PhD Opportunity in Systems Pathology: cell biology of anticancer drug therapy

We have a vacancy for a PhD student to work on cell biology of anticancer drug therapy at the School of Medicine, University of St Andrews.

Project description
Nucana Biomed Ltd has developed a range of anti-cancer drugs based on Pro-Tide technology that have made rapid progress and are now being used in clinical trials for a number of different cancers. For most of these compounds there are no validated biomarkers to determine who might be best to receive them. Also, most new drugs that move to later stage clinical trials are given to patients in combination with existing chemotherapeutic drugs, many of which may already be off patent. However, it is difficult to establish clinical trials into these combinations because of the extreme cost of these trials, particularly when off patent drugs are combined with new agents. In order to fast track new agents to clinical implementation the student will use in vitro techniques, in silico modelling and knowledge of cancer biology and human cancer pathology to investigate synergism or antagonism of combinations. The techniques applied will include time lapse video microscopy, 2 and 3 dimensional cell growth, normoxia and hypoxia, reverse phase protein arrays, cell death experiments and modelling of combinatorial effects. Further studies may seek to identify morphometric biomarkers that will be explored using human tissue.

Applicants should have a good 2:1 or First Class Honours Degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline.

For further details on the project and Informal enquiries please contact [Email Address Removed].