Tissue damage, regeneration and stem cell perturbation by parasitic worms

About the project

About the Project Group Leader: Dr Maria Duque Correa ( Duque Correa Group ) Research Summary The Duque-Correa Group's research includes infectious diseases, host-pathogen interaction and immunology. Trichuriasis is a major neglected tropical disease, affecting 500 million people worldwide, and caused by infection with whipworms. Whipworms are large parasites that live inside the gut lining. Whipworms remain in their host for years by interacting with the gut lining and surrounding cells to manipulate gut structure and immune responses. How the parasite mediates these interactions is not understood. The Duque-Correa Grou aims to determine how whipworms invade, colonise and persist in the gut. Using a new model Maria developed based on “mini-guts”, the first to mimic whipworm infections in a lab dish, together with microscopy and sequencing, they are characterising: 1) the molecular and cellular changes that happen in the whipworm and the gut lining and surrounding cells when the parasite enters and colonises the gut and; 2) the interactions that allow the parasite to persist and the gut lining to repair during chronic infections. This knowledge will open new avenues to eradicate whipworm infections and control gut inflammatory diseases. To Apply: We encourage prospective PhD students to reach out directly to Dr Duque Correa, mad75@cam.ac.uk to discuss potential projects and supervision. Applicants must secure the support of a Supervisor within a laboratory before submitting an application . Please contact the project Supervisor(s) to discuss potential supervision, proposed research project and funding options, which should then be used to write your formal application. Applications will be submitted to the ' PhD in Stem Cell Biology ' and full course details can be found at https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/blscpdscp

Research areas