Applying machine learning to find clinical and genetic predictors for radiotherapy side effects

Wellcome Trust PhD Studentship

Project:

Radiotherapy is effective at killing tumours but can cause side effects that impair quality of life. Efforts are underway to find predictive factors for radiotherapy toxicity, which would then allow alterations to treatment. Known predictive factors include genetics, co-morbidities, radiation dose distribution, chemotherapy and others. Additional complexity comes from there being different side effects in different body tissues, even if the underlying biology has common pathways.

The REQUITE project has collected treatment and outcome data on radiotherapy patients treated for breast, lung and prostate cancer. Some genetic studies have been carried out using conventional statistical approaches, but this project aims to apply machine-learning methods to the problem. The student will compare different methods to conventional statistical approaches, working closely with an existing PhD student. The outcome will be an improved ability to predict radiotherapy side effects and understanding of the factors that cause them. The results will allow personalised medicine approaches to improve cancer treatment outcomes.

The student will be co-supervised by academics with experience in genetics, statistics, machine learning and oncology, with other collaborators who are experts in artificial intelligence. Therefore, full training will be given and the project is suitable for students from a range of backgrounds.

Additional Information

• Open to UK and International Students.
• 4 year Competition Funded
• Candidates applying to the 4-year PhD should hold or expect to hold an undergraduate degree or a Master's degree in a relevant subject or overseas equivalent
• Candidates who do not meet these entry requirements, but feel they have additional research experience should describe this clearly in the applicant statement.
• Start date September 2022

For full details of the PhD Studentship, application advice and link to the application system please refer to https://le.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/funded-opportunities/wellcome-trust. CVs submitted via the enquiry form below will not be accepted.