PhD Scholarship in the Centre for Muscle Research
- Recruiter
- UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
- Posted
- 07 Jan 2021
- End of advertisement period
- 07 Feb 2021
- Ref
- 903939
- Academic Discipline
- Clinical, Pre-clinical & Health, Medicine & Dentistry, Life sciences, Biological Sciences
- Job Type
- Academic Posts, Studentships
- Contract Type
- Fixed Term
- Hours
- Full Time
Work type: Fixed Term 3 years
Stipend: $31,200 p.a. (indexed, 2020 rate) for 3 years
This project will be conducted in the Centre for Muscle Research, Department of Anatomy & Physiology at the University of Melbourne, but will be co-supervised by our colleagues at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden and will encompass two months research at the Karolinska Institute. Based at the Parkville precinct our team bring combined expertise in the study of muscle in its many forms. We use innovative molecular and functional methods to study and understand muscle in both cell, animal and human based models. We have access to state-of-the-art facilities, mass spectrometry, metabolomics, gene expression technologies, histology, mouse phenotyping, muscle function platforms.
The project - “Mechanisms of amino acid signalling in skeletal muscle in critical illness"
Critical illness is associated with a very rapid decline in skeletal muscle mass and weakness. Impaired anabolic signalling has been proposed as a key contributor, yet despite its biological significance, the metabolic pathways responsible for nutrient sensing and regulation of protein synthesis remain unresolved. This research is an exciting collaboration between researchers at the Centre for Muscle Research, Intensivists (Melbourne Health) and specialists in metabolomics and autophagic flux measurements (Karolinska Institute, Sweden). The project is designed to increase our basic understanding of the skeletal muscle amino acid metabolism in critical illness and the amino acid sensing capacity of mTORC1. The fundamental discoveries will underpin development of muscle-specific modulators of muscle homeostasis with broad relevance to patients in intensive care. The outcomes of this Ph.D. project will provide an advance in knowledge and understanding of muscle and will provide advancements in novel therapies at a translational level.
Position Description
Applications close: 7 Feb 2021 11:55 PM AUS Eastern Daylight Time
