PhD Position: Decoding Chromosome 1 Risk in AMD Using Retinal Models

Newcastle University is offering a fully funded PhD position as part of the MSCA Innovative Training Network Pandora consortium, focusing on age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The successful candidate will differentiate patient-derived iPSCs carrying Chromosome 1 risk variants, such as CFH Y402H, into retinal organoids enriched for photoreceptors. The role involves assessing disease-relevant phenotypes related to oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, autophagy, and intercellular crosstalk in advanced perfusion co-culture systems. The researcher will benefit from secondments across international academic and industrial partners while receiving comprehensive interdisciplinary training.

• Differentiate control and patient-derived iPSCs carrying Chromosome 1 risk variants into photoreceptor-enriched retinal organoids.
• Evaluate disease-relevant cellular phenotypes using molecular, biochemical, and ultrastructural assays.
• Investigate oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, autophagy flux, and inflammatory signaling pathways.
• Validate findings through histological and molecular correlation using human donor eye tissues.
• Develop multi-cellular RPE-photoreceptor-choroid co-culture systems in microfluidic perfusion platforms to study stress propagation and barrier integrity.