Child Health Research PhD Project Portfolio 2023/24
These are project outlines and there is scope for appointed students to work together with supervisors to define the final project.
Supervisory teams for each project are subject to confirmation.
Developmental Biology and Cancer
- Sex influence on brain defects in the fetus – a developmental biology analysis (Professor Andrew Copp)
- Analysis and stratification of paediatric brain tumours using advanced Raman imaging technology as a potential rapid diagnostic tool (Professor Darren Hargrave)
- Development of new models of Difuse Midline Glioma in zebrafish (Dr David Michod)
- Why don’t all embryos, and stem cell organoids, develop the same morphology? (Dr Gabriel Galea)
- Functional dissection of the role of senescence in tumour micro-environment and tumour compartment in paediatric diffuse midline gliomas (Professor JP Martinez-Barbera)
- Cellular senescence as a novel therapeutic target against paediatric high grade glioma (Professor JP Martinez-Barbera)
- Early specification and morphogenesis of chamber-specific cardiomyocytes. (Dr Kenzo Ivanovitch)
- Analysing cardiac specification and morphogenesis using synthetic mouse embryos. (Dr Kenzo Ivanovitch)
- Investigating the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurometabolic disorders. (Professor Nicholas Greene)
- How do gain of function genetic mutations impair craniofacial development? (Professor Nicholas Greene)
- Understanding the functional development and plasticity of Interstitial cells of Cajal: Potential targets for gut motility disorders (Dr Simon Eaton)
- Investigating the role of mechanical compression in alveolar specification during fetal lung development. (Prof Paolo De Coppi)
- How to build a mini-stomach: using multi-regional organoids to engineer gastric epithelium (Prof Paolo De Coppi)
- Towards a cellular and molecular understanding of human hindbrain developmental disorders (Dr Paula Alexandre)
- Developing and investigating the molecular mechanisms involved in fluorescence-guided surgery specific for paediatric brain cancers. (Dr Stefano Giuliani)
- Using imaging and omics approaches to understand the maturing kidney vasculature and enable treatments for childhood kidney disease (Dr Jennifer Chandler)
- Oncogenic tyrosine phosphatase actions, neural development, neuroblastoma cell and molecular biology. (Professor Andrew Stoker)
Developmental Neurosciences
- Neural soma imaging as a new biomarker of focal cortical dysplasia in paediatric epilepsy (Professor Chris Clark)
- Severe speech disorders in rare genetic diseases: a brain imaging investigation (Dr Frederique Liegeois)
- Developing 3D patient-derived neuronal models to elucidate neurodevelopmental defects in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Dr Giovanni Baranello)
- Investigating DUX4-mediated cell death in Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (Dr Julie Dumonceaux)
- Neurodevelopment, communication and wellbeing outcomes for children treated with novel therapies for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Michelle De Haan)
- Does early biochemical metabolic control of Phenylalanine predict neurocognitive outcomes in children with Phenylketonuria (Professor Michelle de Haan)
- Addressing gap of knowledge in neurodevelopmental and menta health difficulties in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Francisco Muntoni) tbc
Genetics and Genomic Medicine
- Epilepsy in 3D: investigation of a novel RNA-based therapy in cerebral organoids (Dr Haiyan Zhou)
- Developing antisense oligonucleotide therapy for SPTLC1-related sensory neuropathy (Dr Haiyan Zhou)
- Modelling the impact of nitric oxide in neurodevelopment with an inherited metabolic disease of nitric oxide deficiency, argininosuccinate lyase deficiency (Dr Julien Baruteau)
- Vampires and Supercentenarians: Why do some people live extreme long lives? (Kevin Mills)
- Investigating brain circuit dysfunction in mental health disorders linked to childhood adversities (Naresh Hanchate)
- Antisense oligonucleotides for the treatment of manganese neurotoxicity (Professor Philippa Mills)
- Understanding the mechanisms of manganese neurotoxicity (Professor Philippa Mills)
- Using yeast to better understand inherited paediatric disease (Professor Sara Mole)
- Using ‘omics to understand disease progression and monitor the efficacy of gene therapy for inherited paediatric neurodegenerative diseases (Professor Sara Mole)
In vitro transcribed mRNA therapies for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (Professor Stephen Hart)
- Oligonucleotide therapy for treatment of rare metabolic disorders (Wendy Heywood)
Understanding the effect of toxic lyso-lipids on renal and cardiovascular function (Wendy Heywood)
Infection, Immunity and Inflammation
- Characterisation of Thymic Stromal Cell Defects (Professor Adrian Thrasher)
- Deciphering the paediatric Leukaemia stem cells – Immune crosstalk: from mechanisms to therapy (Dr Alice Giustacchini)
- Investigating the Pathogenetic Mechanisms of Hydrocephalus and Neurodevelopmental Delay following Neonatal Intraventricular Haemorrhage and Developing New Targeted Therapeutics (Professor Chris O'Callaghan)
- Gene editing in Deficiency of adenosine deaminase type 2 (DADA2) (Professor Despina Eleftheriou)
- Characterisation of immune responses and virus reservoir in treated children with HIV (Prof. Eleni Nastouli)
- T-cell antigen specific response & MHC-restriction after thymus transplantation (Dr. Matthew Buckland)
- Predicting and preventing spontaneous preterm birth (Professor Nigel Klein)
- Gene silencing in Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) (Professor Paul Brogan)
- Targeting the blood-brain barrier endothelium to increase hematopoietic stem cell engraftment for lysosomal storage disease gene and cell therapy (Dr Sara Benedetti)
- Hedgehog signalling in gut inflammation and allergy (Professor Tessa Crompton)
- The function of the FoxA transcription factors in T-cell development and homeostasis (Professor Tessa Crompton)
Population, Policy and Practice
- How does protein intake in infancy influence risk of obesity in later life? (Professor Atul Singhal)
- The genetic basis of epilepsy in children with intellectual disabilities (Professor David Skuse)
- How well are outcomes within Core Outcome Sets (COS) relevant to child health captured within Electronic Health Records during routine clinical care at Great Ormond Street Hospital? (Dr Gwyneth Davies)
- Evaluation of educational and healthcare outcomes and their interaction for children with chronic liver disease in the UK (Professor Katie Harron)
- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trajectories of mental health presentations to health care across the life courses of mothers and siblings of children in the UK (Dr Leah Li)
- Using administrative linked NHS data to understand SARS-CoV-2 outcomes in children in England (Dr Linda Wijlaars)
- Exploring the impacts of water contaminated by emerging pollutants on pregnant mothers and children under 5 (Professor Monica Lakhanpaul)
- Impact of childhood hearing loss on early development, health and educational outcomes (Dr Rachel Knowles)
- Inequality of access to and outcomes of child mental health interventions: a national linked data study (Dr Sophie Bennett)
Departmental Graduate Tutor (Research)
Dr Dagan Jenkins
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ich.researchdegrees@ucl.ac.uk
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