Research projects

MSc (Research) project areas

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Sports and exercise science

Supervisors: Mr Nairn Scobie, Ms Victoria Penpraze, Dr Ole Kemi, Prof Niall MacFarlane

Sports Performance:

These opportunities typically arise within professional sporting organisations and allow applicants to carry out research in an applied environment as well as gaining experience and learning the skills required to be a practitioner, often at an elite level. Typical studies have encompassed sports such as rugby, hockey and football.

Exercise Physiology:

The study of the physiology of exercise, training and physical work, including the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to a wide range of exercise conditions including under the influence of various environmental factors such as temperature, pressure and altitude. Typical studies may encompass investigations of the effectiveness of different training protocols, the potential advantages of ergogenic aids, control of exercise intensity, and the underlying physiologic responses to these interventions, and may be undertaken both in the laboratory and in the field.

Physical activity for Health:

The study of physical activity and/or sedentary behaviours in different sections of the population, e.g. children, school leavers, clinical groups. Typical studies can encompass investigations of how much physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour is carried out by the cohort of interest and may also include the effectiveness of different interventions designed to improve health-enhancing activity related behaviours. There are opportunities to conduct research in this area in a lab, field or applied setting.

Recent publications

• White AD and MacFarlane NG. (2015) Contextual effects on activity profiles of domestic field hockey during competition and training. Hum Mov Sci. 40:422-31
• Scobie,N. et al (2014) The comparison of coconut water, sports drink and plain water on rehydration and potential for endurance based performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 32(Supp.2),s78-s86
• Devlin J, et al. (2014) Blood lactate clearance after maximal exercise depends on active recovery intensity. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 54:271-8.

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Cancer biology / Cancer and inflammation

Supervisors: Dr Joanna B Wilson

Research in our laboratory concerns the analysis of viral oncogenes:

• how do they work to disturb the normal function of the cell?
• how does this lead to an abnormal cell state?
• how does this proceed to tumour formation?
• how does the virus avoid immune eradication?

By understanding these issues, we can then go on to design possible therapeutic treatments. Our study revolves around a cancer associated virus called Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).  What we learn from the action of the viral oncogenes, tells us a great deal about the cancer process in general and about the normal action of cellular proteins that are disrupted by the virus.

A new area of study in our lab is focusing on chronic inflammation and the role it plays in the development of cancer and autoimmune diseases.

MSc research projects will explore the action and therapeutic targeting of a viral oncogene or an important cellular gene involved in the tumourigenic process, using a range of molecular, genetic and cellular approaches.

Recent publications

• AlQarni, S. et al. (2018) Lymphomas driven by Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) are dependant upon Mdm2. Oncogene 10.1038/s41388-018-0147x
• Wilson, J.B. et al. (2018) EBNA1: Oncogenic Activity, Immune Evasion and Biochemical Functions Provide Targets for Novel Therapeutic Strategies against Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Cancers. Cancers 10, 109 doi:10.3390/cancers10040109
• Gao, X. et al. (2017) N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) ameliorates Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 induced chronic inflammation.PLoS-ONE 12 (12) e0189167 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189167 dpi:10.1371

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Cell signalling

Supervisors: Dr Elaine Huston

We are particularly interested in the interaction of lysine methylation with key molecules in cell signalling pathways and the implications of this for novel cancer therapies. Lysine demethylases are integral to the regulation of histone and non-histone methylation and thus play an important part in the control of gene expression and stability.  Deregulation of these enzymes and the resultant modification of epigenetic landscapes has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of cancers including prostate cancer, colon cancer and acute myeloid leukaemia. 

More recently it has become increasingly clear that lysine methylation is important in the control of key signalling pathways implicated in cancer progression.  This indicates that drugs which target lysine methylation may offer promising novel therapeutics to these disease states. 

MSc research projects will investigate the roles that various signalling proteins and lysine demethylases play in the proliferation of cancer cells.  The interaction between lysine methylation, signalling molecules and resultant modulation of signalling pathways will be investigated to assess potential novel targets for cancer therapeutics.

Recent publications

• Brown, K. M., et al (2013). Phosphodiesterase-8A binds to and regulates Raf-1 kinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110: E1533-42.
• McCahill, A.C. et al. (2008). PDE4 associates with different scaffolding proteins: modulating interactions as treatment for certain diseases. Handb Exp Pharmacol, 125-66.
• Tanaka, M. et al (2017). Aggregation of scaffolding protein DISC1 dysregulates phosphodiesterase 4 in Huntington's disease. J Clin Invest, 127: 1438-1450.

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The genetics of cell cycle

Supervisors: Dr Chris McInerny

We use the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe to study the cell cycle and basic cancer biology. We focus on cytokinesis and cell separation, and the role of anillin and ESCRT proteins in this process. Anillin proteins play a prominent function in controlling the deposition of the actin ring that predicts the site of cell separation, and ESCRT proteins control membrane formation and changes.

