About the project
This project will use world-leading mass spectrometry expertise to assess alveolar epithelial lining fluid. The aim is to risk stratify and explore potential therapeutic targets for hospitalised patients with respiratory conditions, including viral pneumonia.
Viral infections can cause severe life-threatening acute lung injury, so predicting at-risk patients is vital to providing appropriate treatment in advance. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that severe viral infection could cause acute lung injury (ALI) with poor outcomes, but not in all patients. Early prediction of which patients may deteriorate is a crucial step towards preventing mechanical ventilation, which can lead to worsening of respiratory function.
Lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF) can be helpful in characterising the damage that contributes to ALI. ELF characterisation may enable identification of patients at risk of developing ALI or the severe forms of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This can help to shape future therapies.
You will work with clinical and scientific experts with a proven track record for research in characterising patient phenotypes in a wide range of clinical settings. This studentship offers an excellent opportunity to develop and integrate omics data generated through various mass spectrometry analytical platforms. The analysis will be complemented with clinical data to develop novel systems-based medicine approaches to evaluate ALI.
You will develop skills alongside world-leading experts in mass spectrometry analytical platforms to evaluate particles of exhaled air as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of acute lung injury and chronic respiratory conditions.
