Neil Ranson

A 4-year PhD studentship is available at the University of Leeds, funded at the standard UKRI stipend rate and supported by a Wellcome-funded research programme. The project, starting in October 2026, focuses on understanding and controlling amyloid fibril polymorphism, a key factor in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type-2 diabetes. The studentship is jointly supervised by Prof Sheena Radford and Prof Neil Ranson in the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology. The research aims to unravel why proteins form amyloid fibrils and how this process leads to disease. Unlike the predictable folding of globular proteins, amyloid-forming proteins can assemble into multiple structures in vitro, but only a single, disease-specific structure is found in patients. The project will use a combination of biochemical and biophysical assays to map the pathways of protein aggregation and employ cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) to solve the structures formed during assembly. By integrating these data, the student will develop new models describing the molecular events underpinning amyloid assembly and investigate how solution conditions and cellular cofactors influence the selection of disease-specific amyloid structures. This research has the potential to accelerate diagnosis and enable patient-specific therapies for amyloid diseases. The successful candidate will join a dynamic team and gain experience in advanced techniques in biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology. Applicants should have a strong background in a relevant field such as biochemistry, biophysics, or molecular biology, and demonstrate enthusiasm for research and learning new methods. Experience with biochemical or biophysical assays, or structural biology, is desirable but not essential. Funding is fully provided for four years, covering both stipend and tuition fees. Interested candidates should contact Prof Sheena Radford ([email protected]) or Prof Neil Ranson ([email protected]) with a CV to express interest. The application window is open for an October 2026 start.