Centres for Doctoral Training

Field-deployable diagnostics for APOL1 genotyping and kidney function assessment

Supervisors:

Annette MacLeod, School of Biodiversity, One Health, and Veterinary Medicine

Julie Reboud, School of Engineering

 

PhD Project Summary:

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant global health challenge, with high prevalence among people of recent sub-Saharan African ancestry. A major contributor is variation in the human APOL1 gene (known as G1 and G2). These variants likely rose in frequency because they protect against the parasitic disease human African trypanosomiasis. Individuals with two risk alleles (genotypes G1/G1, G1/G2, or G2/G2) have significantly increased CKD risk. Around 15% of Black people in the UK and millions globally carry these high-risk genotypes, however most are unaware.

APOL1 tests and kidney function screening are expensive, laboratory-based, and often inaccessible to low-resource settings. This creates a major diagnostic gap, with late or missed diagnoses common in sub-Saharan Africa, where high-risk genotypes are found most frequently.

This PhD will develop a low-cost, field-deployable diagnostic using microsystems and molecular approaches to simultaneously measure kidney function biomarkers and genotype individuals from a finger-prick of blood. The project combines bioengineering and clinical research, with validation studies in both the UK and sub-Saharan Africa. Training will cover diagnostic development, biomarker analysis, global health, and translational research, providing a strong interdisciplinary skillset for careers in precision medicine and health equity.