Prof AJ McKnight

💗 Love Your Kidneys – They’ll Love You Back! 💗

📍 Part of Love Your Health at QUB WWIEM for NI Science Festival
🔗 lnkd.in/ethSwjpK

💙 Thanks to our funders: @vivensa.bsky.social • @lifearc.bsky.social • @kidneyresearchuk.org • lnkd.in/eJkEMSvH

@aj-mcknight.bsky.social

LifeArc rare kidney disease logo

Teamwork! En route to our @lifearc.bsky.social @kidneyresearchuk.org rare #kidney disease meeting in Solihull today, supported locally by the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund #RenalResearchNI #RareDiseaseNI

Couple of hours after high tide and still impressive! Wow…

Blood DNA markers associated with DKD progression paper screenshot

✅ 11 #epigenetic markers associated with progression of diabetic #kidney disease #DKD

✅ #methylation changes predictive of DKD progression

✅ methylation data+ clinical risk factors improved identification of risk
#RenalResearchNI @finndiane.bsky.social @niinasandholm.bsky.social

👀 rdcu.be/e0bUC

RD IMAG logo

Sharing progress and strategic planning at our #RareDisease UK Mirror and Action Group for @erdera.bsky.social yesterday. Excellent conversations in Leeds! #RareDiseaseNI.

Delighted to have contributed to developing UK #RareDisease quality standards within our 4-nation project led by Sue Farrington rarediseaseqs.org

-> draft quality standard for consultation 6-20 Jan 2026 Have your voice heard! #RareDiseaseNI - please add your perspectives on what matters most!

Thank you for our funders supporting this research, including @vivensa.bsky.social @ukri.org @mdukcharity.bsky.social NI Kidney Research UK NI HSC R&D & @lifearc.bsky.social

Claire presenting ageing biomarkers

Grace presenting building diagnostic equity and trial readiness for clinical neuromuscular trials.

Thanks to @claire-hill.bsky.social & Dr Grace McMacken showcasing their research in our @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social Molecular Epidemiology & Public Health team-packed RVH room today. #Ageing #RareDiseaseNI #RareDisease #ClinicalTrials #RenalResearchNI #RARDTAC #Neuromuscular #kidney.

Congratulations to everyone nominated in the @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social staff excellence awards…scrolling through I had a lovely surprise to see my name listed for Outstanding #leadership. Thank you!
It’s been a busy year with lots of success for our Team’s ECRs!

www.qub.ac.uk/sites/staff-...

Home | Caring with Rare A safe space for carers and families affected by rare conditions. Find stories, guidance, and tools to support your caring journey.

Exciting #RareDiseaseNI launching our @ukri.org funded, co-developed online resource empowering unpaid carers supporting their loved ones with a rare disease. By carers, for carers - thank you caringwithrare.org #RareDisease #carer #caregiving

Department publishes 2024-25 Progress Report on the Northern Ireland Rare Diseases Action Plan Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has welcomed publication of the third progress report on the Northern Ireland Rare Diseases Action Plan.

NI 2024-25 Progress Report for Rare Diseases Action Plan, highlighting our @lifearc.bsky.social Centre for acceleration of RD trials & doctoral training program in #RareDisease building capacity, skills and accelerating access to medicines. #RareDiseaseNI www.health-ni.gov.uk/news/departm...

Great talk by @claire-hill.bsky.social about environmental sustainability in research at our #ECREvent - sharing learning from The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework.

Sam presenting caring with rare poster

Raresummit 25 opening slide pic

AJ, Sam and DJ in Hinxton Hall pic

Happy sunshine smile sticker

It’s certainly a very busy time for #RareDiseaseNI. Good to connect with colleagues and meet new friends at today’s #CamRARE25. Excellent event hosted by @camrare.bsky.social as always. Thanks for the opportunity to participate :) safe home everyone #RareDisease

Picture of panel leads: transforming science into healthcare

Productive discussions with my co-chairs of the Clinical implementation and data enhancement research community last week @genomicsengland.bsky.social #RareDisease #RareDiseaseNI

