Supervisors: Dr Isabel Orriss and Professor Caroline Wheeler-Jones

Department: Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Project Details:

Arterial medial calcification (AMC) is the buildup of calcium phosphate in the arterial wall and is commonly linked to ageing, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. It increases vessel stiffness and blood pressure, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. AMC is driven by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which undergo phenotypic changes in calcifying conditions. Currently, there are no treatments to prevent or reverse AMC meaning there is a significant unmet clinical need for treatments.

Previous research shows that AMC develops unevenly in the aorta: it is most severe in the abdominal region, less in the aortic arch, and minimal in the thoracic region. Since VSMCs in these areas have different embryological origins, this MRes hypothesizes that inherent differences between VSMC populations explain this variation in AMC development. The project will use VSMCs from the aortic arch, thoracic, and abdominal regions (from both sexes) and culture them in normal and calcifying conditions. A range of experimental approaches will be used to establish whether these VSMC populations differ in their tendency to calcify and identify the underlying mechanisms.  The project will also investigate whether these cells respond differently to known calcification inhibitors and inducers. Overall, this work will determine if fundamental differences in VSMCs drive the regional variation seen in AMC development. This knowledge is essential to identify effective therapeutic targets for this condition.

References:

1. Bourne LE, Patel JJ, Davies BK, Neven E, Verhulst A, D’Haese PC, Wheeler-Jones CPD, Orriss IR. (2022). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) differentially affects arterial medial calcification and bone formation: the role of L-cysteine and hydrogen sulphide. J Cell Physiol 237:1070-1086.
2. Bourne LE, Wheeler-Jones CPD, Orriss IR (2021). Regulation of mineralisation in bone and vascular tissue: a comparative review. J Endocrinol 248: R51-R56
3. Patel JJ, Bourne LE, Davies BK, Arnett TR, MacRae VE, Wheeler-Jones CP, Orriss IR (2019). Differing calcification processes in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells and osteoblasts. Exp Cell Res 380:100-113

Requirements:

Essential

• Must meet our standard MRes entry requirements
• Experience of working on research projects in a wet laboratory environment.  

Desirable

• Experience with cell culture and basic molecular biology techniques would be an advantage but is not essential as full training will be provided.

This can be taken full-time or part-time (12months FTE) project commencing in October 2026, based at RVC's Camden.  The project will use cells derived from rats and archived rat samples.

Funding:

Partially funded: The MRes student will be expected to meet their course fees and living expenses. All other project costs will be met by the supervisor. Please note that EU/EEA and Swiss national students may no longer be eligible for the “Home” rate of tuition fees, dependent on personal circumstances (including immigration status and residence history in the UK) and UK government rules which are currently being developed. For up-to-date information on fees for EU/EEA and Swiss national students following Brexit please see our fees and funding page.

How to Apply

Deadline: 8th May 2026

For more information on the application process and English Language requirements see How to Apply.

Interviews will take place remotely (Teams, Zoom etc) within 4 weeks of the closing date.

We welcome informal enquiries - these should be directed to iorriss@rvc.ac.uk