Category Archives: Musculoskeletal news

PhD studentship available

28 February, 2015Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

The Peter May Arthritis MRes/PhD studentship – Biomechanical sensing in cartilage ageing and disease

Value of award: The funding covers one year MRes followed by a three year PhD. The full award covers tuition fees at the UK/EU rate and an annual stipend of £13,986 (2015-2016). Funding is restricted to Home/EU fees only.

Start date: September 2015 – the funding covers a 4 year PhD

Application closing date: 31/05/15

Supervisor(s): Dr Katarzyna Piróg, Prof David Young

Overview

Osteoarthritis (OA) results from a micro-damage to cartilage and propagates via the subsequent repair/damage events. The remodelling capabilities of tissue decrease with age, leading to increased OA susceptibility following injury related trauma. Interestingly, investigation of biomechanical responsiveness of chondrocytes themselves is a relatively recent topic and the reaction of cells to the abnormal extracellular matrices remains largely unknown. This PhD project will aim to establish a biomechanically relevant 3D in vitro model of young and aged cartilage and test the reaction of cells to different extracellular environments. The resulting in vitro system will generate new knowledge about the mechanosensitivity of the chondrocyte and provide a platform for further studies of potential therapeutic interventions for cartilage disorders in a relevant in vitro setting.

The successful applicant will benefit from a supervisory team that brings together expertise in cartilage biology, functional genetics and applied bioinformatics. Both supervisors are PIs in the pan-European EU-FP7 SYBIL research consortium bringing together the expertise of 18 cartilage and bone biology research centres. The group also enjoys a collaborative link with the CIMA (Centre for Integrated research into Musculoskeletal Ageing) project and the Musculoskeletal Research Group (MRG) at Newcastle University. The PhD student will receive extensive training in histology, cell culture, “omics” technologies, biomechanics, biochemical assays, statistical analysis and project management, thus obtaining a desirable and transferable skillset.

One PhD studentship is available in the Newcastle group of Dr Katarzyna Pirog, with Prof David Young as co-supervisor. Students with an interest in ageing, cartilage biology, animal models of disease, biochemistry, and transcriptomics are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Criteria: You must have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 Honours degree in genetics, biochemistry, biosciences or a related area. The award is available to UK/EU applicants only. If English is not your first language, you must have IELTS 7, or equivalent.

How to apply: You must apply through the University’s online postgraduate application system by creating an account. To do this please select ‘How to Apply’ and choose the ‘Apply now’ button.

You should also send your covering letter and CV to Dr Katarzyna Pirog by email to katarzyna.pirog@ncl.ac.uk

Contact: Dr Katarzyna (Kasia) Piróg, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University.

Email: katarzyna.pirog@ncl.ac.uk

Newcastle-Manchester skeletal genetics meeting

11 December, 2014Fun, Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

On 10th December 2014 we hosted a collaborative meeting with a skeletal genetics group from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Matrix Research in Manchester.

The meeting was very well attended and much fun was had too!

UK-German collaborative meeting in Allendale

2 September, 2014Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

The following Institutes were represented:

Institue for Biochemistry (Cologne)
Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences (Glasgow)
Faculty of Life Sciences (Manchester)
Institute of Genetic Medicine (Newcastle)
Institute of Cellular Medicine (Newcastle)

and presented a very exciting programme: uk-german-meeting-Allendale

Who you gonna call??

15 March, 2014Fun, Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

Goodbye Alex and Sarah, it’s been a laugh! Good luck!

28th February 2014 – Rare Disease Day

28 February, 2014Events, Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

SYBIL EU-FP7 consortium members at the IGM embarked on a fun tour of Newcastle to raise awareness of rare disease research. The researchers from Prof Michael Briggs’s and Dr Kasia Pirog’s labs donned cartilage research themed T-shirts and went on a tour of the iconic monuments of Newcastle to chat to the public about the importance of rare disease research. This was complemented by a Twitter and social media campaign in order to reach a wider audience in Newcastle and in the UK.

Rare Disease Day 2014

28 February, 2014Events, Fun, Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

We went round Newcastle today, to raise awareness of the International Rare Disease Day and the rare disease research.

Some of us were campaigning a bit further afield, in the highlands of Scotland:

We were also giving away the Rare Disease Day SYBIL pocket calendars. If you haven’t met us on the day, you can download yours here: business cards

26th February 2014 – Science Day at Gosforth All Saints Beaver Scouts

27 February, 2014Events, Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

Prof Michael Briggs’s and Dr Kasia Pirog’s labs are organising an fun afternoon at Gosforth Beaver Scouts this February. It will form a part of the Science Badge, and showcase the science done at the IGM as well as some other cool science tricks!

Science Badge at Gosforth Beavers

26 February, 2014Events, Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

We have visited the West Gosforth Beaver Scouts tonight for some fun science activities towards their Science Badge. Much fun was had by the Beavers and the scientists alike!

British Science Festival – 7th-12th September 2013

8 August, 2013Events, Musculoskeletal newsKatarzyna

British Science Festival is coming to Newcastle 7th-12th September 2013!

Europe’s largest and longest running science event organised by the British Science Association, the Festival will be hosted by Newcastle University, in association with Northumbria University and Newcastle City Council.

With a fun packed programme of over 200 events across the city, the festival offers something for everyone, from a school student to a research scientist, giving people an opportunity to meet with the UK’s top scientists, engineers and industry. Public engagement committee at the IGM together with the School of English at Newcastle University are involved in the British Science Festival as well. We are organising a Young Science Writers Competition, to get the young minds interested and excited about the amazing field of DNA and genetics. The winning entries will be displayed at the Institute for Genetic Medicine for the duration of the British Science Festival and can be found on our website here.

Musculoskeletal Genetics

Pirog lab @ Newcastle University