Project Description:

The tumour microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in lymphomagenesis, shaping therapeutic responses and sustaining therapy-resistant malignant clones. Remodelling of the local TME is a hallmark of many lymphomas, promoting immune suppression and evasion and raising key questions: if the local niche is reprogrammed in malignancy, do immune alterations extend beyond the tumour, and to what extent does a patient’s systemic immune status influence disease progression and response to therapy?

Preliminary data from our lab in follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), alongside studies in other cancers, indicate that immune remodelling in cancer is not confined to the local TME but also extends to spatially distinct immune compartments such as the peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM). In pre-treatment FL patients, we identified alterations in the peripheral immune landscape which mimic features of the TME, highlighting the potential of the peripheral immunome to provide a window into intratumoural immune dynamics and evolution, with possible implications for prognostication in lymphoma.

Building on this, the PhD project aims to identify immune biomarkers or signatures associated with disease progression and therapeutic response, providing insights to guide translational, therapeutic and immunotherapeutic strategies in lymphoma.

Project Aims:

In this PhD project, the student will:

• Explore the evolution of the immune landscape (immunome) in spatially distinct immune compartments, including the PB, BM and tumour sites, in specific lymphoma subtypes (follicular lymphoma, FL)
• Use longitudinal patient samples from multiple clinical trials and the Barts Tissue Bank to characterise immune profiles (immunotypes) and their evolution
• Assess the impact of different therapeutic interventions, such as standard chemotherapy and novel immunotherapies (e.g. bispecific antibodies) on immunome evolution
• Functionally assess the role of specific immunotypes in follicular lymphoma

Experience Gained:

The student will gain expertise across wet-lab, computation and translational research, including:

• High-resolution profiling techniques, including single cell analysis (transcriptomic, immune repertoire and epigenetic) and spectral flow cytometry on patient samples
• Bioinformatic analysis of high-resolution datasets including secure handling and integration of big data and high-performance computing (HPC)
• Functional immunological assays using in vitro systems
• Understanding of research governance and clinical translation including GLP, ethics and working with clinical samples and tissue banks
• Working in a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary lab that integrates experimental and computational approaches across genomics, immunology and tumour evolution

Academic Entry Requirements

All applicants should have or be expecting:

• A first or upper second class honours degree in a relevant biological subject from a UK university or the international equivalent from a recognised institution. For international equivalencies please see Queen Mary International Office. Or;
• A medical degree from a recognised institution.

English Language Requirements

Applicants for whom English is not a first language will also require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (with 6.0 in the written component) or equivalent, unless your undergraduate degree was studied in, and awarded by, an English speaking country. For more information on acceptable English language qualifications please see here.

Fee Status

The funding for this studentship only covers tuition fees at the Home rate. Overseas applicants are welcome to apply, but will be required to fund the difference in tuition fees.

The studentship includes the following funding for 4 years:

• A tax-free annual stipend of £23,000
• Tuition fees at the Home rate*
• Project consumables

*If you are considered an Overseas student for fee purposes, you are welcome to apply for this studentship, however, you will be required to cover the difference in tuition fees.

To apply you will need to complete an online application form.

The following supporting documents will be required as part of your application:

• Your CV
• Statement of purpose
• Details of 2 referees
• Copy of your transcript(s), including a breakdown of marks
• Copy of your passport
• If applicable, proof of English proficiency

If you have a question about the project, or would like to arrange an informal discussion, please contact the supervisor directly (subject ‘PhD applicant’). For general enquiries about the PhD studentship or application process please contact bci-pgresearch@qmul.ac.uk.

Successfully shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview at Barts Cancer Institute.