Open Application: MRC PhD Studentships 2018

MRCG at LSHTM invites application for two PhD studentships from interested persons who are of African or UK citizens and meet the stipulated qualifications.

Project 1

PhD title: “Studies to characterise the effects of dose number, age and genetic factors on the immune response to the human papillomavirus vaccine (Gardasil9®)”

Project description

We will be conducting a clinical trial of the 9-valent HPV vaccine (Gardasil9®) which will compare the immune responses to a 1st and subsequent doses of the vaccine in 3 ages groups (4-8 year-olds, 9-14 year olds and 15-26 year-olds).  There is significant global interest in the use of 1 dose HPV vaccine schedules to facilitate vaccine rollout, particularly in low and middle income countries, and a number of clinical trials and other studies are currently investigating one dose regimens.

Within a sub-study of the main trial, we aim to more fully characterise the early immune responses to the vaccine at a cellular level and transcriptional level and to investigate other factors including HLA type which may influence the long terms protection HPV vaccines generate.

Aims and objectives

This PhD will characterise the early innate, plasma call and memory B-cell responses following one and subsequent doses of an HPV vaccine in a subset in females in the different age groups enrolled into the main trial and relate these responses to the magnitude and duration of the subsequent serological response to the vaccine.

According the interests and skills of the successful candidate the associations between HLA type and serological responses will also be examined in the entire cohort.

Understanding the factors determining the long term serological protection the HPV vaccines generate is expected influence vaccine scheduling decisions and future HPV vaccine development

Lead Supervisor: Dr Ed Clarke, Head of Infant Immunology, MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM (eclarke@mrc.gm)

Co-Supervisors: Professor Beate Kampmann; Dr Sophie Roetynck, MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM; Professor Martin Holland, LSHTM; Dr Harry Pickering LSHTM

Requirements

• MSc in biomedical sciences, immunology, infectious diseases or, microbiology with at least 2 years-experience in laboratory research
• BSc 1st class honours in biomedical sciences, or Infectious Diseases with at least 3 years- experience in supporting laboratory research work
• Medical degree with at least 3 years in supporting clinical trials or laboratory research

Additional experience of bioinformatics and/or whole genome sequencing and/or statistical analysis using appropriate statistical packages stata or other packages shall be an asset

Project 2

PhD title: “Effect of 2g of azithromycin given to women during labour on antibiotic resistance and mechanisms of gram negative bacteria”

Project description

This project is based on a double blind randomized clinical trial, namely PregnAnZI-2, where women during labour take 2 grams of azithromycin or placebo. The primary objective of this trial is to assess the effect of the intervention on neonatal mortality.

The overall public health impact of the PregnAnZI trial will depend on the balance between the benefits and the risk. The major risk envisaged is the induction and community establishment of resistance to azithromycin and other antibiotics.

The organisms that carry higher rates of antibiotic resistance are gram negative bacteria. Gram negative bacteria are also important causes of neonatal sepsis (causing almost 50% of the cases in West Africa).

Objectives

In this PhD we want to focus on gram negative bacteria. The main objectives will be:

• To assess the effect of 2gr of azithromycin given to women during labour in the prevalence of bacterial colonization of gram negative bacteria in women and their newborns.
• To determine the genes related to antibiotic resistance of gram negative bacteria and the risk to establish this resistance in the community.

Lead Supervisor: Dr Anna Roca, Deputy Theme Leader, Disease Control and Elimination Theme (aroca@mrc.gm)

Co-Supervisors: Dr Effua Usuf, MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM; Dr Abdul Karim Sesay, MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM; Dr Ousman Secka, MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM; Prof Benjamin Howden, Director of the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health, Laboratory and Medical Director of the Doherty Centre for Applied Microbial Genomics

Requirements

• MSc in Biomedical sciences, infectious diseases, microbiology or similar with at least 2 years-experience in laboratory research
• Medical degree with at least 3 years in supporting clinical trials or laboratory research
• BSc 1st class honours in biomedical sciences, infectious diseases, microbiology or similar with at least 3 years- experience in supporting laboratory research work

Additional experience in bioinformatics and/or statistical analysis using stata or other packages will be an asset

How to Apply

Deadline for applications: 13^th August 2018.

Candidates are required to submit completed application forms with supporting documents by email to training@mrc.gm. Application guidance notes should be read. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.  Interested candidates are welcome to e-mail the respective lead supervisors for further details or to discuss their eligibility.

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