Prof G Parker, Prof J O'Connor, Dr J Matthews, Prof K Kirkby
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Hypoxia – the under-supply of oxygen – is a fundamental aspect of tumour physiology that plays a critical role in tumour growth and response to treatment. Non-invasive imaging methods to quantify hypoxia have long been desired as they promise the ability to characterise the spatial distribution of hypoxia and to track the development of a tumour over time – capabilities of great value in radiotherapy planning and treatment assessment, respectively.
Manchester is at an exciting moment for radiotherapy and imaging, driven by a combination of its critical mass of physics and radiology-led expertise in the area and its multi-million pound investment in ground-breaking equipment (one of the new generation of combined MR-PET scanners (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) within a single scanner); one of only a small number of the new revolutionary MR-LINAC therapy systems (a linear accelerator embedded in an MRI scanner for improved guidance of the radiation therapy beam); and one of only a small number of the equally revolutionary new proton therapy systems (promising improved outcomes over conventional radiotherapy)). This coincides with the emergence of a highly promising MRI-based imaging method for identifying and mapping tumour hypoxia – a method known as oxygen-enhanced MRI (OE-MRI). The Manchester team has pioneered this technique and received international acclaim (editorials, TV, newspapers).
This project will further develop the OE-MRI method for use in radiotherapy planning. It will involve the development of MR-PET image acquisition methods and of image analysis methods, computational modelling of oxygen utilisation within tumours, and the development of proof-of-principle methods for deploying the output hypoxia measurements for radiotherapy. The project will be supervised by a highly successful and interdisciplinary team of leading researchers with many years of previous supervision experience. It is expected that the project will lead to a number of high profile publications and lay the foundations for the use of OE-MRI in radiotherapy planning for the direct benefit of cancer patients.
www.qbi-lab.org; goo.gl/nEJTHq; goo.gl/LyrkfA; goo.gl/WMi4oi; goo.gl/nFZgzh
Funding Notes
This project is to be funded under the MRC Doctoral Training Partnership. If you are interested in this project, please make direct contact with the Principal Supervisor to arrange to discuss the project further as soon as possible. You MUST also submit an online application form - full details on how to apply can be found on the MRC DTP website www.manchester.ac.uk/mrcdtpstudentships
Applications are invited from UK/EU nationals only. Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, at least an upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject.
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