WCPRS/CWPS PhD Studentship
A collaboration between the Division of Translational and Systems Medicine,
Warwick Medical School and Coventry and Warwickshire Pathology Service
Project Title:
Maternal epigenetic modifications as a potential biomarker of perinatal depression
 Perinatal depression has profound consequences on the quality of family life, social
functioning, fetus development and long-term emotional and cognitive development
of the progeny. Clearly, management and outcomes would benefit from early
identification of women at risk in order to introduce appropriate lifestyle changes
and therapeutic interventions. Abnormal stress-driven hormonal responses appear
to be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. At present, there is a paucity of
suitable biomarkers to detect presence of the underlying disease and hormonal
over-activity of the HPA ‘stress’ axis.
 The purpose of this project is to test the hypotheses that:
(i) patients with genetic susceptibility for perinatal depression and/or abnormal
B12/folate levels exhibit differences in DNA methylation in maternal blood
during pregnancy, and abnormal levels of circulating hormones, cytokines and
neurosteroids
(ii) the combined use of biochemical endocrinology, genetics and epigenetic
markers as biological indicators of disease can predict development of
depression during pregnancy and postnatally.
This multidiscipline project will:
- employ both targeted and discovery experimental approaches: it will focus on the
methylation status of candidate targets and test their potential as biomarkers of
perinatal depression.
- develop innovative laboratory methods such as methylation-specific qPCR; highthroughput discovery methods involving methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and
next gen sequencing to identify novel gene methylation targets (in collaboration
with Monash)
 We envisage that the project will have a major impact in the diagnosis and
treatment of perinatal depression since early identification of patients with
depression will trigger implementation of therapeutic approaches.
 The successful candidate will develop expertise in various techniques including
genomic DNA extraction, molecular biology, DNA methylation assays, next gen
sequencing, ELISA and innovative PCR methods.
 The successful candidate will join a vibrant and expanding research team at the
University of Warwick within the Division of Translational and Systems Medicine.
The student will also be part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Pathology Service,
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
 The academic supervisors will be Professor Dimitris Grammatopoulos, Professor of
Molecular Medicine and Dr Ponnusamy Saravanan, Division of Translational and
Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School.
 The successful candidate will be expected to start in October 2015 and will be
located at Clinical Science Research Laboratories at UHCW NHS Trust.
 Applicants should have a good biomedical, physiology, molecular biology, sciences
degree.
 This studentship is available to Home and EU students, according to fee status, who
meet Research Council eligibility requirements based on residency. The studentship
includes full fees for the successful candidate along with a tax free maintenance
allowance in line with Research Council UK standard stipend (£14,057 for the year
2015/16). The studentship also includes consumables funding.
 The closing date for applications is 10h July 2015. Interviews will be held on 20th
August 2015 at the Clinical Science Research Laboratories in University Hospitals
Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
 Please contact Professor Dimitris Grammatopoulos for further information about the
research project: d.grammatopoulos@warwick.ac.uk
 Papers and a summary of the research group activity can be found here:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/staff/grammatopoulos
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/tsm/
 To formally apply, please send a copy of your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a one page
personal statement at wms.rdcoord@warwick.ac.uk clearly stating the studentship
you are applying for.