Kevin Hamill
6 months ago
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Funded PhD in Laminins, Super-Resolution Microscopy and Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa University of Liverpool in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Cell Biology
Funding
Funded PhD studentship supported by Fight For Sight and DEBRA. The award pays tuition fees at the UK home rate, provides a stipend at the current UKRI rate, and includes some support for experimental costs.
Deadline
Expired
Country
United Kingdom
University
University of Liverpool
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About this position
Funded PhD opportunity in laminins, super-resolution microscopy, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, corneal tissue engineering, and junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) at the University of Liverpool.
This project, supported by Fight For Sight and DEBRA, sits at the interface of discovery biology and translational research. The student will investigate how patient-specific mutations disrupt laminin-332 assembly and function in the cornea, with a focus on the mechanisms that lead to epithelial fragility, wound breakdown, and scarring in JEB. The work combines advanced imaging, live-cell photoconversion microscopy, and genome editing to study basement membrane organisation at high resolution.
Research activities include engineering precise JEB mutations using CRISPR/Cas9, building human 2D and 3D corneal models, developing engineered collagen scaffolds and biofabricated substrates, and using quantitative screening to test whether candidate drug or gene-based therapies can rescue laminin-332 function. The project is highly multidisciplinary and includes training in cell biology, matrix biochemistry, biomaterials engineering, advanced image analysis, and therapeutic assay development.
Supervision and team expertise include Kevin Hamill (matrix biochemistry), Hannah Levis (cell biology), Lucy Bosworth (biomaterials engineering), and Stephen Kaye (clinical expertise in corneal disease). The project is designed to give the student flexibility to focus on basement membrane assembly, model development, wound-healing biology, or translational screening depending on their interests.
Funding: tuition fees at the UK home rate, a stipend at the current UKRI rate, and some support for experimental costs.
Eligibility/fit: best suited to students interested in cell biology, microscopy, gene editing, tissue engineering, and translational ophthalmic disease research. No deadline is stated in the post.
How to apply: contact Kevin Hamill by email to discuss the project and next steps. The post also links to the project page for more information.
Funding details
Funded PhD studentship supported by Fight For Sight and DEBRA. The award pays tuition fees at the UK home rate, provides a stipend at the current UKRI rate, and includes some support for experimental costs.
What's required
Applicants should be interested in cell biology, gene editing, high-resolution microscopy, 3D tissue engineering, and quantitative image analysis. The project is suitable for students excited by discovery science and translational research; no specific prior degree classification, language score, or other formal entry criteria are stated in the post.
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Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.
Professors
Reader
United Kingdom
Research Interests
Cell Biology
Biomaterials
Genome Editing
Biomedical Engineering
Wound Healing
Prof
United Kingdom
Research Interests
Tissue Engineering
Medical Imaging
Refractive Surgery
Cornea
Transplantation
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.