School of Biosciences

Funding: 

This 3 year studentship is funded by Tenovus and will include a stipend and fees for home and E.U. students (reviewed annually by the University). Overseas students are welcome to apply. If successful, overseas students will receive a stipend and tuition fees at home rate and the student will need to provide their own funding to cover the difference between home and overseas tuition fees.

Project description:

Bowel cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in the UK and despite advances in treatment the 5 year survival for patients with bowel cancer remains poor. To help our understanding of the basic mechanistic and fundamental root causes of tumour onset and progression, we use mouse models of intestinal cancer. In this study we will delete the gene Cbx3 in the intestine to determine its role in cancer initition and progresssion, with the view of finding new theraputic targets and/or diagnositc markers. Why? Our studies have shown Cbx3 becomes activated immediately after turning on Wnt signalling, somthing that commonly occurs in bowel cancer. Crucially Wnt signalling also regulates intestinal stem cells, i.e. a population of cells with an infinite capacity to replicate, required to maintain a normal intestine. We hypothesise that elevated Cbx3 contributes to an expanded stem cell population and we propose deleting Cbx3 will beneficially alter the phenotype seen following Wnt signalling activation.

We seek an enthusiastic and highly motivated Ph.D. student who is expected to achieve/hold First or upper second class UK Honours degree or equivalent in relevant subject. This requirement may be waived for candidates with MSc or MPhil. For full entry requirements, please visit: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/biosi/degreeprogrammes/postgraduateresearch/index.html

This project is due to start in October 2011.

For application and procedure: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/general/applyonline/biosipgr.html