119683 Naturejobs.com - Ecommerce http://www.auckland.ac.nz http://www.auckland.ac.nz c.tse@auckland.ac.nz University of Auckland University of Auckland 285 million people with diabetes in the world and this number is expected to double by 2050, the majority of which are expected to be Type II. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and amputation. Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death in 2006, despite being under-reported as a cause of death. While heart disease was reported to be the leading cause of death, emerging evidence indicates that >50% of all cardiovascular-related deaths are ultimately caused by diabetes. Currently, there are no therapies to control diabetes, thus it is a huge and growing problem, threatening families, world health and economic prosperity. *The research environment:*The successful candidate will join an active and vibrant multi-disciplinary research environment within the group of Professor Garth Cooper in the Proteomics & Biomedicine Research Group at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand’s top-ranked University. Research in our group, part of the Maurice Wilkins Research Centre of Excellence in Molecular BioDiscovery (Proteomics), is focussed on understanding the mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes and related syndromes such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Greater insight into these mechanisms will enable the development of effective therapies to slow the progression of these diseases. *The project:*This challenging and cutting-edge doctoral project involves characterisation of a model of insulin resistance and evaluation of compounds which have the potential to alleviate the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Techniques developed in our well-equipped facilities include cell culture, molecular cell biology and immunochemistry, and use of unique in vivo and in vitro experimental animal models, working directly with Dr J Aitken and Professor Cooper. *Requirements:* Highly talented students with a deep commitment to basic and/or clinical research, and a good first class Honours or Masters Degree in Biochemistry, Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences or Biology are invited to apply. The candidate must be highly motivated, enthusiastic, curiosity-driven, and able to work both independently and as part of a larger team of scientists and doctoral students. The doctoral stipend is funded for three years by the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology (New Zealand Ministry of RS&T) as part of a major programme awarded to Professor Cooper on Suppressing Diabetes. _*Contact details:*_ Queries or applications (including academic transcripts and contact details for at least two academic referees) may be sent to Professor G Cooper, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92 019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand, or email to c.tse@auckland.ac.nz ]]> School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, 3 Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:38:51 -0500 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/119683-PhD-Studentship-In-Biomedical-Sciences-Type-2-Diabetes-Characterisation-Of-A-Model-Of-Insulin-Resistance