Bioinformatics analysis of tertiary phase glia in preterm brain injury

This project will apply biostatistical analysis to RNAseq data to undercover novel roles for microglia and astrocytes in brain injury occurring in preterm born infants.

Permanent brain injury in babies can result from exposure to an inflammatory insult combined with being born preterm (<37 of 40 weeks’ gestation). Over their lifetime, these infants frequently struggle in academic and social settings due to cognitive and social deficits linked to their brain injuries. It is known that the cellular reactivity, termed the tertiary phase of injury persists into childhood and adolescence after early brain injury and is also observed after multiple other forms of brain injury. These changes involve dysfunction of astrocytes and microglia and they sensitise the brain to further injury. By identifying these changes creates opportunities for novel therapeutic development. This project will add to this field of research by identifying the signature of injury in a mouse model of preterm inflammatory brain injury.

The student will be involved in isolation of glia from our mouse model of inflammatory preterm brain injury and then the bioinformatic analyses of novel RNA-seq data for cell-specific and temporal changes and the integration of existing data. Network exploration for pathway involvement in known pathways of cell function regulation will be key in identifying the nature of the changes. The identified glial signature will be validated at gene and protein levels in the lab to confirm and validate findings.

Project attached to a NHMRC funded grant, normal RMIT PhD Scholarship terms and conditions.

Standard RMIT conditions including English requirements, and either a Honours degree with a H1 grade, or equivalent industry or academic experience. Please get in touch to discuss.