Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Top Skip to main content
Skip to Content
LOGO(small) - Âé¶¹´«Ã½
LOGO(large) - Âé¶¹´«Ã½

School of

Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences

  • Home
  • Study
    • Postgraduate Taught
    • Postgraduate Research
    • PhD Opportunities
    • Centre for Medical Education
    • Centre for Dentistry
    • Centre for Biomedical Sciences Education
    • Intercalated Degrees
    • Clinical Academic Training
  • Research
    • Postgraduate Research
    • Research in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
    • Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research
    • Wellcome-Wolfson Institute For Experimental Medicine
    • Centre for Public Health
    • Meet our Researchers
    • Find a PhD Supervisor
  • International
    • Partnerships
    • Students
    • Connect
  • Careers & Work Placements
    • Placements
    • Shadowing Opportunities
    • Global Partnerships
  • Discover
    • Research Facilities
    • Teaching Facilities
    • History
  • Connect
    • Staff Directory
    • Key Contacts
    • Student Stories
    • Gender Equality Office
  • News
  • Home
  • Study
    • Postgraduate Taught
    • Postgraduate Research
    • PhD Opportunities
    • Centre for Medical Education
    • Centre for Dentistry
    • Centre for Biomedical Sciences Education
    • Intercalated Degrees
    • Clinical Academic Training
  • Research
    • Postgraduate Research
    • Research in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
    • Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research
    • Wellcome-Wolfson Institute For Experimental Medicine
    • Centre for Public Health
    • Meet our Researchers
    • Find a PhD Supervisor
  • International
    • Partnerships
    • Students
    • Connect
  • Careers & Work Placements
    • Placements
    • Shadowing Opportunities
    • Global Partnerships
  • Discover
    • Research Facilities
    • Teaching Facilities
    • History
  • Connect
    • Staff Directory
    • Key Contacts
    • Student Stories
    • Gender Equality Office
  • News
In This Section
  • Postgraduate Research
  • Research in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
  • Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research
  • Wellcome-Wolfson Institute For Experimental Medicine
  • Centre for Public Health
  • Meet our Researchers
  • Find a PhD Supervisor

  • Home
  • School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
  • Research
  • Find a PhD Supervisor

Find a PhD Supervisor

Dr David Simpson

School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
David Simpson

Dr David Simpson

School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

The aim of my research is to apply high throughput molecular genetic approaches, specifically next generation sequencing (NGS), to better understand disease processes such as diabetes in the eye and vascular system. One focus is upon small microRNAs and their role in regulating gene expression, communication between cells and their potential as circulating biomarkers.

We are also using single cell RNA sequencing to perform a ‘molecular dissection’ of the retina and study how the many cell types respond to diabetes.

Contact info

  • askmhls@qub.ac.uk
  • +44 (0)28 9097 6470, +44 (0)28 906 32719

Research Interests

Open to PhD applications in the field of

  • MicroRNAs – their role in gene regulation and use as biomarkers

  • Transcriptomics – RNA-Seq, including single cell analysis

  • Microbial DNA sequencing

Make a PhD enquiry


Public outreach & key achievements

  •  event organized for Fight for Sight
  • GenomeWeb webinar describing 

Research students

PhD Title Discovery of novel small RNAs from RNA-Seq Data
Country UK
   
MD Title  Understanding microvascular dysfunction in diabetes
Country  UK
   
PhD Title Evaluation of novel early renal risk indicators in diabetes
Country  China

 


Alumni: Where are they now

PhD Title Characterisation of circulating extracellular microRNAs and development of a method for their absolute quantification
Country UK
Current Position  Assay Development Scientist at Illumina (Previously Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Tufts University
   
PhD Title  Study of Nhlh2 transcription factor and its putative target genes in the retina
Country  UK
Current Position  Team Leader at Almac Diagnostics
   
PhD Title The influence of microRNA's on gene expression and their impact on the retina
Country India
Current Position  Assistant Professor, P.G.I. Chandigarh

 

 


Discover More

  • Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences

  • Wellcome-Wolfson Institute For Experimental Medicine


Postgraduate research
Your postgraduate experience
QUB Logo
Contact Us

School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

Whitla Medical Building,
97 Lisburn Road,
Belfast, BT9 7BL

Phone: +44 (0)2890 972215

Quick Links

  • Key Contacts
  • Careers & Work Placements
  • News and Events
  • Staff Directory
© Âé¶¹´«Ã½ 2025
Privacy and cookies
Website accessibility
Freedom of information
Modern slavery statement
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
University Policies and Procedures
Manage cookies