Job Opportunities

Project details

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) accounts for 75% of renal cell cancers. It is defined by bi-allelic knockout of the VHL gene consistent with a classical "two-hit" model of carcinogenesis. We previously demonstrated through multiregional whole genome sequencing that the first hit, loss of chromosome 3p occurs 5 to 20 years prior to the second hit - either via a point mutation or epigenetic silencing of the VHL gene. There is a further delay of between 10 and 30 years prior to diagnosis. Over this time, the small cluster of two to three hundred cells grows to a clinically detectable cancer at least 1-2 cm in diameter, where longitudinal radiological data have revealed highly variable growth rates, typically between 2 and 3 mm per year.

With the increased detection of kidney cancers though cross-sectional imaging, there is an increasing need to effectively risk stratify tumours to those that require urgent treatment and those that can be managed in a more conservative manner.

This studentship aims to explore the factors that either promote or repress tumour growth over this long period of time. It will leverage a unique large-scale clinical cohort that has undergone comprehensive genomic profiling. The overall aim is to find ways of either preventing tumour progression or to predict how tumours might behave in the future. The precise composition of the PhD project will be defined based on the candidate's particular interests and the opportunities available. Analysis techniques can include:

• Whole genome and targeted duplex DNA sequencing
• Epigenetic sequencing
• Bulk RNA and spatial transcriptomics
• Radiomic analysis
• AI/ ML approaches to integrate the above data-streams

The project will be hosted in the Early Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology.

Candidate

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual capable of thinking and working independently. Applicants should have or shortly expect to obtain a minimum of a good upper second-class honours degree from a UK university, or an equivalent standard from an overseas university, in a relevant discipline.

Funding

Funding for this post is available for three years. Funding will cover the student's stipend and tuition fees at home or international rates.

This studentship is funded by generous donations from Tzo Tze Ang and Eashwar Krishnan, and will be awarded to an outstanding postgraduate student (home or international) undertaking a PhD in urological cancer research in the Department of Surgery.

The successful candidate will be known as a Krishnan-Ang Scholar and will join a cohort of postgraduate students already supported by the donors at Trinity College.

Eashwar and Tzo Tze were both undergraduates at Trinity: Eashwar read Natural Sciences (Matric. 1996) and Tzo Tze read Electrical & Information Sciences (Matric. 1997).

Eligibility

The funding for this studentship covers students accepted for a PhD in urological cancer research in the Department of Surgery.

How to apply

The deadline for applications is 3 March 2025

Apply via the University Application portal here for the PhD in Surgery programme - https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/cvsgpdsur

You should name the 'Krishnan-Ang Studentship for Cancer Research, Urology' in your application and list Mr Thomas Mitchell your prospective supervisor.

All prospective candidates are encouraged to contact Mr Thomas Mitchell at: tjm61@cam.ac.uk prior to applying, to discuss this opportunity in greater detail and refine the potential research proposal.

For application process queries, please contact clusterPG@medschl.cam.ac.uk Interview and selection process

Interviews will take place in April 2025.

All candidates who have not been shortlisted will be informed of the outcome of their application.

Please quote reference RE45105 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.