Title
Preclinical modelling and therapeutic targeting of glioblastoma infiltrative margin
Supervisors
Prof Ruman Rahman, Dr Stuart Smith, Dr Phoebe McCrorie
Project Overview
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an incurable malignant brain tumour with severely limited therapeutic interventions and short survival times. Major challenges in treating GBM include intra‑tumour heterogeneity and invasion into the adjacent healthy brain. Such invasive tumour subpopulations reflect residual disease intractable to standard multimodal treatment, and which is responsible for GBM recurrence. We have revealed distinct gene expression profiles of the infiltrative margin of glioblastoma via bulk transcriptomics (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37434262/) predicated on biopsies obtained via 5‑aminolevulinic (5‑ALA)‑guided neurosurgery.
We now aim to resolve infiltrative margin biology at high resolution using single‑cell and spatial transcriptomic methods, to identify actionable therapy targets which could lead to informed delivery of personalised medicine approaches.
The appointed will work with genome, computational and cancer biologists at the University of Nottingham to develop and characterise patient‑derived explant models amenable for drug repurposing studies. The project also introduces a collaboration with Queen’s Mary University, London, whereby 5ALA‑negative astrocytes from the glioblastoma infiltrative margin will be re‑programmed to generate induced pluripotent stem cells as a patient‑matched toxicity control.
Research Environment
Applications are invited for a 4‑year fully‑funded PhD studentship to join the University of Nottingham Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence (Director – Prof Ruman Rahman). The Centre is underpinned by 5‑year programme funding from the charity ‘Brain Tumour Research (BTR)’ and represents a multidisciplinary and cross‑Faculty research partnership, also leveraging international collaborators at University of Freiburg, Mayo Clinic Arizona, and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The hub of the Centre will be based at the Biodiscovery Institute (BDI) School of Medicine.
Eligibility
* BSc in cellular/molecular biology/biochemistry or related subject; MSc/MRes is desirable.
* Priority will be given to candidates with prior experience working with in‑vitro cancer models and associated drug inhibition assays.
* Those interested in applying should send a 2‑page CV and 1‑page cover letter to ruman.rahman@nottingham.ac.uk.
Other Details
Closing Date: Friday 1 May 2026
Anticipated start date: 1 July 2026.
Funding notes: This 4‑year PhD studentship will include tuition fees for home students and an annual stipend equivalent to current UKRI rates (starting at £22,123).
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