Status: Open
Applications open: 8/07/2022
Applications close: 18/08/2022
About this scholarship
Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy in the world and the most common cancer among women. The phosphoinositide-3-kinase PI3K pathway regulates diverse cellular processes including proliferation and survival and is the most mutated pathway in cancer. In breast cancer, the PI3K pathway is the most frequently enhanced oncogenic pathway, with over 50% of all breast cancers displaying molecular alterations in this pathway. A number of compounds targeting the PI3K pathway have been evaluated in clinical trials. However, the overall response rates to PI3K inhibitors have been hugely disappointing, with quantifiable tumour regression limited by the development of acquired resistance. Why therapies targeting PI3K have not demonstrated the expected broad tumour responses remains unanswered and forms the basis of this Ph.D. Over the past two decades, my research has focused on identifying the unique genetic drivers that circumvent PI3K inhibitor responses in patients. However, more recent evidence has indicated that targeted therapy can also rapidly induce genetically independent transcriptional programs, resulting in “drug-tolerant” cell populations. Even in situations where patients have had excellent responses or are classified as “complete remission”, small populations of tumour cells continue to survive. These cell populations are often referred to as minimal residual disease (MRD) and are the origin for all tumour relapses in patients. We believe that ubiqutination and enzymes that regulate ubiquitination are likely to play a large role in driving these drug tolerant populations. The primary aim of this Ph.D. will be to identify which ubiquitin modifying enzymes regulate minimal residual disease following chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.
Upon your placement into the lab you will form part of an exciting and driven group of individuals who are dedicated to identifying how breast cancer progression occurs and try to identify new drugs that can be used to treat patients with PI3K mutant breast cancer. You will work closely with my team, clinicians, industry partners, and experts in the field both national and internationally, to identify and understand biomarkers for disease and novel treatment options.
The following experimental procedures will be utilized during your Ph.d. Cell culture, western blots, QRT-PCR, digital droplet PCR, CRISPR, mouse models, immunohistochemistry, culturing of patient derived organoids, and drug screens.
An Internship opportunity may also be available with this project.
- Future Students
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Higher Degree by Research
- Australian Citizen
- Australian Permanent Resident
- New Zealand Citizen
- Permanent Humanitarian Visa
- International Student
- Merit Based
The annual scholarship package (stipend and tuition fees) is approx. $60,000 - $70,000 p.a.
Successful HDR applicants for admission will receive a 100% fee offset for up to 4 years, stipend scholarships, valued at $28,854 p.a. for up to a maximum of 3.5 years, are determined via a competitive selection process. Applicants will be notified of the scholarship outcome in November 2022.
For detailed information, visit: Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships | Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Scholarship Details
1
All applicable HDR courses
We are seeking a motivated PhD candidate of the highest calibre. The applicant must have a background in biochemical/molecular biology approaches with an emphasis on cell signalling.
The candidate will work extensively with other students and post-docs and therefore the applicant requires the ability to communicate scientific ideas effectively.
Application process
If this project excites you, and your research skills and experience are a good fit for this specific project, you should contact the Project Lead (listed below in the enquires section) via the Expression of Interest (EOI) form. ahead of the closing date.
Enrolment Requirements
Eligible to enrol in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2023
Enquiries
To enquire about this project opportunity that includes a scholarship application, contact the Project lead, Associate Professor Pieter Eichhorn via the EOI form above.
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