Investigating ubiquitin signalling in the radiotherapy response of glioblastoma

Students will be registered for their degree at either the University of Glasgow or Edinburgh, depending on the project they apply for. This scheme is open to both UK and international applicants.

https://www.crukscotlandcentre.ac.uk/training/phd-studentships

Research Questions:

How to improve radiotherapy responses for patients with glioblastoma? 

What are the genes of the ubiquitin system involved in cancer cell survival after radiation?

Glioblastomas are malignant brain cancers with dismal prognosis. Standard of care is surgery followed by treatment with ionising radiation and temozolomide. Although temozolomide leads to increased survival in ~50 % of patients, we know that the rest will not respond. Thus, novel targets and drugs to increase radiotherapy efficacy in these patients are urgently needed. We aim to identify the crucial components of the ubiquitin system required for survival of glioblastoma cells and glioma stem cells in combination with ionising radiation.

The project will entail the development of ‘ad hoc’ CRISPR screens. It will use several biochemical assays to study cancer signalling in 2D and 3D cell line models of glioblastoma. There will be comprehensive training on methods to investigate the ubiquitin system, including novel techniques and approaches for drug development. The laboratory offers the possibility to attend international courses and conferences. 

To apply please follow this link Cancer Research UK PhD programme The University of Edinburgh and carefully follow all the guidelines.