Developing an advanced Glomerulus-on-a-chip model to study inflammation in the kidney

About the Project

This PhD, supported by Vertex, will develop a next-generation Glomerulus-on-a-Chip platform that integrates engineering design, microfluidics, mechanobiology and biomaterials to recreate the biomechanical and biochemical microenvironment of the human glomerulus. The project will incorporate advanced chip fabrication, tunable extracellular-matrix architectures, and physiologically relevant shear stress and flow-driven filtration, enabling quantitative control of disease-relevant mechanical cues. A key focus is engineering dynamic co-culture interfaces between podocytes, endothelial and mesangial cells with immune cells, allowing mechanotransduction and inflammatory signalling to be modelled in a controlled microengineered system.

The student will use sensor integration, live-cell imaging and computational readouts to characterise filtration, cytokine transport and matrix remodelling in real time. The model will be designed as a scalable and reproducible in-vitro technology using commercially derived primary cells to ensure robustness.

This technology-driven platform will be used to investigate how inflammatory and fibrotic processes affect glomerular barrier function and downstream tubular responses. Expected outcomes include a validated chip technology for studying kidney pathology and a mechanistic framework for personalising therapeutic testing.

This project is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Next Generation Organ on a Chip Technology (COaCT)

Who should apply?

We are looking for students who have an enthusiasm for organ-on-a-chip technologies, with a range of backgrounds including biology, biochemistry, genetics, materials science, biomedical engineering and other related subjects. Students should have some experimental background and enthusiasm for working in the laboratory. Applicants are not expected to have experience in all elements of this field; training will be provided as part of the PhD to support the development of important skills.

Application Process

Applications for this project are through the COaCT admissions process. Applicants are asked to make one application to the COaCT and list their project preferences from all project currently available as listed here: http://www.cpm.qmul.ac.uk/cdt/projects/projects2026open

The process is explained in detail here: http://www.cpm.qmul.ac.uk/cdt/applications/stepbystep

Funding Notes

The successful applicants will be fully funded (fees and stipend). For 2026/27, the annual stipend rate, including London Allowance, will be £23,805.