Personalising cancer treatment with modelling tumour evolution based on genomics biomarkers and PK/PD

About this opportunity

Tumour heterogeneity is a major problem limiting the efficacy of targeted oncological therapies. Most advanced tumours eventually become resistant to the treatments, ultimately making the patient succumb to metastatic disease.

This project invites you to develop advanced computational modelling to maximise survival of a patient by combining cancer genomics data with pharmacometrics information for the first time, which might inform personalised cancer treatments.

For successful model development, we need to articulate these 4 main questions with AI-driven and PK/PD modelling methods.

1) Can genomics predict survival?

You will classify patients based on whole-genome sequencing data and molecular interaction networks to establish robust relationship between cancer genotypes and patient survival for different treatments. You will also apply gene signatures to infer personal attributes and pre-treatments for each patient.

2) Can genotypes and other factors predict tumour dynamics?

Using information from step 1 as covariates, you will train and test a tumour dynamics model with longitudinal tumour size data. This model will help infer important hidden parameters such as the fraction of sensitive cells prior to treatment and the rates of growth and death for treated tumours. We aim to test the model for 5 important types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian and prostate cancer.

3) Can pharmacometrics information refine tumour dynamics prediction?

You will evaluate whether the parameters of the model from step 2 can be predicted by drug pharmacokinetics and tumour pharmacodynamics.

4) Can this tumour dynamics model predict tumour evolution?

You will gain an impressive set of skills in mathematical modelling for patient selection and efficacy evaluation in drug discovery and development, which is in short supply for the pharmaceutical industry.

Who is this opportunity for?

This project is open to self-funded UK and international applicants.

Additional costs

We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.

Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this project.

Funding your PhD

This opportunity is for students with their own funding. Funding should cover course fees, living expenses and research expenses (bench fees). The research group cannot provide supplementary funding or provide advice about how to apply for funding.

If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan worth up to £30,301 to help with course fees and living costs.

There’s also a variety of alternative sources of funding. These include funded research opportunities and financial support from UK research councils, charities and trusts. Your supervisor may be able to help you secure funding.

Contact us

Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.