2026 Choudhury Group: Immuno-modulation and inflammation reprogramming in cardio-metabolic disease

About the Research

The laboratory focuses on how environmental factors influence bone marrow function—specifically, how stimuli such as exosomal protein and microRNA delivery and metabolic reprogramming of epigenetic marks shape hematopoietic responses.

In the context of cardiovascular inflammation, our work has demonstrated how glucose primes the polarization of specific myeloid lineage cells in a manner that persists across cell generations and exacerbates disease. We have also shown how glucose biases differentiation toward other cell types, such as fibroblasts, which may further contribute to pathological processes.

Our overarching goal is to define these mechanisms using multi-omics approaches and integrate both preclinical and clinical datasets to determine their relevance to human disease. Ultimately, we aim to identify new opportunities for patient diagnosis, stratification, and therapy.

The laboratory is supported by diverse funding sources, including the British Heart Foundation, the Medical Research Council, industry partners, and philanthropic organizations.

Training Opportunities

We offer a supportive, structured environment designed to help DPhil students thrive both intellectually and professionally. Every student leads a defined project aligned with the lab’s overarching themes, while also benefiting from shared expertise and collaborative opportunities within the group.

Our team-based approach means students are embedded in a collaborative ecosystem, where hands-on training is available across a wide array of cutting-edge techniques, including:

• RNA sequencing (bulk and single-cell)
• ATAC-seq (bulk and single-cell)
• Chromatin profiling (ChIP-seq, CUT, and CUT&Tag)
• Bioinformatics and multi-omics data integration
• Mass spectrometry-based proteomics
• Spatial transcriptomics (RNA scope)
• Standard molecular biology techniques
• Immunofluorescence
• Western blotting
• Tissue culture
• Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR)

Beyond technical training, students engage in lab meetings, journal clubs, and collaborative manuscript preparation. Mentorship is available at multiple levels, including direct supervision, peer mentoring, and access to clinical and computational collaborators. Where appropriate, students are also supported to attend international conferences and external training courses to develop their scientific networks and skillsets.

Importantly, all of our previous DPhil students have successfully completed their degrees on time—reflecting a well-balanced environment that prioritizes scientific rigor, personal development, and achievable timelines.

We welcome motivated and curious individuals who are ready to explore how environmental influences shape disease at the molecular and cellular level, with a clear path toward real-world clinical impact.

Students are encouraged to attend the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine DPhil Course, which takes place in the autumn of their first year. Running over several days, this course helps students to develop basic research and presentation skills, as well as introducing them to a wide range of scientific techniques and principles, ensuring that students have the opportunity to build a broad-based understanding of differing research methodologies.

Generic skills training is offered through the Medical Sciences Division's Skills Training Programme. This programme offers a comprehensive range of courses covering many important areas of researcher development: knowledge and intellectual abilities, personal effectiveness, research governance and organisation, and engagement, influence, and impact. Students are actively encouraged to take advantage of the training opportunities available to them.

As well as the specific training detailed above, students will have access to a wide range of seminars and training opportunities through the many research institutes and centres based in Oxford.

The Department has a successful mentoring scheme, open to graduate students, which provides an additional possible channel for personal and professional development outside the regular supervisory framework. We hold an Athena SWAN Silver Award in recognition of our efforts to build a happy and rewarding environment where all staff and students are supported to achieve their full potential.

Additional Supervisors

1. Naveed Akbar

2. Kate Boden

Publications