Applications are now welcome for a funded PhD at the University of Edinburgh focused on the development of a minimally-invasive ultrasound guided rat myocardial infarction (MI) model. This project is jointly funded for 3 years by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The ultimate aim of this project is to fundamentally shift the way in which preclinical myocardial infarction research is performed in rats, improving welfare outcomes and reducing the number of animals which are needed. This project will offer world class training in in vivo cardiovascular research and non-invasive imaging using ultrasound and positron emission tomography (PET), in addition to training developing the candidates scientific, personal and career development skills. This project will equip the candidate for a successful career in preclinical cardiovascular research with a strong grounding in the 3Rs principals.

The primary supervisor for this project is Dr Mark MacAskill, with secondary supervision provided by Prof Adriana Tavares. This project will be based in the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, which is part of the newly formed Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research (INCR), situated within the Edinburgh BioQuarter campus. In the latter stages of the project there will be scope for international collaboration in order to disseminate the newly developed model across collaborator sites.

The PhD will commence on May 2025. 

Apply by Sunday, March 16, 2025 for consideration