Address
Form of work
SalaryThis post is supported by the van Geest Foundation Heart and Cardiovascular Diseases Research Fund, looking at ‘Validation of a Human Aortic Valve Stenosis Model for Studying Novel Therapeutic Targets’. You will join a dynamic and successful research group.
You will be based at the University of Leicester Clinical Sciences building at Glenfield Hospital. Research infrastructure includes a NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), and a BHF-funded Clinical Research Centre. You will work closely with Dr Katy Roach, Prof. Peter Bradding, Dr Anvesha Singh, Prof. Don Jones and Dr Rick Joshi, who are all collaborators on the project grant.
Aortic stenosis (AS), or narrowing of the aortic valve, is the commonest heart valve disease requiring surgery. It is caused by ‘wear and tear’ of the valves and is associated with ageing, and so is on the rise as people are living longer. There are no medications that can slow down or reverse the narrowing, and the only treatment is to replace the valve, usually through open-heart surgery. There is therefore an unmet need to develop medical treatments for this common condition.
The aim of this project is to validate the use of cultured AS valves to investigate novel therapies. Using cultured AS valve leaflets, we will examine whether potential anti-fibrotic compounds downregulate the pro-fibrotic and pro-calcific molecular pathways that are active within AS valves. To do this, we will perform RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry to elucidate changes in the transcriptome and proteome respectively. In addition, we will use spatial transcriptomics (GeoMx, nanoString), allowing spatial analysis of the transcriptomic and protein changes, and localisation to specific cell types such as myofibroblasts and endothelial cells.
