Fuel for Infection: How Sun Exposure Rewires Skin Cell Metabolism to Aid Zika Virus

About the Project

Lead supervisor:Dr Clive McKimmie

Co-supervisors:Dr Kim Robinson and Dr Kave Shams (NHS)

The student will be registered with the Department of HYMS

Mosquito-borne viruses such as Zika (ZIKV) and dengue are spreading rapidly as the climate warms and mosquito habitats expand. These infections pose a growing threat to global health, yet there are still no specific antiviral drugs or widely available vaccines.

The skin is the first line of defence against these viruses. However, environmental factors, particularly sunlight and UV exposure, can profoundly alter how the skin responds to infection. Our recent research shows that prior UV exposure increases host susceptibility to Zika virus, suggesting that sunlight may “reprogram” skin cells in ways that make infection easier.

We hypothesise that as the skin repairs itself after UV damage, cell metabolism shifts toward glycolysis, creating conditions that the virus can exploit to replicate more efficiently.

In this PhD project, you will investigate how UV exposure reshapes skin cell metabolism and antiviral defences during virus infection. This work will combine approaches from virology, dermatology, and immunology to address an important question at the intersection of environment, infection, and human health.

You will gain training in:

• Molecular and cellular analysis of metabolism and antiviral responses (e.g. qPCR, imaging, metabolic assays)
• Characterising skin cell types and their repair states using microscopy and staining
• Integrating infection biology with environmental and physiological models

This project will provide outstanding interdisciplinary training in infection biology, skin physiology, and host–pathogen interactions, as well as highly transferable quantitative and molecular skills. You will join an active international research community and a supportive, collaborative team. Graduates from our group have gone on to PhD positions, postdoctoral research, and medical careers worldwide.

Based in: Virus–Host Interactions Team (VHIT), led by Dr Clive McKimmie, University of York, UK.

Entry Requirements: Students with, or expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply.

Programme: PhD in Biomedical Science (3 year)

Start Date: 21 September 2026