Fully-funded PhD Studentship at the Institute for Regeneration and Repair
This 3-year, fully-funded PhD studentship is established with a generous donation from the Mary Kinross Charitable Trust to the Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR), a research institute based at the University of Edinburgh. Scientists and clinicians at IRR study tissue regeneration and repair to advance human health and reproductive outcomes. The Institute incorporates three leading research centres with a focus on regenerative medicine, inflammation and reproductive health.
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack, are the leading cause of death globally. Timely treatment of a heart attack by emergency medical services and hospitals has the potential to prevent multi-organ failure and death. This PhD project aims to develop treatments for heart attacks by studying (i) how blood vessels respond to heart injury and (ii) how the disease spreads to other organs. The project will be carried out at the Institute for Regeneration and Repair, and will use novel technologies to identify key cells and mechanisms involved in the disease process, to identify potential targets for drugs to improve patient outcomes.
Project outline
Cardiovascular disease, a group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels, remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Cardiac fibrosis represents a major pathological feature contributing to nearly all types of heart disease.1 It plays a key role in the development of heart failure and is often initiated after myocardial infarction (MI).2 Blood vessels are central to the progression of cardiac fibrosis. After injury, the cells which are in direct contact with the endothelium, called pericytes detach from blood vessels, and migrate towards the wound to deposit collagen. We and others found that the transmembrane receptor CD248 is upregulated on pericytes after MI and contributes to inflammation and fibrogenesis in the heart.
Recent studies have shown that MI leads to significant bone marrow remodelling.4 This suggests a change in the hematopoietic supportive niche, including pericytes5, which could be contributing to increased long term systemic inflammation after MI and propagation of fibrosis to other vital organs as well, including kidneys, liver, and lung.6
Our hypothesis is that pericytes and CD248 play a central role in the propagation of systemic fibrosis, post-MI. We propose that blocking CD248 action may protect against BM remodeling and the perpetuation of fibrosis in the heart and the propagation of fibrosis to other organs.
Aims and Approach
1. Investigate the role of CD248 in BM remodeling and hematopoiesis post-MI. We will characterize the impact of the loss of CD248 on BM remodeling and hematopoiesis post-MI. We will use a pre-clinical model of MI and hematopoiesis assays.
2. Determine the importance of CD248 in propagating fibrosis to distant organs post-MI. We will quantity fibrosis in multiple organs post-MI to determine the importance of CD248 in driving systemic fibrosis, using histological sections and advanced imaging quantification tools.
3. Explore the mechanisms involved in BM remodeling and fibrosis in the heart. We will perform single nuclear RNA-seq analysis on the BM niche and the heartto get insight into the mechanisms driving BM remodeling and the perpetuation of fibrosis in the heart post-MI and how this may be impacted by the absence of CD248.
Training
The student will join an interdisciplinary research team and will be trained in all required biomedical techniques, including flow cytometry, hematopoiesis assays, echocardiography analysis, immunohistochemistry, imaging. The student will also be trained in R, single nuclear RNA-seq analysis, QuPath and Adobe Illustrator.
Contact details:
For more information, please contact Dr Mihaela Crisan Miheala.crisan@ed.ac.uk
Recruitment
This project will be suited to students with a strong interest in regenerative medicine, hematopoiesis and cardiovascular biology. Applicants must be of outstanding academic merit and research potential. Applicants should have obtained (or will soon obtain) a first or upper second-class UK honours degree or equivalent non-UK qualification, in a relevant subject area including biomedical sciences, immunology or biology. Research experience in flow cytometry, in vivo animal models, cell culture and/or imaging is desirable.
How to apply
Please send your CV, cover letter/personal statement and two references before 16 January 2026 (12noon, UK time) vie email to: IRRSchoolPGR@ed.ac.uk. Please add ‘Elizabeth Shields PhD Studentship - Crisan Lab’ in subject.
We are unable to respond to unsuccessful or incomplete applications.
Interviews will take place on 9th February 2026.
Application deadline:
Friday 16th January 2026 (12noon, UK time)