Biomedicine – (M.Phil.)

MPhil supervision is normally available in the following areas:

musculoskeletal disease (including autoimmune arthritis): with a focus on connective tissue diseases in three overlapping research programmes. These programmes aim to understand what causes the destruction of joints (cell signalling, injury and repair), how cells in the joints respond when tissue is lost (cellular interactions), and if we can alter the immune system and ‘switch off’ autoimmune disease (targeted therapies and diagnostics). This research theme links with other local, national and international centres of excellence, has close integration of basic and clinical researchers and hosts the only immunotherapy centre in the UK.

the liver: with particular interests in primary biliary cirrhosis (epidemiology, immunobiology and genetics), alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, fibrosis and the genetics of other autoimmune and viral liver diseases.

diabetes: with an emphasis on translational research, linking clinical- and laboratory-based science. Key research themes include: mechanisms of insulin action and glucose homeostasis; insulin secretion and pancreatic beta-cell function; diabetic complications; stem cell therapies; genetics and epidemiology of diabetes. There are strong links with the Newcastle Clinical Research Facility and Magnetic Resonance Centre.

dermatology: there is a strong emphasis on the integration of clinical investigation with basic science. Research themes include: cell signalling in normal and diseased skin including mechanotransduction and response to ultraviolet radiation; dermatopharmacology including mechanisms of psoriatic plaque resolution in response to therapy; stem cell biology; regulation of apoptosis/autophagy; non-melanoma skin cancer/melanoma biology and therapy.

applied immunobiology (including organ and haematogenous stem cell transplantation) : Newcastle hosts one of the most comprehensive organ transplant programmes in the world. This clinical expertise has developed in parallel with the lively applied immunobiology and transplantation research group, which is currently investigating aspects of the immunology of autoimmune diseases and cancer therapy in addition to transplant rejection.

uterine cell signalling: basic scientists and clinicians use state-of-the-art in situ cellular technologies and large-scale gene expression profiling. Novel in vivo approaches to cellular interactions have been developed using a unique human tissue resource. Projects include: the regulation of trophoblast function in health and disease; gene regulation and mechanisms of quiescence in the myometrium.

pharmacogenomics (including complex disease genetics): genetic approaches to the individualisation of drug therapy, including anticoagulants and anti-cancer drugs, and in the genetics of diverse non-Mendelian diseases, from diabetes to periodontal disease, are a focus. A wide range of knowledge and experience in both genetics and clinical sciences is utilised, with access to high-throughput genotyping platforms.

toxicology: clinical features and biomarkers of drug and chemical toxicity are related to in vitro mechanistic studies using human derived cell lines and human tissues, and to investigate factors contributing to differences in individual susceptibility such as age, drug interactions, environmental chemical exposure. Current interests include environmental chemicals and organophosphate pesticides, warfarin, psychiatric drugs and anti-cancer drugs.

diagnostics and therapeutics (medical engineering and bio-nanotechnology): focus on applied research aims to underpin future clinical applications. Technology-oriented, demand-driven, research is conducted which relates directly to health priority areas such as cancer and cardiovascular and degenerative diseases. This research is sustained through extensive internal and external collaborations with leading UK and European academic and industrial groups, and has the ultimate goal of deploying next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic systems in the hospital and health-care environment. See also Nanoscale Science and Technology.

respiratory disease: there is a broad range of research activities into acute and chronic lung diseases. As well as scientific studies into disease mechanisms, there is particular interest in translational medicine approaches to lung disease, studying human lung tissue and cells to explore potential for new treatments. Current areas of research include acute lung injury, lung infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and fibrotic disease of the lung, both before and after lung transplantation.

kidney disease: there are a number of research programmes into the genetics, immunology and physiology of kidney disease and kidney transplantation. There are close links between basic scientists and clinicians with many translational programmes of work, from the laboratory to first-in-man and phase III clinical trials. Specific areas of interest include haemolytic uraemic syndrome, renal inflammation and fibrosis, the immunology of transplant rejection, tubular disease and cystic kidney disease.