PhD Studentship at the Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin
- Irish Society for Immunology
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
Post Description: Understanding inflammatory forms of cell death in sepsis
Sepsis is a condition defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection. There are 11 million deaths annually due to sepsis. Despite decades of work to develop better treatments, clinical trials of new drugs have failed. Antibiotics and support of the circulation remain the cornerstone of sepsis treatment. However, these treatments often fail, resulting in a sepsis mortality rate of 20% in Ireland. Multiorgan failure in sepsis is due to impaired integrity of the vasculature resulting in reduced barrier function, increased oedema, and intravascular clotting. These mechanisms place endothelial cell death centre stage of organ dysfunction in sepsis. Unfortunately, our understanding of cell death in endothelial cells is lacking. The aim of this project is to explore inflammatory forms of cell death in endothelial cells such as pyroptosis and necroptosis following infection with sepsis causing pathogens such as E. coli and candida albicans. In addition, cytoprotective mechanisms will also be explored to determine if these forms of cell death can be blocked to improve the outcome of sepsis.
Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post: The PhD student will carry out an original body of research as part of the requirements for the PhD at Trinity College. They will participate fully in lab life, attending regular meetings and collaborating with other lab members. The doctoral programme of Trinity College Dublin focuses on educating and training outstanding postgraduate students. The structured PhD programme has a sustained enrolment of national and international students of high capability, and a structured approach to advanced research. All registered PhD students undertake and complete a taught module(s) that accrue in total a minimum of 10 ECT credits / maximum of 30 ECT credits. Evidence of ECT credits accrued reflects the structured element to the TCD PhD programme. Postgraduate research students within TCD integrate closely and share learning experiences with postgraduate research students from cognate disciplines and fields in TCD.
To apply:
Applicants should submit a full Curriculum Vitae with a cover letter and include the names and contact details of 2 referees (including email addresses), to:- Professor Michael Carty, Email: cartymi@tcd.ie
Deadline: Noon, 31st March 2025
More details on the role can be found in the document below:
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