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SGUL/LSHTM MRC London Intercollegiate Doctoral Training Partnership – 2017/18 Additional Studentships – Potential PhD Projects Title of PhD project Identifying the genetic and environmental determinants of susceptibility to cryptococcal meningitis in African HIV-infected patients Supervisor Dr Tihana Bicanic SGUL Co-Supervisor Dr Joe Jarvis LSHTM Brief description of project An exciting opportunity to work on a translational genomic project embedded within a phase III multi-centre clinical trial in Africa (Dr Jarvis Principal Investigator). The project is part of an H3Africa 1000 cryptococcal meningitis African genomes project led by the University of Cape Town for which Drs Jarvis and Dr Bicanic are co-applicants alongside African investigators. Applying whole genome sequencing for both pathogen and host, bioinfomatic and genetic epidemiological analyses, the project seeks to understand the contribution of host and pathogen genotype as well as environmental exposure to the susceptibility of patients with advanced HIV infection to cryptococcal meningitis, one of the most common and deadly opportunistic infections in AIDS patients in sub-Saharan Africa. Particular prior educational requirements for a student undertaking this project MSc in epidemiology/ statistics desirable but not essential. Skills we expect a student to develop/acquire whilst pursuing this project You will be trained in both pathogen (Opportunistic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans) and human DNA extraction and sequencing using the latest platforms available in the UK. Supported by postdoctoral bioinformaticians and bioinformatics networks, you will assist with bioinformatics analyses of human and Cryptococcal sequences. Opportunities for field work collecting environmental isolates and assessing environmental exposures around patients' homes at an African clinical trial site will be available. Any candidate susceptibility SNPs will undergo functional analyses using either RNA silencing or inhibiting antibodies, dependent on locus. 1
