PhD Opportunities in nanotechnology and molecular profiling of exercise during cancer

Researchers at AIBN and Griffith University are looking for enthusiastic applicants to work on an interdisciplinary project that sits at the interface of nanodiagnostics, oncology and clinical exercise.

The project is a collaboration exploring health and survival outcomes in ovarian and other gynaecological cancers, and how new nanotechnology (1) can be used for molecular profiling to understand the mechanisms underpinning how cancer responds to exercise.  The ultimate goal of the project is to show the benefits of exercise therapy for cancer patients who have received chemotherapy, and assess the effect of exercise on cancer survival by analyzing molecular and epigenetic markers that correlate to health and survival outcomes.

The research project would be based at the University of Queensland, at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, under the supervision Dr Darren Korbie and Professor Matt Trau.

Nanotechnology aspects of the research project will focus on using two fundamental molecular diagnostic applications: the first would be monitoring of immune cytokine response in cancer patients with applications related to our nanopillar ‘immunostorm’ chip (1); the second would involve next-generation sequencing applications, bioinformatics, epigenetics and liquid biopsy monitoring from blood samples collected from cancer patients during the trial.

 Overall, applicants can expect to engage in a program of research that will expose them to nanofabrication techniques, molecular biology and next-generation sequencing, molecular diagnostics, and its application in real-world cancer care and clinical exercise science.

Given the project scope, all students interested in molecular diagnostics, applied clinical science, and nanotechnology in a cancer setting are encouraged to enquire.  Similarly, clinical exercise physiology, exercise science and exercise physiologist students interested in exploring the biochemistry and biomarkers underlying clinical exercise science would also be suitable applicants.  To have a confidential discussion about this or other PhD research opportunities, please contact Dr Darren Korbie (d.korbie@uq.edu.au) or Professor Matt Trau (m.trau@uq.edu.au)

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