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MRC IMPACT studentship (3.5 years)

*Sex-specific genetic architecture of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis*



Supervisors: Prof Louise Wain (Leicester) & Prof Gisli Jenkins (Nottingham)

Student will be based at the University of Leicester.



Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a rare, chronic and progressive lung
disease with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Men are more
likely to develop IPF; in 2012 16 males and 9 females for every 100,000
people received a first diagnosis of IPF.

Previously published genome-wide association studies [1-6] have identified
18 signals of genetic association with IPF with the most replicated
associations being in or near the *MUC5B *and* DSP* genes. However, all of
these studies analysed males and females together and sex-specific genetic
determinants have not been investigated.

The primary aim of this project will be to understand the genetic factors
that drive this difference in order to further our understanding of the
disease process to aid development of new therapeutic strategies.

The student will be based at the University of Leicester within an
internationally-recognised respiratory genetic epidemiology group and
benefit from close collaborations with leading IPF clinicians and
researchers from the UK and USA.  A broad training in genetic epidemiology
will equip the student for a career in the fast-moving and opportunity-rich
field of human disease genetics. Applicants should have a background in
bioinformatics, epidemiology, statistics or genetics (or similar), with an
aptitude for computing (prior programming experience advantageous but not
essential) and a keen interest in how genetics affects human health and
disease.



Closing date: *Friday 13th July 2018 [NEW deadline]*

Interviews: Friday 20th July (Birmingham)

To apply, and for more details of the IMPACT scheme, visit:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/mds-graduate-school/scholarships/mrc-impact/programme.aspx



Contact me ([log in to unmask]) for more information.





References:

1. Mushiroda et al (2008) J Med Genet 45(10):654-6

2. Seibold et al (2011) N Engl J Med 364(16):1503-12

3. Noth et al (2013) Lancet Respir Med 1(4):309-17

4. Fingerlin et al (2013) Nat Genet 45(6):613-20

5. Fingerlin et al (2016) BMC Genet 17(1):74

6. Allen et al (2017) Lancet Resp Med. 5(11):869-880



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