PhD Studentships in Human Nutrition & Nutrigenomics

The Joint Irish Nutrigenomics Organisation (JINGO) incorporates four universities (UCD, UUC, TCD, UU) that plan to create a National Nutrition Phenotype Database, funded by the Department of Agriculture’s Food Institutional Research Measure. The database will extend and deepen the traditional dietary survey databases and will incorporate data from three major cohorts: a nationally representative sample of the Irish population and two samples of individuals that are metabolically stressed (either acutely by the consumption of a test meal or chronically by old age). Dietary, physical activity, body composition, physical fitness, lifestyle and nutrigenomics data will be collected. We wish to recruit two PhD students to join the team working on the nutritionally challenged cohort. Applicants should hold an honours degree (minimum 2.1) in any biological discipline.

Position 1: Supervisors:  Dr Lorraine Brennan and Dr Eileen Gibney.

Investigating the metabolomic response to a metabolic challenge and the relationship between body composition and the metabolic profile.

This project will investigate the metabolomic response to a high fat and high carbohydrate challenge meal using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and a combination of novel multivariate data analysis. In addition, we will link detailed body composition data obtained and linked to the metabolic profiles of the healthy subjects. Overall, this project will enhance our knowledge of the relationship between phenotype and the metabolomic profile and test the hypothesis that metabolomic profiles are predictive of the metabolic response.

For more information contact Dr Lorraine Brennan (lorraine.brennan@ucd.ie).

Interested applicants should send a letter of interest and a copy of their CV with the names of two referees to Dr Lorraine Brennan, UCD Conway Institute, UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, Belfield, UCD, Dublin 4, Ireland. 

Position 2: Supervisors:  Prof. Helen Roche

Linking the transcriptomic and proteomic signature of adipose tissue with the metabolic phenotype – insights in relation to obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This project will determine the transcriptomic profile of adipose tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in subjects challenged to a high-fat and high-carbohydrate test meals. Exploratory adipose tissue and plasma proteomics will also be completed with a view to identifying novel markers of the metabolic phenotype in a cohort of the healthy subjects of varying body weight profiles. The overall aim of this project is to advance our understanding in relation to the role of adipose tissue biology in relation to glucose and lipid metabolism within the context of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

For more information contact Prof Helen Roche (helen.roche@ucd.ie).

Applicants should send a letter of interest and a copy of their CV with the names of two referees to Prof Helen Roche, UCD Conway Institute, Belfield, UCD, Dublin 4, Ireland.