The MSc (Research) project will focus on the interactions of these two protein types and the role of this interaction in cytokinesis. This is of medical importance as the cell cycle and cytokinesis are disrupted in human cancers with, for example, anillin proteins known to be deregulated. The research will use a wide range of molecular techniques, working in both yeast and human cells to address this important area.

Recent publications

• Bhutta M.S. et al. (2014) A complex network of interactions between mitotic kinases, phosphatases and ESCRT proteins regulates septation and membrane trafficking in S. pombe. PLoS ONE 9: e111789.
• Bhutta M.S. et al. (2014) ESCRT function in cytokinesis: location, dynamics and regulation by mitotic kinases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 15: 21723-21739. 

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The genetics of rare disorders

Supervisors: Dr Mark E Bailey

Molecular therapies for rare genetic disorders

We investigate disorders of the brain and study the genetics of rare disorders, with a view to developing molecular therapeutic approaches (gene therapy, RNA-trans-splicing, genome editing).

We have completed a large amount of work on Rett syndrome, an X-linked dominant disorder that affects only girls.  And leaves them with severe dyspraxia, motor disabilities and possibly cognitive disabilities lifelong, as well as related health problems. It is caused in most cases by de novo mutations in MECP2, a gene that encodes a protein that participates in epigenetic regulation of genome function and gene expression. Other X-linked dominant disorders of the brain are also being studied ie. CDKL5 disorder and DDX3X disorder.

Our MSc (research) project will be in an area that contributes to these molecular therapy approaches to tackling such disorders.

Recent publications

• Hector R.D.et al. (2017) CDKL5 variants: improving our understanding of a rare neurological disorder. Neurology: Genetics 3: e200. doi: 10.1212/NXG.0000000000000200.
• Gadalla K.K.E. et al. (2017) Development of a novel AAV gene therapy cassette with improved safety features and efficacy in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Molecular Therapy: Methods and Clinical Development 5: 180-190. doi: 10.1016/j.omtm.2017.04.007.

Genetics of common human traits and disorders

Our lab investigates the genetics of common human complex traits and disorders, particularly those based on:

• brain function
• body composition and diabetes
• physical performance
• an ear/balance disorder called Ménière disease

We have access to the world-leading UK BioBank dataset and we do big data analysis of the relationships between phenotypes, the underlying genetics, and gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. We have recently made discoveries in the area of circadian rhythmicity and its relationship with depression and other mood disorders.

Our MSc (Research) project will be in an area that contributes to these genetic analysis investigations, and is appropriate for students who want a dry project with no experimental work, and which involves statistical analysis.

Recent publications:

• Morrison G.A.J. et al (2009). Familial Ménière’s disease: clinical and genetic aspects. J. Laryngol. Otol. 123: 29-37. doi:10.1017/S0022215108002788
• Ferguson A. et al (2018) Genome-wide association study of circadian rhythmicity in 71,500 UK Biobank participants and polygenic association with mood instability. EBioMedicine xx: 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.08.004

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Marine ecology

Our lab focuses on two areas of research:

1. what controls the diversity and biomass of microalgae?
2. how do microplastics and light affect marine bivalve populations?

Besides their potential to address longstanding ecological questions on the functioning of marine ecosystems, both questions have important implications for the biofuels and aquaculture industries respectfully.

To address these questions we conduct controlled experiments in the aquatic ecology lab, within the School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine and we also have connections with industrial partners for carrying out field work in their facilities. Depending on the research question, we analyse samples with a range of techniques available within the aquatic ecology lab or in collaboration with the metabolomics department of the University of Glasgow polyomics facility and labs carrying out genetic analyses within the School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine and the School of Molecular Biosciences.

Recent publications

• Papanikolopoulou L. et al. (2018). Interplay between r- and K-strategists leads to phytoplankton underyielding when the resources are pulsed. Oecologia, 186: 755-764
• Sakavara, A. et al (2018) Lumpy species coexistence arises robustly in fluctuating resource environments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 115: 738-743.
• Smeti, E. et al. (2016) Spatial averaging and disturbance lead to high productivity in aquatic metacommunities. Oikos, 125: 812-820. (doi:10.1111/oik.02684)

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Overview

MSc (Research)

• Duration: 1 year full-time ; 2 years part-time

Depending upon training needs, a student may take approved credited taught courses throughout this period. Following the research period, students will write a thesis (under the supervision of the principle investigator), presenting data and analysis for the degree examination.

Study options

MSc (Research)

Duration: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time [with the option to register for a further year to write up your thesis]

Taught courses may form part of the programme, tailored to individual student needs and topic requirements.

Specifying your research project area

In your application, please select your research project area and your project and supervisor in the 'research' section of the application form.