Reilly Group - Adverse myocardial remodelling in cardiac fibrosis and atrial fibrillation

About the research

Additional supervision may be provided by Associate Professor Charles Redwood and Dr Isabel de Moraes.

training opportunities

We offer training in the following techniques relevant to the ongoing projects:

• We offer training in the following techniques relevant to the ongoing projects:

  • Molecular biology, including (but not limited to) immunoblotting, immunostaining, ELISA, cloning, RNA/DNA extraction, qPCR, PCR, Trichrome Masson’s staining.
  • Extensive cell culture techniques in primary human and rodent fibroblasts and myocytes, or in cell lines (e.g., HEK293 and 3T3).
  • Cellular functional studies (including assessment of cell viability, proliferation, migration and wound healing; loss-of- and gain-of-function studies using lipo/electroporation transfection protocols with siRNA/vectors.
  • Animal work (mice and guinea pigs) including breeding, colony maintenance, assessment of cardiac fibrosis and arrhythmogenesis in vivo and in vitro.
  • Clinical studies will involve collection of human blood sample and cardiac biopsies for a subsequent measurement of biomarkers in atrial fibrillation and studies into cardiac fibrosis.
  • As a part of ongoing collaboration with Diamond Light Source (Harwell), some training (related to G-protein coupled receptors and small peptides) can be offered in structural biology (e.g., virus amplification, protein purification and receptor/peptide crystallization).
  • Assessment of calcium handling (e.g., contractility, cell relaxation, calcium transients) and electrophysiology of cardiomyocytes as a part of internal and international ongoing collaborations.
  • Some training in RNA-sequencing (including single cell).

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.

publications