A precision medicine pipeline for treating rare forms of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to tremor, rigidity, and cognitive decline. There is currently no treatment that can delay the onset or prevent PD. Most cases of PD are idiopathic, but there is a substantial fraction that are familial and caused by either dominant or recessive mutations. For example, mutations in the PARKIN gene are recessive and lead to a very early onset disease and dragged out progression over 30 to 50 years. Here we aim to design a precision medicine approach for rare PARKIN mutations using a gene editing approach. The benefits of gene correction will be determined using functional neuronal assays, including RNA sequencing and electrophysiology.

This project will be performed in a collaborative manner and co-supervised by Dr Dayne Beccano-Kelly, an expert on PD and synaptic biology, and Prof Vincent Dion, who has expertise in gene editing for neurodegenerative disorders.

The student will be embedded within the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University, one of 7 UK centres bringing together world-leading scientists to deliver a step-change in the scientific understanding of dementia, generating new targets for drug development, reinvigorating the therapeutic pipeline and helping to transform care. Our strategy is to build upon research strengths in dementia genetics, immunology, computational analytics, cellular and whole system modelling and neuroimaging to identify disease mechanisms and therapies for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases and other dementias.

Entry Requirements  

Applicants should possess a minimum of an upper second class Honours degree, master’s degree, or equivalent in a relevant subject. 

Applicants whose first language is not English are normally expected to meet the minimum University requirements (e.g. 6.5 IELTS). 

How to Apply  

This studentship has a start date of October 2024. In order to be considered you must submit a formal application via Cardiff University’s online application service.

There is a box at the top right of the page labelled ‘Apply’, please ensure you select the correct ‘Qualification’ (Doctor of Philosophy), the correct ‘Mode of Study’ (Full Time) and the correct ‘Start Date’ (October 2024). This will take you to the application portal. 

In order to be considered candidates must submit the following information: 

 • Supporting statement 

• CV 

• Qualification certificates 

• References x 2 

• Proof of English language (if applicable) 

International applicants are welcomed if the difference in fees can be covered.