Submitted by Administrator on Fri, 20/11/2015 - 14:30
Oncogene-Induced Remodelling of Cellular Networks: A Systems Biology Approach Using Optogenetics and Next-Generation Microscopy
The Medical Research Council Cancer Unit at the University of Cambridge is a leading centre for cancer research in the UK. Our mission is to study the earliest steps in the emergence of cancer, and translate this knowledge to clinical application for the benefit of patients. We aim to improve the early detection of cancer, to help identify individuals who are most at risk of developing cancer, and to create more effective treatments for cancer, through the invention of innovative technologies. The Unit is based within the Hutchison/MRC Research Centre on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, and possesses excellent research facilities, strong collaborations with clinicians and colleagues in other disciplines, and a vibrant and supportive working environment.
In addition to our outstanding research environment we offer a stipend of £18,000 pa.
We have a PhD opportunity for entry in October 2016 available in the following area: Oncogene-Induced Remodelling of Cellular Networks: A Systems Biology Approach Using Optogenetics and Next-Generation Microscopy - Prof Ashok Venkitaraman & Dr. Alessandro Esposito.
Our long-term goal is to describe how oncogenes interfere with the signals that regulate progression through the cell cycle, triggering aberrant division, genomic instability and cancer, with a view to understand early steps in oncogenesis. We are seeking highly motivated PhD candidates eager to work within an interdisciplinary environment aiming to i) establish innovative optogenetic systems for the temporal and spatial control of oncogene activation, ii) use next-generation microscopy platforms to measure oncogene-induced dynamic changes in signalling for cell cycle progression, and iii) use systems-based analyses to generate models of oncogene induced alterations in cell-cycle networks, to identify new approaches for therapeutic intervention. By establishing a radically innovative sensing platform based on the integration of the latest innovations in optical and genetic technologies we aim to obtain quantitative maps of the signals that regulate cell cycle progression and to quantify their alteration by oncogenes such as RAS and MYC.
The full job description and application procedure can be found here: http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/8315/
More information about the research undertaken in the Eposito lab and Venkitaraman group can be found in the following links- http://www.quantitative-microscopy.org/ http://www.mrc-cu.cam.ac.uk/venkitaraman_imaging.html