Investigating the role played by inflammationin the development of colorectal cancer

Your work within our multidisciplinary research team will forward our understanding the mechanisms that underline the initiation and progression of CRC. It will help developing novel preventive and therapeutic interventions. You will focus on an exciting section of cancer research that aims at dissecting the cross talk between the immune system, inflammation and CRC development. To achieve this ambitious goal, you will be trained to master a wide array of experimental paradigms, including genetically-modified mouse models, last-generation 3D organoids culture and human patient-derived explants. The latter is a novel experimental model pioneered by the University of Leicester. You will combine traditional wet-lab techniques, the backbone of experimental biology, with modern cutting-edge transcriptomic and bioinformatics analyses to decipher the impact that inflammation has on the homeostasis of intestinal epithelial cells and their ability to form tumours. Moreover, to accelerate translation of experimental data to patients, you will test the ability of anti-inflammatory drugs to restrict cancer proliferation and aggressiveness in human patient-derived explant culture. During your PhD, you will work within the Leicester University Cancer Research Centre, a forward-thinking research hub with a vibrant and enthusiastic post-graduate research community. You will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, such as a pre-clinical research facility, an explant laboratory and cutting-edge imaging technologies. You will also benefit from the remarkable expertise in 3D organoid culture provided by the BioDiscovery Institute at the University of Nottingham.