PhD Studentship - Maternal & Fetal Health
Organization: University of Manchester
Location: Manchester, UK
Field: Medical Sciences
Requirements:
Applicants should hold (or expect to obtain) a minimum upper-second honours degree (or equivalent) in one of the biological/medical sciences, biochemistry, endocrinology or a related area. A Masters degree in a similar discipline would be beneficial but not essential as full training will be provided
Abstract:
Advanced maternal age: Identification of biochemical mechanisms underlying vulnerability to stillbirth
Description:
The studentship provides full support for tuition fees, all associated research costs and an annual tax-free stipend of £13, 590. The project is due to commence October 2011 and is open to UK/EU nationals only due to the nature of the funding.
Delaying childbearing is a growing trend amongst UK women. In the period 1999-2009 fertility rates for women aged 35-39 and 40 and over increased by 1% and 2.4% respectively. This accelerating demographic shift towards later childbearing is of major clinical and public health concern, because advanced maternal age (AMA) has consistently been associated with poor pregnancy outcomes.
Studies have reported that women over 35 are at increased risk of pregnancy complications including miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, pre-term delivery, fetal growth restriction and stillbirth. Although these complications are related to placental insufficiency, there have been no studies of why and how advanced maternal age increases pregnancy risk. This may be due to the aging process per se or to co-morbidities, which are more common in older women. However, current evidence suggests that increased incidence of co-morbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes, cannot fully account for the increased risk of poor outcomes, particularly stillbirth, in women of AMA.
Aging in non-pregnant individuals is associated with a decline in the growth hormone (GH)-insulin like growth factor (IGF) axis, increased oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation. These pathological processes are also associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, potentially due to adverse effects on placental development and function. No study has assessed the maternal GH-IGF axis or biomarkers of endothelial and placental function in women of AMA, compared to younger women. In this study, we will correlate maternal GH-IGF axis, oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators with markers of placental dysfunction in women of advanced and ‘optimal’ childbearing age.
Our hypothesis is that alterations in the maternal environment due to aging adversely affect placental development and function, thus increasing vulnerability to stillbirth. The PhD research will identify potential placental and endocrine mechanisms linking advanced maternal age and stillbirth. Understanding how AMA predisposes to stillbirth will enable identification of women at high-risk and improved targeting of maternity care to reduce poor maternal and perinatal outcomes.
The successful candidate will benefit from an extensive support network based in the Maternal & Fetal Health Research Centre, the largest pregnancy research group in Europe. Training will be provided in patient recruitment, placental analyses (myography, placental transport and immunohistochemical techniques) and ELISAs.
Given the combination of molecular and biological skills developed, this PhD will provide an ideal platform to progress onto a research career path within pregnancy, physiology or endocrinology. It is the ideal PhD project for a biomedical scientist wishing to conduct translational research at the clinical interface.
Please direct applications in the following format to Dr Rebecca Jones (rebecca.lee.jonesmanchester.ac.uk):
• Academic CV
• Official academic transcripts
• Contact details for two suitable referees
• A personal statement (750 words maximum) outlining your suitability for the study, what you hope to achieve from the PhD and your research experience to date.
Any enquiries relating to the project and/or suitability should be directed to Dr Jones at the address above. Applications are invited up to and including Friday 22 April 2011.
http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/staff/143803
http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/maternalfetal/
Further PhD project opportunities within the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences can be found on our ‘PhD Opportunities iFrame’:
http://www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/studentships/
Deadline: 22-04-2011
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