How does endothelial damage contribute to progression of canine myxomatous mitral valve disease?

About the Project

Have you ever wondered why some of your patients with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) do better than others? This project is a unique opportunity to use your clinical skills to advance science, while developing your research skills in a world-leading laboratory.

Hormones released in MMVD damage the glycocalyx, a gel-like layer protecting the vascular endothelium and red blood cells (RBC). This project will look for evidence of glycocalyx damage (using a novel, world-leading method developed in our laboratory) and endothelial injury (using measurements of biomarkers and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD)) in an ongoing longitudinal study of dogs with MMVD. We aim to a) develop a novel circulating biomarker for improved MMVD management, b) generate new pathophysiological hypotheses and c) identify novel treatment targets.

The successful candidate will be part of a large, friendly, welcoming and supportive research group and receive training in all clinical (e.g. FMD), laboratory (e.g. glycocalyx depth measurement and ELISAs) and statistical methods used. They will also be involved in generation of clinical data through participation in research clinics.

Further details and how to apply

Closes Friday, March 04, 2022