X_POSE

Axis 3: Analysing exposome-associated biological processes

Lead: Dr Brice Appenzeller (LIH) & Dr Christiane Hilger (LIH)

P8 – Hormonal profile in hair for subject characterization and indication of early biological response to exposome

Hormone levels are good indicators of physiological conditions (age, body composition) or health impairment (depression, metabolic disturbance). They are influenced by external factors such as exposure to endocrine disruptors, physical activity, stress, poor diet with possible adverse consequences on health. The PhD project will use available data and produce new results from children and adult cohorts to identify typical hormonal profiles associated with various physiological conditions using a hair-based hormonal profiling.

The project will also allow for assessing usefulness of the method to investigate early response to exposures and will advance implementation of the hair-based hormonal profiling in clinical use.

P9 – Molecular responses of dietary and physical activity related exposures and their relationships to cardiovascular health

Modern lifestyle, often including unhealthy dietary habits and lack of physical activity, and environmental factors (e.g. pollution, noise, etc.), increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases. The molecular mechanisms beyond are yet to be delineated. This PhD project will investigate the role of the RNA molecules in the molecular mechanisms linking environmental factors, unhealthy diet and sedentary life to cardiovascular disease. The PhD student will analyse chemical exposure, dietary and physical activity data of participants of a Luxembourg population study as well as the RNAs from their blood samples. Associations between RNAs, environmental, dietary and physical activity indicators, cardiovascular risk factors and unhealthy trajectories will be studied using statistical approaches and cell cultures.

An improved understanding of the biological response to exposure to changes in lifestyle and environmental factors may lead to improved prevention strategies or to the discovery of new therapeutic interventions as well as novel disease progression biomarkers.

P10 – Can we track long-term developmental effects of the early-life exposome?

The first 1000 days play an important role in determining lifelong trajectories in health or disease. In this project, the PhD student will classify and model neurodevelopmental trajectories to subsequently investigate how they depend on the pre- and early post-natal environment. We aim to predict the neurodevelopmental trajectory based on cord blood DNA methylation levels at birth. The project will use data from longitudinal study cohorts including parents and children.

The study will allow identifying the major psychosocial, social, socioeconomic and environmental factors driving differences in both neurodevelopmental trajectories and the neurodevelopmental epigenetic clock in children from birth to age 15.

P11 – Linking early environmental imprinting of the immune system to allergic disease

Allergic diseases are one of the few chronic inflammatory diseases in which a clear link can be seen between pathophysiology and the exposome. The objective of this PhD project is to correlate clinical reactivity and deep immune data of allergic children with environmental exposure to chemical pollutants and real-world data on indoor and outdoor allergen exposure. Datasets will be integrated to define key characteristics of environmental exposure in variable patterns of immune profiles. The proposed unique methodology will combine deep immune profiling with a highly multiplex biomonitoring approach.

The project will not only provide important information on the national level, but also significant insight into environmental factors linked to a Th2-skewed inflammatory response. The PhD student will develop a hybrid profile, with advanced education in allergy/immunology and human biomonitoring.

P12 –  Environmental exposure shaping infective competence and human health

Environmental pollution might be an important factor in triggering and sustaining the infection-relevant genes which may pose risk to human health. The PhD student will use publicly available metagenome-assembled genomes and corresponding reconstructed mobile genetic elements to identify genes encoding resistances to environmental pollutants, e.g. heavy metals and organic pollutants, alongside genes conferring increased infective competence, e.g. virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance, in environmental and human microbiomes.

The PhD project will provide a novel dimension on how environmental pollution can possibly lead to increased infective competence, thereby negatively affecting human health in thus far underappreciated ways. We will also newly characterize polluted sites in Luxembourg through metagenomic analyses thereby expanding information on pollutants affecting microbiomes.

DISCOVER X_POSE

Scientific background

Exposome researcher of tomorrow

PhD projects

• Axis 1
• Axis 2
• Axis 3

About the training

Consortium

Funding

How to apply

CONTACT

For any question related to X_POSE, please contact:

xpose.office@lih.lu

our open positions

We offer 12 fully funded PhD positions with a fixed-term work contract of up to 4 years.

We are seeking excellent and highly motivated candidates holding a Master’s degree in a field related to the topics of the doctoral training program. Very good English language skills are required. The earliest start date will be October 2024.