Doctor of Philosophy [Ph.D] [Biomedicine] From Newcastle University

As a student in Biomedicine you will be registered with a University research institute, for many this is the Institute for Cellular Medicine (ICM). You will be supported in your studies through a structured programme of supervision and training via our Faculty of Medical Sciences Graduate School.

We undertake the following areas of research and offer MPhil, PhD and MD supervision in:

Applied immunobiology (including organ and haematogenous stem cell transplantation)

Newcastle hosts one of the most comprehensive organ transplant programmes in the world. This clinical expertise has developed in parallel with the applied immunobiology and transplantation research group. We are currently investigating aspects of the immunology of autoimmune diseases and cancer therapy, in addition to transplant rejection. We also have themes to understand the interplay of the inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses by a variety of pathways, and how these can be manipulated for therapeutic purposes. A further research theme is focusses on primary immunodeficiency diseases.

Dermatology

There is a strong emphasis on the integration of clinical investigation with basic science. Our research themes include:

• cell signalling in normal and diseased skin including mechanotransduction and response to ultraviolet radiation
• dermatopharmacology including mechanisms of psoriatic plaque resolution in response to therapy
• stem cell biology and gene therapy
• regulation of apoptosis/autophagy
• non-melanoma skin cancer/melanoma biology and therapy

We also research the effects of UVR on the skin including mitochondrial DNA damage as a UV biomarker.

Diabetes

This area places emphasis on translational research, linking clinical- and laboratory-based science. Our key research themes include:

• mechanisms of insulin action and glucose homeostasis
• insulin secretion and pancreatic beta-cell function
• diabetic complications
• stem cell therapies
• genetics and epidemiology of diabetes

Diagnostic and therapeutic technologies

Our focus is on applied research and aims to underpin future clinical applications. Technology-oriented and demand-driven research is conducted which relates directly to health priority areas such as:

• bacterial infection
• chronic liver failure
• cardiovascular and degenerative diseases

This research is sustained through extensive internal and external collaborations with leading UK and European academic and industrial groups, and has the ultimate goal of deploying next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic systems in the hospital and health-care environment.