PhD Research Studentships
Novel muscle-tendon organ-chip models to explore the impact of menopause on muscle-tendon junction injury and inflammation
| Supervisors: | Hazel SCREEN and Yung Yao Lin |
| Apply by: | 28 January 2026 |
| Start in: | September (Semester 1) |
Description
Organ-chip models are 3-D in-vitro models, designed to recapitulate key architectural, functional and cellular components of a tissue. They are poised to transform biomedical research and therapeutic delivery, by providing essential model systems in which to successfully explore human health and disease and investigate new drugs and therapeutics offering improved recapitulation of human physiology and disease, relative to current 2D in vitro models or in vivo animal models.
An area of organ-chip models which has received minimal attention to date is the development of muscle-tendon junction models. Muscle, tendon and their junction are all crucial for locomotion, receiving repetitive cycles of loading during every day use. This repetitive load commonly leads to tissue microdamage and a resulting inflammatory response from the resident cells, a process essential to drive tissue turnover and repair. However, often too much damage or inflammation occurs, leads to painful and debilitating injuries. This injury response is particularly common in menopausal woman, and there is growing evidence that a loss of oestrogen during menopause decreases collagen production and slows tissue healing, whilst also altering the inflammatory response to microdamage in musculoskeletal tissues.
In this project, we integrate our expertise in tendon and muscle to develop a novel organ-chip model to explore muscle-tendon junction injury, and the impact of hormones on these processes. We will develop a muscle-tendon junction chip incorporating the different cell populations associated with inflammation and injury. We will next establish approaches to integrate systemic hormone fluctuations within the model. Once we have validated the model, we will utilise it to explore the cellular drivers of inflammation and injury in the muscle-tendon junction, and the drivers of inflammation resolution. We will specifically explore how these processes are impacted by hormone fluctuations, and investigate potential approaches to facilitate healthy repair from microdamage.
Funding
Funded by: China Scholarship CouncilCandidate will need to secure a CSC scholarship.
Under the scheme, Queen Mary will provide scholarships to cover all tuition fees, whilst the CSC will provide living expenses and one return flight ticket to successful applicants.
Please submit your application by 4pm (UK time) on the deadline date
Eligibility
- The minimum requirement for this studentship opportunity is a good honours degree (minimum 2(i) honours or equivalent) or MSc/MRes in a relevant discipline.
- If English is not your first language, you will require a valid English certificate equivalent to IELTS 6.5+ overall with a minimum score of minimum score of 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking).
- Candidates are expected to start in September (Semester 1).
Contact
For informal enquiries about this opportunity, please contact Hazel SCREEN or Yung Yao Lin.
Apply
Start an application for this studentship and for entry onto the PhD FT Medical Engineering full-time programme (Semester 1 / September start):
Please be sure to quote the reference "SEMS-PHD-694" to associate your application with this studentship opportunity.
| Keywords: | Biological Sciences - Other, Biotechnology, Cell Biology, Genetic Engineering, Human Genetics, Biomedical Engineering |