Mitochondria are well known to be the powerhouses of the cell, but they do much more than this. The MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit was founded by Sir John Walker (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1997) to investigate  the many roles of mitochondria, both their basic biology and how they contribute to human health and disease. Over the past decades it has become clear that mitochondria are central to the health and function of our cells. Consequently, damage to mitochondria contributes to many important human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, heart attack, stroke. In addition, genetic mutations cause a series of devastating disorders. In the  MRC Mitochondrial Biology we study aspects of many of these diseases with researchers focussing on many facets of contemporary mitochondrial biology, including understanding protein structures, the ways in which mitochondrial DNA is expressed, how mitochondria interact with the rest of the cell, the roles of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and the development of new drugs to treat mitochondrial disorders. . If these are of interest, you should look at the Unit’s Website and contact a potential supervisor or contact Penny Peck (postgraduate.secretary@mrc-mbu.cam.ac.uk) for advice.    

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From the Department of Medicine

This innovative programme was established in 2002 as a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US. Its aim is to train outstanding students in biomedical research, taking advantage of the excellent research environments. Students work on collaborative projects organised by co-supervisors at both Cambridge and the NIH, spending two years at each institution. Students have access to all NIH facilities and are paid by the NIH. The PhD is awarded by the University of Cambridge.

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