Further Information

Research Project

Background

Cancers of the oesophagus are associated with poor patient survival, with less than 20% of patients surviving more than five years from diagnosis. The UK and Ireland have the highest rates of Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma (OAC) worldwide and there is a pressing need for deeper understanding of the biology of this cancer. There is considerable evidence for an oncoprotective effect of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) and calcium signalling against in gastrointestinal cancer and a potential role in carcinogenesis.

Research Project

We propose to undertake an integrative analysis of gene expression data (RNAseq/microarray) in OAC to investigate the expression of VDR and related genes. A wealth of gene expression data has been created by large-scale international efforts such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Oesophageal Cancer and Molecular Stratification (OCCAMS)/International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and we seek to exploit in-house, public and collaborative datasets to investigate the molecular biology of VDR and its associated proteins in the progression of Barrett’s oesophagus and in prognosis and treatment response in OAC.

Aims and Purpose

By developing skills in the integrative analysis of gene expression data the candidate will characterise the role of VDR and related genes expression in Barrett’s oesophagus and OAC.

The project described has been approved by the North-South Research Programme and cannot be modified following acceptance onto the programme

Funding Towards

Projects Costs, Tuition Fees

Funding Body

North South Research Programme

Funding Amount

Fees are covered for NI, RoI and GB students

Also included are:

• A full stipend, within the range of £14,000
• Consumable costs for the project
• Presentation at a conference
• Attendance at a 2-week exchange visit to University College, Cork

Number of Awards

1

Funding Body

North South Research Programme

Eligibility

Essential
1. Applicants must be a permanent resident in NI, RoI or GB.
2. Candidates must have submitted an application by the closing date to study MSc Bioinformatics & Computational Genomics.
3. The offer of a scholarship will be conditional on candidates meeting the conditions of their offer of admission.
Desirable
1. The academic background of the candidates will be taken into consideration.
2. Research Experience relevant to the topic under study

Funding Type

Help with new course

Fee Status

GB, NI, ROI

Nationality

England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales

Country Group

GB, NI, ROI

Study Level

Postgraduate Taught

Start Date

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 12:39:00 BST

Close Date

Fri, 26 May 2023 23:59:00 BST

Contact Us

Further enquiries can be sent to pgoffice.smdb@qub.ac.uk

How to Apply

1. Apply for admissions to the MSc Bioinformatics & Computational Genomics via the Queen's Portal.
2. Please include in the application via the portal how you meet the shortlisting criteria. You can also provide this information separately, in a word document, by email to pgoffice.smdb@qub.ac.uk.
The project described has been approved by the North-South Research Programme and cannot be modified following acceptance onto the programme.