The student will gain interdisciplinary training in vascular biology, circadian biology, and in vitro advanced disease models.

This PhD project integrates complementary expertise in circadian biology and diabetic retinopathy (Dr Beli) with the use of complex 3D in vitro vascular models (Dr Campagnolo) to provide new mechanistic insights into the circadian crosstalk between retinal endothelial cells and pericytes, and its breakdown in diabetic retinopathy.

We hypothesise that pericytes are essential for maintaining endothelial cell circadian rhythms within the retinal neurovascular unit, and that disruption of this endothelial/ pericyte circadian coupling contributes to early vascular dysfunction in diabetic retinopathy.

The project will address three aims:

1. Define how retinal pericytes transfer circadian information to retinal endothelial cells and how diabetes alters this cross-talk.
2. Identify the molecular signals mediating endothelial/pericyte circadian coupling and assess their disruption under diabetic conditions.
3. Determine the functional consequences of circadian coupling breakdown for retinal vascular function.

The student will gain interdisciplinary training in vascular biology, circadian biology, and in vitro advanced disease models.

This PhD project integrates complementary expertise in circadian biology and diabetic retinopathy (Dr Beli) with the use of complex 3D in vitro vascular models (Dr Campagnolo) to provide new mechanistic insights into the circadian crosstalk between retinal endothelial cells and pericytes, and its breakdown in diabetic retinopathy.

We hypothesise that pericytes are essential for maintaining endothelial cell circadian rhythms within the retinal neurovascular unit, and that disruption of this endothelial/ pericyte circadian coupling contributes to early vascular dysfunction in diabetic retinopathy.

The project will address three aims:

1. Define how retinal pericytes transfer circadian information to retinal endothelial cells and how diabetes alters this cross-talk.
2. Identify the molecular signals mediating endothelial/pericyte circadian coupling and assess their disruption under diabetic conditions.
3. Determine the functional consequences of circadian coupling breakdown for retinal vascular function.