Decoding the mechanisms from oral dysbiosis to autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis

One fully funded Frederick E Hopper full-time PhD scholarship is available in the School of Dentistry for a start in October 2024. The scholarship will cover UK tuition fees and attract a stipend of £19,237, subject to satisfactory progress.

The award is open to full-time or part-time candidates (UK only) who meet the eligibility for a place on a PhD degree at the School of Dentistry. This project would suit a student with a microbiology or molecular biology background.

Candidates whose first language is not English must provide evidence that their English language is sufficient to meet the specific demands of their study.

Infectious inflammation at mucosal sites such as the oral cavity is suspected as a triggering event in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis and periodontitis is known to be associated with RA (1,2). Our multidisciplinary research team is exploring this association, bringing together basic scientists and clinicians from the School of Dentistry and LBRC; both will contribute to the PhD supervision team. The project will expand upon the findings of our collaboration to date (3-5) but will open new opportunities by focusing on host defenses. We demonstrated that the periodontitis-RA disease association is present prior to the onset of RA in those serologically deemed at-risk and that there are perturbations (dysbiosis) of the oral microbiome at both periodontally healthy and diseased sites in this group (3,4). We are continuing with a pilot periodontal intervention study throughout 2021, generating further data and samples to the benefit of this studentship.

We aim to uncover the mechanisms underpinning the contribution of oral disease to the development of autoimmunity in RA, focusing on the misguided and destructive host immune responses to periodontal pathogens. Our goal, to understand the association between oral periodontal disease and systemic RA, is aligned to the SoD Research strategy theme Oral/Systemic Health “Putting the mouth back in the body”, and to the development and renewal of the NIHR LBRC. Discoveries from this studentship will feed into funding applications, leading to the development of interventions to improve dental health, reduce/promote resolution of inflammation and reduce/delay the onset of RA symptoms within this group.

Aims & objectives:

• Identification of robust transcriptomic and proteomic signatures using established clinical dataset and oral clinical cohort sample bank. Feasibility for identification of autoimmunity-linked post-translational modifications has been demonstrated within such samples (6 and RAP unpublished data).
• Functional assessment of salivary and peripheral blood neutrophils and comparison within the different cohort groups.

Analyses will inform in vitro experiments examining the impact of key bacteria on host inflammatory (epithelial) and innate (neutrophil) responses.

Eligibility

Applicants to this scholarship should normally have an Undergraduate degree of 2:1 or above (or international equivalent) in a relevant subject area. A Masters degree is desirable but not essential.

If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the University’s minimum English language requirements. The minimum English language entry requirement for the Faculty of Medicine & Health is an IELTS of 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.

How to Apply

To apply for this scholarship opportunity applicants should complete an online application form and attach the following documentation to support their application. 

• A full academic CV
• Degree certificate and transcripts of marks
• Evidence that you meet the University’s minimum English language requirements (if applicable)

To help us identify that you are applying for this scholarship project please ensure you provide the following information on your application form;

• Select PhD in Dentistry as your programme of study
• Give the full project title and name the supervisors listed in this advert
• For source of funding please state you are applying for a Frederick E Hopper Scholarship

For further information please contact the Faculty PGR Admissions Team at fmhpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk