Veterinary Parasitology PhD / MPhil

Research themes

Veterinary Parasitology research is based on two sites, the IC2 building on the main city campus and the Leahurst campus on the Wirral, 20 minutes away.  Parasitic diseases are of major importance to the health and welfare of animals throughout the world. As relatively large and sophisticated pathogens, parasites present particularly intriguing and difficult challenges; many are also zoonotic, transmitted between animals and humans, affecting the health of both.  We have a large, well-funded research team working on the temperate liver fluke parasite, Fasciola hepatica, the abortifacient protozoans Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii, and the cyathostomins (the most significant group of gastro-intestinal nematodes affecting horses).

Another group conducts research into vector-borne parasites such as African trypanosomes and those causing malaria, focusing on the identification of virulence factors in both laboratory and natural populations. The IC2 building houses the Tick Cell Biobank, the world’s largest collection of cell lines derived from ticks and other ectoparasitic arthropods, which underpins research on many aspects of ticks and the pathogens that they transmit to livestock and humans. We have also developed advanced bovine and porcine 3D tissue culture models to study host-pathogen interactions at the intestinal epithelium, with particular emphasis on apicomplexan parasites.

Finally, we are using detailed epitope mapping to reveal potential vaccine candidates and changes in T-cell populations during chronic helminth infection.

Our underlying philosophy is to apply modern genomic, proteomic, imaging and modelling techniques to address important problems of practical relevance.  We are particularly interested in anthelmintic resistance, vaccine development and improved control through better management of disease.  

Facilities

We have many years of experience in classical parasitological techniques including diagnostics: e.g., detection of parasite DNA and proteins in blood, serum and faeces. We maintain the liver fluke lifecycle in the snail and definitive sheep host and have capacity for development of advanced models for parasite transmission. In addition, The Tick Cell Biobank based in the IC2 laboratories provides access to over 50 continuous cell lines derived from ixodid and argasid ticks and other arthropods of veterinary and medical importance, several species of obligate intracellular tick-borne bacterial pathogens, and many years’ experience in techniques for tick and tick-borne disease research.

There are also direct links with University core facilities including: The Centre for Genomic Research, houses 2x HiSeq, 3x MiSeq and 1x PacBio RSII sequencers with robotic liquid handling and is supported by a pool of core-funded research scientists; The NMR Metabolomics Suite has three state-of-the-art instruments; The Centre for Cell Imaging is furnished with the latest developments in microscopy; The Centre for Proteome Research is equipped with several state-of-the-art mass spectrometers for both shotgun and targeted proteomics.

Research groups

• Veterinary Parasitology (Professor Diana Williams, Professor Jane Hodgkinson, Dr Robin Flynn)
• Parasite evolution group
• Immune dynamics group (Dr Janine Coombes)
• Vectors and vector-borne disease group (Dr Ben Makepeace, Dr Lesley Bell-Sakyi)

The fees stated in the table above exclude potential research support fees also known as ‘bench fees’. You will be notified of any fee which may apply in your offer letter.

* Please note that if you are undertaking a PhD within the Faculty of Science and Engineering the fee you pay, Band A or Band B, will reflect the nature of your research project. Some research projects incur a higher fee than others e.g. if you are required to undertake laboratory work. You will be informed of the fee for your programme in your offer letter.

^ Self-funded, full-time international students studying a PhD programme classified as Band A will receive a £2,000 reduction in their fees for the first year only.