PhD Project for EPSRC CASE Studentship:
Integrative Modelling of Human Ageing
University of Newcastle (Institute for Ageing and Health) and Unilever
We are seeking a student with a 1st or 2.1 honours degree in a
biological, mathematical/statistical, or computing subject for an
exciting project aimed at understanding the biological basis of human
ageing. Much information is now accumulating about the genetic,
nutritional and lifestyle factors that contribute to healthy ageing. The
inherent complexity of these data points to the need for integrative
models of the human ageing process that can allow the interactions
between different effects and factors to be understood. This project is
in the rapidly expanding fields of bioinformatics and systems biology.
The project will be based within the multidisciplinary Institute for
Ageing and Health at the University of Newcastle (the largest such
grouping in Europe), which has close collaborations with the School of
Mathematics and Statistics and the North-East Regional e-Science Centre.
We are currently involved in a major project to develop the Biology of
Ageing e-Science Integration and Simulation (BASIS) system (see Nature
Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 2003;4:243-249, and www.basis.ncl.ac.uk).
The industrial partner, Unilever, is one of the world's leading
providers of food and personal care products with a growing interest in
healthy ageing and in systems biology. The project will be in close
collaboration with the BASIS project, which aims to develop models to
explore a 'virtual ageing organism'.
The primary aim of the project is to develop and apply new methods to
model human ageing and health in old age as the outcome of several key
inputs to a number of interconnected physiological systems. Inputs
include factors such as foods, physical activity levels, lifestyle,
sleep, stress and genotype. The body systems to be represented within
the model will include muscle, glucose metabolism and insulin, immune
system and inflammation, brain function and cognition, and fat storage.
The output (state) variables will include brain health, cardiovascular
health, muscle fitness, body weight and insulin sensitivity.
The project will provide an outstanding training opportunity in
bioinformatics/systems biology in a partnership involving both a
world-leading academic institution in the field of ageing and a
world-leading company with a major investment in research.
Enquiries about the studentship may be made to Professor Tom Kirkwood
([log in to unmask] or 0191 256 3319). We wish to appoint the
successful candidate to the studentship in time to start the PhD in
October 2003.
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