PhD Studentship: Investigating mechanisms of cell-to-cell spread of persistent viruses

Many viruses establish long-term or life-long persistent infections. To be maintained within their hosts, these viruses must be able to spread to new uninfected cells in the face of an active immune response to them. How such viruses balance the need to spread within their host organism while evading detection and possible clearance is not well understood. This project seeks to understand the mechanisms by which members of two diverse types of viruses (herpesviruses and polyomaviruses) promote their efficient spread from one cell to the next. Such important steps in the viral life cycle could be good targets for intervention. The Department of Pathology has an excellent reputation in pure biological and biomedical research and is offering fully funded* studentships from October 2027 to work with one of the Research Group Leaders in this large and vibrant Department.