Engineering mature human cardiac tissue for drug discovery and development

The overwhelming majority of new drugs fail because of side effects on the heart, slowing the development of therapies at great cost to the pharmaceutical industry and the public. One reason for these failures is a lack of representative cardiac tissue models that can be utilised for drug screening and early identification of cardiac side effects. Hence, preclinical research models that truly represent the physiology of the human myocardium are needed. Recently, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in 2D/3D cultures have been proposed as suitable models, but whether these cultures carry adult cardiac features is still debated. 

The aim of this PhD project is to develop and validate a novel culture platform for generation of mature human cardiac tissue. Using advanced cell culture methods and biomaterials, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes will be subjected to different biophysical and mechanical stimuli to mimic the native cardiac environment. The effect of different stimuli (single or in combination) on structural and functional maturation will be investigated with optical and molecular biology methods. This project has the potential to generate an attractive in vitro human platform for drug discovery and development.

The successful candidate will be trained in relevant methods and procedures, including cell culture, bioengineering, molecular biology/protein isolation and characterization, multicellular electrophysiology and advanced microscopy.

Applicants should have:

1. A first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject area including; biomedical sciences, biological sciences, biomedical engineering, physiology or related disciplines.
2. Self-motivation, deep interest in research and ability to think and work independently
3. Fluency in English language and good communication skills.

An MSc in cardiovascular/molecular science with merit or distinction and/or previous research experience in molecular biology or bioengineering would be advantageous.