Fully Funded PhD: Stem-Cell Retinal Organoids & AMD

Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mobility allowance

Family support

State-of-the-art facilities

Job summary

Newcastle University in the United Kingdom offers a fully funded PhD position to decode chromosome 1 risk in AMD using stem cell–derived retinal models. You will join the Pandora MSCA ITN consortium and work on iPSC-derived retinal organoids to study Chr1 risk variants and cell-type interactions.

Start date February 2027 with an application deadline of 30 October 2027. Salary is around £42,000 per year, with relocation support and access to core facilities across Pandora partners.

Qualifications

• MSc (or equivalent) in biomedical sciences, stem-cell biology, ophthalmic research, neuroscience, bioengineering, or related fields.
• Interest in stem-cell biology and retinal disease.
• Ability to work in an international, collaborative research environment.

Responsibilities

• Differentiate iPSCs from controls into retinal organoids enriched for photoreceptors.
• Profile disease-relevant phenotypes using molecular, cellular, and imaging assays.
• Validate findings with human tissue collaboration (HEETR eye bank) for histological correlation.
• Model multicellular RPE–photoreceptor–choroid co-cultures in perfusion systems to study nutrient/waste exchange and stress propagation across the retina.

Education

MSc in biomedical sciences or related field

Job description

Newcastle University in the United Kingdom offers a fully funded PhD position to decode chromosome 1 risk in AMD using stem cell–derived retinal models. You will join the Pandora MSCA ITN consortium and work on iPSC-derived retinal organoids to study Chr1 risk variants and cell-type interactions.

Start date February 2027 with an application deadline of 30 October 2027. Salary is around £42,000 per year, with relocation support and access to core facilities across Pandora partners.