Neurology

Mitochondrial Genetic Determinants of Multiple Sclerosis

University of Cambridge

Not stated

Location
Cambridge, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Funding
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Application deadline
8 December 2026

About the project

About the Project Summary This project is focused on establishing the role of mitochondrial genetic variants in determining the outcome of MS. Project Aims Genome-Wide Association (GWAS) in multiple sclerosis have identified over 200 autosomal genetic variants that influence the disease but have not systematically considered the role of the mitochondrial genome, despite the fact that it is well established that pathogenic mitochondrial variants, such as those causing Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), can influence the outcome of the disease. In this project we will use a specifically designed mitochondrial variant calling pipeline (PMID: 34002094) to analyse whole genome sequence data (30x) from 3,800 patients with multiple sclerosis and correlate observed common variation with clinical course. (PhD or MPhil)

Research areas

NeurologyNeuroscienceMitochondrialGeneticDeterminantsofMultipleSclerosis