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Cake picture

Delighted to have launched activities within our #RareDisease clinical and academic research network yesterday. Excellent conversations & cake! Thanks all who contributed - formal pics and report to follow! @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social #RenalResearchNI #RareDiseaseNI #RARDTAC

NILAB pic

Delighted to have our in-person launch for yr 1 of our @ukri.org NILAB doctoral training program. @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social students and faculty gathering today :) #ArtificialIntelligence #BigData #DataScience #HealthyAgeing #RareDiseaseNI #RenalResearchNI

🧬 PhD Opportunity | Using Molecular Biomarkers of Aging to Decode Health Inequalities 🧬

📅 Deadline - 8th December 2025

🔗 Apply now or learn more:
lnkd.in/eWhnyVQg

@vivensa.bsky.social @aj-mcknight.bsky.social @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social

Pic of QUB lit up to support rare disease day

Pleasure to welcome our latest new Postgraduate Research students #PhD, #MD, #MPhil to our @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social . Looking forward to hearing their progress! #LoveQUB #PGR

Kasey pic

Welcoming the latest member of our family :) #Sheltie #PuppyLove

Interested in #RareDisease; therapies for #orphan conditions; #HealthEconomics? #Job with Prof McCabe and #RareDiseaseNI @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social working with our @lifearc.bsky.social Centre for Acceleration of Rare Disease Trials team. Closes 29/09/2025 hrwebapp.qub.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...

Beautiful start to the day for @ishg.ie #Genetics conference today. #RareDiseaseNI

AJ and Sam picture

AJ & Sam at Hillsborough gates picture

Honoured to have attended the Royal Hillsborough Garden Party this week. #RareDiseaseNI @QUB @RAiNAllIreland #RARDTAC #RareDisease gaining recognition!

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New #Job opportunity with our #RareDiseaseNI team. Experience communicating with stakeholders? Enjoy using multimedia tools? Want to support our local rare disease community? Apply by 8th Sept!

#job 18.5 hr/wk closes 25th Aug. Help us map & improve how people affected by #RareDisease engage in clinical #research locally and internationally. Join #RareDiseaseNI at #LoveQUB. @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social

Screenshot: polygenic prediction of BMI and obesity across the life course

Polygenic #risk scores associated with #BMI in children and adult; #PGS also associated with weight loss in intervention #trials. Thank you for the opportunity for @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social to contribute to this study analyzing >5 million people. @natmed.nature.com #obesity #RenalResearchNI

#RenalResearchNI opportunity to sign your name to an open letter highlighting the importance of #KidneyDisease to the UK government and NHS. Time for Action to support kidney disease! @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social www.ukkidney.org/prime-minist...

future medicine institute qub PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships - 10 PhDs Listed FindAPhD. Search Funded PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in future medicine institute qub. Search for PhD funding, scholarships & studentships in the UK, Europe and around the world.

🌟 Apply Now 🌟 10 @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social funded PhD studentships available➡️new doctoral training program associated with the Future Medicines Institute. Students will develop bespoke skills for working with industry. #DTP #PhD #PhDStudentships ⬇️ www.findaphd.com/phds/?Keywor...

LifeArc and Genetic Alliance UK launch a new report calling for the acceleration of research and development (R&D) for rare diseases   - LifeArc LifeArc and Genetic Alliance UK have launched a report calling for the UK Government, NHS, researchers, industry, patient groups and policymakers to work together to transform the lives of more than 3...

LifeArc recommendations to accelerate #RareDisease research. Strategic long-term investment required with commitment across the devolved UK nations for action and funding to ensure deliverables are met. #RareDiseaseNI #RareConditions #ChangeTheRareFuture #Research. www.lifearc.org/2025/lifearc...

Descriptive

#RareDisease researchers, clinician, funder, patient advocate or work in health policy in rare disease? We want to hear from you! Survey app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/newcastle/.... Experiences navigating rare disease - clinical trial UK regulation landscape please!

nILAB logo

So in Biosciences

Looking forward to today’s stakeholder & expert discussions #AI #health #OneHealth #genomics #bioscience #multiomics #LoveQUB Our first PhD students on this @ukri.org award start Oct 2025. #ExcitingTimes @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social #ageing #RenalResearchNI #RareDiseaseNI