Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Professor Tom Bird at CRUK Scotland Institute

Scotland Institute Lab: Liver regeneration and cancer

Project Title: Preclinical optimisation of therapeutics toward clinical implementation in HCC

Contract term: Fixed term for 18 months

About us

The CRUK Scotland Institute is a cancer research institute situated in Glasgow with approximately 250 researchers split across 30 research groups consisting of PIs, postdoctoral scientists, PhD students and scientific officers. It is one of Europe’s leading cancer research centres, supporting cutting-edge work into the molecular mechanisms of cancer development. As well as core support from Cancer Research UK, the Institute also receives an additional third of its total income from external grants and industry collaborations. It has an excellent reputation for fundamental cancer research, including world-class metabolism studies and renowned in vivo modelling of tumour growth and metastasis. Its research ethos is about excellence, honesty, openness, accountability and integrity.

Project outline

A postdoctoral position is available for an ambitious, creative and translationally minded scientist to join the Bird group at the Scotland Institute for therapeutic development as part of a UKRI funded programme to take viral gene delivery of cytotoxic cancer therapy through to planned clinical trial in patients. This work builds the recent development of payload delivery into numerous cancer types including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), colorectal cancer metastasis and glioblastoma and will take this preclinical therapy through a series of HCC model systems allied to research programmes in other cancer models. Delivering this HCC component of this translational work will use vectors in cell lines and murine preclinical models whilst working closely with other teams in the other cancer types and model systems.

This project will specifically test the viral gene therapy cytotoxic payload delivery in HCC cell lines developed from our suite of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) and apply this approach to both autochthonous GEMMs and orthotopic transplant liver cancer models in vivo. It will involve the optimization of the orthotopic model system using GEMM derived organoids which will integrate clinical imaging, immune phenotyping and multiomic characterization of the models and therapy responses and is seen as a steppingstone to longer term funding. 

As an ideal candidate, you should hold a PhD in cancer biology and hold a PIL for murine preclinical work including the surgical training module. Expertise in working with mouse cancer models is essential. You should have a strong background in tissue analysis and demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team and to effectively plan and prioritise workflows to facilitate project delivery.

For informal enquires please contact t.bird@beatson.gla.ac.uk

All applications must be made via our website via the ‘Apply’ button above

Closing Date for Applications: 17 November 2023