Project description
This project is funded by the National Heart Foundation, and in collaboration with local hospitals.
The use of stem cell and solid organ transplants is growing rapidly, saving 200,000 lives in 2024, but each transplant runs the risk of life-threatening rejection from the cardiovascular system. Activation of our cardiovascular defence system is useful in fighting pathogens but can become fatal during transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA).
We have invented the first vascularised immune cell culture derived from one or two blood donations (auto- or allo-transplant) to model TA-TMA. This project leverages our progress to establish the first diagnostic TA-TMA model to predict patient transplant rejection risk, optimise patient-specific transplant management, and evaluate promising treatments.
Research environment
This project will be primarily based at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus, at the Andrew N. Liveris Building School of Chemical Engineering, opened in 2022. This building has BSL-2 bioengineering laboratories with primary tissue culture and analytical facilities (molecular biology, microscopy, flow cytometry). In addition, the candidate will have access to dedicated core facilities across UQ’s St Lucia campus. This project is in collaboration with the nearby Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital, where patient samples will be acquired. There exist additional opportunities for industrial and clinical collaborations in blood transfusion and hematopoeitic stem cell transplants.
Scholarship
This project is supported by the Research project scholarship.
This scholarship includes:
living stipend of $35,000 per annum tax free (2024 rate), indexed annually
tuition fees covered.
Learn more about the Research project scholarship.
Supervisor
Principal supervisor
Dr Mark Allenby
School of Chemical Engineering
View Dr Mark Allenby’s profile
Associate supervisor
Dr Rose Ann Franco
School of Chemical Engineering
View Dr Rose Ann Franco’s profile
Preferred educational background
Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.
We take into account your:
previous academic record
publication record
honours and awards
employment history
A working knowledge of blood cell isolation, culture, and characterisation, biomaterial and microfluidic cell culture, microscopy, cytokine assays, and immunoprofiling would be of benefit to someone working on this project.
You will demonstrate academic achievement in the field/s of biomedical sciences or engineering and haematology or immunology and the potential for scholastic success.
How to apply
Before you apply
Before submitting an application you should:
check your eligibility for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
prepare your documentation
contact Dr Mark Allenby (m.allenby@uq.edu.au) to discuss your interest and suitability
submit your application by 3 December, 2024 .
When you apply
You apply for this scholarship when you submit an application for your program. You don’t need to submit a separate scholarship application.
In your application ensure that under the ‘Scholarships and collaborative study’ section you select:
‘My higher degree is not collaborative’
‘I am applying for, or have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship’
‘Other’, then ‘Research Project Scholarship’ and in the ‘Name of scholarship’ field enter CARDIOVASCULAR-ALLENBY.
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