Pukatzki, S., Ma, A. T., Revel, A.T., Sturtevant, D. and Mekalanos, J. J. (2007). Type VI secretion system translocates a phage tail spike-like protein into target cells where it cross-links actin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104, 15508-15513. 5. Pukatzki, S., McAuley, S.B. and Miyata, S.T. (2009) The type VI secretion system: translocation of effectors and effector-domains. Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 12, 11-17. 6. Shalom, G., Shaw, J.G. and Thomas, M.S. (2007). In vivo expression technology identifies a type VI secretion system in Burkholderia pseudomallei that is induced upon invasion of macrophages. Microbiology, 153, 2689-2699.
  
  Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Mark Thomas, m.s.thomas@sheffield.ac.uk.
  
• PhD Project: Consequences of HIV infection on endovascular cells.
  Cardiovascular disease has emerged as a leading cause of mortality in HIV positive individuals. Recent clinical trial data shows that individuals are at particular risk when not receiving antiretroviral therapy. The increased risk has been related to increased expression of biomarkers of inflammation and it has been suggested that this may lead to atherosclerotic plaque rupture. We will test the hypothesis that during HIV-1 infection aberrant monocyte-endothelial cell interactions mediate pro-inflammatory signaling, upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and increased endothelial cell apoptosis. The project will provide skills in cell culture, virology, immunology and cell biology. Informal enquiries can be directed to Professor David Dockrell, d.h.dockrell@sheffield.ac.uk.
  
• PhD Project: The regulation of neutrophil apoptosis: emerging roles for the pro-survival protein, Hax1.
  Informal enquiries can be directed to Dr Lynne Prince, l.r.prince@sheffield.ac.uk. For more information download the further details from the box on the right of the page.
  

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.