Masters Student (Durban) at Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI)

Description

The candidate will work on a project that seeks to establish whether the phenotypic properties of transmitted/founder HIV-1 viruses such as the replication capacity, influence the reprogramming of glucose metabolism in CD4+ T cells as well as the magnitude of the HIV reservoir in individuals taking antiretroviral therapy. This project will entail generating patient-derived gag-protease chimeric viruses that will be used in in-vitro infectivity experiments. The work will also involve experiments to measure cellular metabolism and HIV reservoir measurements. The main goal of this research is to contribute to novel strategies for achieving an HIV cure.

The candidate will be based at Africa Health Research Institute’s state-of-the-art facility in Durban, South Africa. The successful candidate will benefit from an integrated network of innovative international and local research collaborations that combine unique clinical samples and cutting-edge technology. Incumbents will be based in a lab that is equipped with flow cytometers, microscopy and immunohistochemistry equipment, including laser capture micro-dissection and spatial omics Nanostring technology. The MSc student will be afforded numerous mentorship opportunities and support towards the attainment of fellowship funding.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Honours degree in any of the following areas: immunology, cell biology, systems biology, virology, molecular biology, biochemistry or any related biomedical sciences.

Advantageous

• Experience in one of the following technologies/techniques: ELISA, PCR, flow cytometry, or sequencing.
• Experience in HIV lab research including virus characterization and tissue culture.
• Experience in human immunology and working in BSL3 will be most desirable.

 Scholarship Duration

• This master's scholarship will be valid for a period of 2-years.

Applications Closing Date: 15 December 2023