PhD Studentships in Medical Genetics, Cardiff University

UK . 3 years Phd Studentships on interdisciplinary research in Cardiff School of Mathematics and Cardiff School of Medicine in the area of medical genetics.

With the availability of fast genotyping methods and genomic databases, the search for statistical association of single nucleotide polymorphisms with a disease has become an important methodology in medical genetics. However,even fairly rare genotyping errors can lead to spurious association results and loss of test power.

Building on the student’s skills in mathematical and/or stochastic analysis, the project will follow on from a recent study which has identified the diffusion process on the space of genotype distributions generated by genotyping errors and an underlying tensor product structure, and invariant subsets in the case of an allele-based error model. The intended research outcomes are an analytical description ofthe resulting type-I errors and test power, as well as a comprehensive study and classification of the diffusion process for the general error model.

The application of mathematics in medicine is an area of growing importance and potential benefit. These results, while of a mathematical nature, will be highly relevant to practical medical genetics, as they provide a general overview of the situations in which genotyping error is either critical or innocuous.

This studentship is available under Cardiff University’s Richard Whipp Studentships Scheme. It provides funding for three years, commencing session2006/7. For each of the three years, the University will meet the costs of the National Minimum Doctoral Stipend and the Cardiff fee at the home/EUrate (although non-EU applicants are also welcome to apply).

To discuss this project further, please contact:
Dr K M Schmidt
Email: SchmidtKM@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone: 029 2087 6778

The closing date for applications is 30 June 2006.

Application forms areavailable on our website