Fogarty Phd Scholarship in HIV-Associated Tuberculosis
Fogarty PhD Scholarship in HIV-associated Tuberculosis:
Immunopathogenesis of Drug Hypersensitivity Reactions
TheFogarty HIV-associated Tuberculosis Training Programhas been established at the University of Cape Town in partnership with Johns Hopkins University and Vanderbilt University in the US, and aims to develop the next generation of research leaders in this field at UCT. The Program is funded by a 5-year grant from the Fogarty International Center of the US National Institutes of Health. The Program will competitively award a limited number of post-graduate fellowships and run training courses. It will strengthenUCT’s capacityto address knowledge gaps in this field and tackle new scientific questions as the epidemiology and treatment of HIV and TB evolve.The five focus areas prioritized for training are: Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Advanced Epidemiology and Modelling; Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenomics; Immunopathogenesis; and HIV-TB Drug Hypersensitivity Reactions.The Program is administered by the Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa (CIDRI-Africa) in the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM)
The PhD fellowship will be based within the Allergology and Clinical Immunology service of UCT/Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) which is a growing discipline housed within H-floor of the Old Main Building at GSH and the UCT Lung Institute. The incumbent will work under the joint supervision of Associate Professor Jonny Peter, Head of Division, Associate ProfessorRannakoeLehloenya, Consultant in Division of Dermatology and Professor Elizabeth Phillips, Vanderbilt University, US.
Project theme:
Persons living with HIV have an estimated 100-fold increased risk of immune-mediated adverse drug reactions. This laboratory-based project will examine the mechanisms underpinning severe cutaneous drug reactions to first line TB drugs in persons living with HIV and those without HIV-infection. The following techniques will be used during the PhD and thus prior experience will be an advantage: Typing of HLA and other immune genes, Elispot and ELISA assays; flow cytometry and cell sorting, T-cell receptor sequencing and RNAseq analyses.
Requirements:
Applicants are required to have:
- Completed a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology or Immunology, Clinical Pharmacology or related field or an MBChB degree
- Ability to register in February 2018 for full time study
- Computer literacy and excellent communication skills
- Willingness to learn new research skills and methodologies
- Willingness to spend time at one of the partnering institutions in the US if appropriate
Conditions of Award:
Successful candidates will be required to register for full time PhD study in the Department of Medicine, the Division of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University of Cape Town.
The value of the PhD scholarship is ZAR 225,000 per annum. The tenure of the award is one year. Renewal for a second and a third year will be considered and will be contingent on satisfactory academic progress.
The PhD fellow will spend a period of 6 months in the laboratory of Professor Elizabeth Phillips at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennesse, US. Applicants must be willing to apply for, and have in place valid travel documents, to allow for such an exchange.
Successful candidates will be required to comply with the approved policies, procedures and practices for funding for the postgraduate sector at the University of Cape Town.
The successful candidate will be expected to participate in all required training requirements of the Fogarty Program in terms of human subjects protection and responsible conduct of research, and attend symposia and meetings of the Fogarty Program at UCT.
Applications:
To apply, please contact Kathryn Wood () for the application.
The deadline for applications is 15 January 2018.
Applications will be considered on academic merit and UCT’s policies on transformation and equity will be strongly adhered to, with preference given to a black South African candidate.
The University reserves the right to cancel, withdraw and recover any funds paid out to award-holders who do not comply with the Conditions of Award.