You can start the process by contacting an individual principal investigator relevant to your research interests, or find out more about our research in the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

You may wish to start your search with our pre-defined research projects available, listed below. 

Dr Borko Amulic (Senior Research Fellow)

Mechanism and function of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs):

Neutrophils are essential immune cells with important roles in defence against pathogens. They can trap microbes by producing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), consisting of the neutrophil’s own DNA that is extruded from the cell in a type of altruistic cell death. NETs are sticky and contain toxic antimicrobial proteins that prevent bacteria from spreading. The project investigate the molecular mechanism of NETs and their role in innate immunity.  

Professor Matthew Avison (Professor of Molecular Bacteriology)

Understanding Envelope Permeability Control in Bacteria to Combat Antibiotic Resistance:

A major area of study in my group is to investigate how bacteria restrict the entry of antibiotics, causing antibiotic resistance. Knowledge of this helps us better predict when bacteria will become resistant to antibiotics and highlights ways we might reverse antibiotic resistance in patients. We can offer a bespoke MSc by Research or PhD project in this area tailored to fit your interests, covering one or more of: molecular bacteriology, functional genomics, genome sequence analysis and a little bit of bioinformatics.

Dr Siang Boon Koh (Lecturer)

Drugging the cell cycle of cancer:

The goal of our group is to identify cancer-specific vulnerabilities that are targetable and thus clinically actionable. One of our research themes is cancer cell cycle regulation. We study (1) how the cell cycle checkpoints are rewired in cancer cells, and (2) how this rewiring can be pharmacologically modulated. We have tailored graduate-level projects on this theme, encompassing topics such as the DNA damage response, apoptosis and RAS signalling. Selected candidates will have the opportunity to lead or contribute to these projects.

Dr Asme Boussahel (Daphne Jackson Research Fellow)

A 3D bioprinted model of tissue resident macrophages in the subcutaneous tissue:

Subcutaneous delivery is the preferred route for administering therapeutic peptides and proteins, such as beta interferons and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and cancers respectively. However, determining the bioavailability of these macromolecules relies on animal testing. This approach is limited, often very costly and inefficient. In order to develop a biomimetic model of the human subcutaneous tissue, the complex composition of the subcutaneous tissue needs to be replicated in-vitro. The project will aim to develop a bioprinted subcutaneous tissue composition that captures the complex mechanisms of drug absorption. The composition will be tested with a range if biopharmaceuticals formulations to determine its ability to predict bioavailability.

Dr Adam Chambers (Clinical Lecturer)

Understanding the role of BCL-3 in radiation response in colorectal cancer:

Identification of biomarkers for the prediction of dengue disease severity using high-throughput proteomics:

The project will use clinical proteomic data from dengue patients with different disease outcomes to identify potential protein biomarkers for the disease severity. The protein biomarkers will be validated using clinical samples and the mechanisms behind the alterations in protein biomarkers investigated using cell based models.

High-throughput 'omics analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infected cells:

The project will use high-throughput 'omics approaches to investigate differences in the host cell response to different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. The large datasets generated will be analysed using advanced bioinformatics techniques and results confirmed by cell biology techniques.

Dr Abdelkader Essafi (Associate Professor in Genetics and MRC new investigator)

Two projects available

The role of phenotypic plasticity in 1) therapy resistance and 2) dormancy.

My lab focuses on the timing of and the mechanism underlying embryonic programmes reactivation in cancer using patient specimens, preclinical in vitro and in vivo models, combined with genetic perturbations, state-of-the art sequencing and computational analyses methodologies. And the reason for this focus is two-fold: 

First, early dissemination/metastasis, therapy resistance, relapse and minimal residual disease, in breast and pancreatic cancers are all caused by increased phenotypic plasticity i.e., the generation of many types of embryonic-like stem cells (SCs) via partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition (pEMT) e.g., therapy tolerant SCs & metastasis-initiating cells (MICs) as well as dormant and persister SCs. 

Second, the transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms governing pEMT to reactivate embryonic phenotypic plasticity remain unexplored.

Our projects will delineate the role of the following in the generation and maintenance of the different SCs:  

1) stemness and pEMT regulators such as WT1 and LSD1, &

2)  epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming downstream of the RNA and DNA targets of these transcriptional regulators.

The work will not only inform prevention, timely diagnosis and therapy but will also give insights into whether as we age: therapy resistance, dormancy and metastasis are epigenetically stabilised pre- or post-therapy and -dissemination.

Dr Darryl Hill (Associate Professor in Infectious Diseases and Head of School)

The effect of bacteria on colorectal cancer cells:

A number of bacterial species have been implicated in causing cancer or making the cancer much worse for the patient. This project will study the influence of bacterial species known to cause cancer on human cells grown to mimic the tumour microenvironment.

Dr Gareth Jones (Senior Lecturer)

Exploiting cytokine action to treat chronic inflammation: 

We have identified a key role for the cytokine interleukin-27 in suppressing chronic joint inflammation in arthritis. The project will now investigate mechanisms underpinning this suppression, with a particular focus on how interleukin-27 alters the behaviour of pathogenic CD4+ T helper cells.

Dr Wa'el Kafienah (Associate Professor in Regenerative Medicine)

Cellular reprogramming for cell-based therapy of osteoarthritis:

Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects the joints leading to disability. Treating this disease using regenerative medicine and tissue engineering approaches requires ample number of functional chondrocytes - the cells that make up cartilage. This project aims to employ a bioinformatics approach to predict critical transcription factors necessary for reprogramming any cell into chondrocytes thereby providing an unlimited source of these cells for cell-based therapies. The project can investigate mechanisms of the reprogramming process, tissue engineering using the converted cells and the evaluation of converted cells stability. 

