Critical Care MPhil

University of Liverpool

Our focus on critical care encompasses conditions such as sepsis and trauma, which are leading causes of death globally. As part of our Critical Care programme, you can address unmet global health challenges. This includes identifying early signs of maladaptive events to inform the development of therapeutic innovations and improved diagnostic tools.IntroductionCritical care research involves understanding the complex mechanisms that follow acute cell damage and injury. These injuries may be caused by infection, trauma or ischaemia and infarction from thromboses. The dynamics involve an interplay between the inciting event and the host response. Initially, this response is adaptive to protect the host. However, when the response becomes excessive and unregulated, it can lead to harmful effects with potentially lethal consequences. These events link the processes of coagulation, inflammation and innate immunity to varying degrees and at varying time points.At the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences (IVES), researchers focus on identifying the molecular events that mark the transitional phases during critical illness, especially in identifying the signatures of early maladaptive events. This research translates into the development of better diagnostic tools, helping clinicians recognise the appropriate time points for intervention. Additionally, there is the need to drive therapeutic innovations for patients with critical illnesses. The focus is also on developing novel biomarker-targeted therapeutics.Research topicsWe particularly welcome proposals that match those of our researchers, including:Immuno-thrombosis in critical illnessSepsisTraumaMultiple-organ failureDamage-associated molecular pattern molecules.