Obesity-mediated dysregulation in the expression & action of myostatin:

Full title: Obesity-mediated dysregulation in the expression and action of myostatin: A novel intrinsic mechanism that contributes to age-related sarcopenia and sensitivity to insulin

The project involves the application of a wide range of biochemical, molecular and cellular biology techniques (including primary human cell culture, transcriptomic analysis and bioinformatics) in adipose and skeletal muscle tissues obtained from healthy volunteers from different age and weight categories. This approach will help us understand the cellular mechanism(s) by which adiposity and fat accumulation within human skeletal muscle affect the regulation of the protein myostatin (a known negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass), how this contributes to sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass with age) and the development of insulin resistance (one of the hallmarks of the metabolic syndrome), and to identify candidate therapeutic strategies. The knowledge generated from this work will have important implications for the development of interventions to improve musculoskeletal ageing, one of the biggest health challenges of the 21st century.

The PhD student will benefit from working in two highly regarded, independent laboratories in UK acquiring a range of human in vivo and ex vivo research skills. The student is expected to spend considerable time (6-9 months) in the research laboratories of Nestle, the world's largest Nutrition, Health and Welfare company, receiving training in transcriptomic analysis and bioinformatics.