Dr Bethan Lloyd-Lewis (Vice Chancellor's Fellow)

Two projects available

Epithelial cell interactions in the mammary gland:

Communication between different mammary epithelial cell types is important for normal breast development, maintenance and remodelling. If normal cell-cell communication is perturbed, mammary epithelial cells may begin to divide and grow in an abnormal way, leading to the development of pre-cancerous lesions. This project will contribute to deciphering the mechanisms underpinning this process, using a 3D mammary organoid culture system combined with live-cell imaging and histological analyses.

Cell death decisions in the mammary gland:

Pregnancy is marked by breast epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation, resulting in the formation of milk-producing structures. Following lactation, milk-producing cells are rapidly removed by programmed cell death, while nearby ductal cells survive. This project aims to better understand how these cells can evade cell death using a 3D mammary organoid culture system combined with live-cell imaging and histological analyses.

Professor Karim Malik (Professor of Molecular Oncology)

Two projects available

The roles of aberrant alternative splicing in childhood cancers:

It is becoming increasingly evident that the cancer cell proteome (and therefore phenotype) can be altered due to alternative splicing of mRNAs. However, the pathways and mechanisms by which alternative splicing contributes to tumorigenesis remain largely obscure. We therefore propose to characterize aberrant alternative splicing in childhood cancer models, particularly those driven by Myc oncogenes.

Overcoming drug resistance in poor prognosis neuroblastoma:

Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer accounting for ~15% of all paediatric cancer deaths. Drug-resistance is a major factor influencing poor survival rates with about 50% of high-risk patients succumbing to resistant disease. This project will seek to identify and validate target genes, proteins and pathways that act as mediators of drug resistance in relapsing neuroblastoma in order to improve future therapies.

Dr Deepali Pal (Lecturer) (due to start in Bristol in June 2024)

Two projects available

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) engineered, immune-responsive bone marrow microenvironment (BME) to develop leukaemia-specific oncogenic niche in vitro:

Human iPSC will be differentiated into CD14+ monocyte-like cells via an intermediate hemogenic endothelial route. CD14+ monocytes will be further differentiated into macrophage cells, which following functional validation will be incorporated into existing multicellular BME organoids (preprint , article). Immune-responsive BME-leukaemia organoid prototypes will be implemented to accelerate target discovery and precision oncology driven cancer drug development.

Targeted drug delivery to CDH2-enriched leukaemic bone marrow microenvironment (BME):

CDH2 encoding the protein N-Cadherin, is associated with increased cancer invasiveness and its upregulation has been observed in human leukaemia bone marrows, and we recently discovered that BME-primed leukaemia cells upregulate CDH2 (article). Moreover, monoclonal antibody targeting of N-Cadherin has been proven to inhibit metastasis and invasion in solid cancers. This project will develop anti-N-Cadherin-functionalised-liposomes encapsulating anti-leukaemia inhibitors to facilitate targeted drug delivery into leukaemia BME.

Dr Parthive Patel (Sir Henry Dale Research Fellow)

Regulation of tissue regeneration by stress signalling:

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote regeneration in many contexts. In the adult Drosophila (fruit fly) intestine, ROS are produced by damaged intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). This promotes intestinal stem cell (ISC)-mediated regeneration, partly via stress-activated p38 MAPK signalling in enterocytes (Patel et al., 2019). You will further determine the molecular mechanism underpinning ROS-mediated fly intestinal regeneration.

These studies will use Drosophila genetics, dissection and immunostaining of Drosophila tissues, fluorescent microscopy, Western blotting and enzymatic assays. For more info, please visit www.gutstresslab.org.

Professor Anne Ridley FRS (Professor of Cell Biology)

Targeting endothelial cells in cancer:

An important step in cancer metastasis is their ability to cross endothelial cells lining the bloodstream to enter tissues. Most studies focus on cancer cells, but we have used RNAi screening to identify genes in endothelial cells that alter cancer cell attachment and migration.  In this project, RNAi, small molecule inhibitors, timelapse microscopy and biochemical analysis will be used to test how some of these genes affect cancer cell interaction with endothelial cells.

Dr Laura Rivino (Associate Professor in Immunology)

Human T cell immunity to dengue virus:

Virus-specific T cells constitute an essential line of defence during viral infection, however the role of these cells in the context of dengue virus infection remains unclear, with evidence suggesting that they can mediate pathogenesis and/or immune protection. Our work aims to define the features of the T cell response to dengue virus that associate with differential disease outcomes, particularly in patient groups with higher risk of severe disease, such as those that are overweight/obese. This project will use multi-parameter flow cytometry and the Seahorse XF platform to study the phenotypic, functional and metabolic features of T cells.

Dr Iart Luca Shytaj (Lecturer)

Identification of effective drug combinations to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in vitro:

Drug combinations are validated tools to potently inhibit replication of RNA viruses and decrease the likelihood of resistance mutations. We have recently shown that the pharmacoenhancer cobicistat can inhibit the replication of the Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 strain in vitro and in vivo. The present project will use scalable fusion assays and replicon models to screen effective drug combinations that can suppress viral replication across all major variants of concern.

Professor Christoph Wuelfing (Professor of Immunology)

Two projects available

Rebuilding tumour-mediated immune suppression in vitro:

Tumours suppress the immune response directed against them. Using three-dimensional tissue culture models you will rebuild the interactions of tumours with immune cells from defined components to elucidate mechanisms of tumour-mediated immune suppression.