AZ Funded Non Clinical PhD Studentship (Fixed Term) - A reproducible human lung organoid platform for large scale oncology CRISPR screens

Applications are invited for 4-year PhD studentship based in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience(PDN)/Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge and the new AstraZeneca Discovery Centre at Cambridge. The student will be working on a collaborative project jointly supervised by Prof Rawlins in PDN/Gurdon and Dr Luigi Aloia at AstraZeneca and will work have opportunity to work across the two sites.

The project, entitled 'A reproducible human lung organoid platform for large scale oncology CRISPR screens' is in the field of human organoid/cancer biology that has generated much excitement in both academia and industry.

Project abstract: Lung cancer is heterogeneous. Variability between-patients, -tumours and within-tumours all affect drug efficacy and resistance. To identify and validate oncology drug targets we need human-relevant models capturing patient heterogeneity. Human lung organoids show promise for modelling the tumour micro-environment. However, cancer organoids do not grow reliably. We will distinguish between real-life heterogeneity which affects disease progression and technical artefact. We hypothesize that effects of cancer driver mutations are conserved across different genetic backgrounds (i.e. organoid variability represents real-life cancer heterogeneity) and will test this using genetic engineering to develop human lung adenocarcinoma from multiple normal biological donors. This will result in the development of tractable cellular models to study lung cancer development and progression and determine key mechanisms driving it in a reproducible and scalable fashion.

Candidate

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual capable of thinking and working independently. This position offers the unique opportunity to engage with a multidisciplinary team, including statisticians and bioinformaticians from AstraZeneca, to enhance the impact of our research and grow the digital skills of the candidate. Applicants should have, or shortly expect to obtain, a first or upper second-class degree from a UK university, or an equivalent standard from an overseas university, in a relevant subject such as cell or developmental biology, or biochemistry. These positions are open to UK citizens or overseas students who meet the UK residency requirements (home fees) or can augment the funds to cover the extra costs associated with international student fees through scholarships or funding schemes. Students will not be allowed to supplement fees via self-funding.

Full details of the University's entrance requirements and scholarships are specified on the following link: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/.

Funding

Full funding covering Maintenance fees at £21,500 per annum and the University Composition Fee is provided for the studentship, with effect from 1 October 2025.