Investigating the impact of insulin resistance on ageing, appearance, and wellbeing using sleep as a model system

Impaired glucose homeostasis, due to reduced insulin sensitivity combined with relative insulin deficiency, is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. It is also a characteristic feature of ageing and may represent a pivotal mediator of age-related changes in the structural and functional integrity of key organs, including skin and its associated appendages. However understanding on the impact of systemic insulin resistance on cutaneous ageing is limited. The same limitations apply to the biological effects of acute fluctuations in insulin sensitivity, resultant from daily environmental challenge, on skin, its associated appendages and translation to appearance cues. The PhD study aims to examine the impact of insulin resistance on appearance and cutaneous ageing using sleep as a model system. Converging evidence suggests that neuroendocrine changes associated with sleep deprivation may be connected to alterations in insulin sensitivity. This relationship will be examined and disturbances in neuroendocrine regulation explored as a biological mediator of ageing. Apart from the experienced supervisory team at Newcastle University and Unilever UK, the project will benefit from access to the UK BioBank and the Sleepstation (Newcastle's Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programme). The research outcomes have far reaching implications including commercial applications in the Personal Care and Healthcare arenas.
This is a multi-disciplinary PhD studentship and includes cellular, molecular biological and physiological techniques such as metabolism measures, histological analysis, image analysis, cell culture, molecular biology, genetic analysis, immunostaining and gene expression studies.