Multiomic investigation of the molecular mechanisms during differential treatment response in breast cancers
Closing date: 09/06/2025
MB-PhD Summer Placement Project: Multiomic investigation of the molecular mechanisms during differential treatment response in breast cancers
Lead Supervisors: Dr Sankari Nagarajan
Applications Deadline: Monday 9th June 2025
Project Keywords: Epigenetics; Enhancer RNAs; Chromatin biology
Research Opportunity: MB-PhD Summer Placement Project
MB-PhD Summer Placement Project Outline
The placement will be in person in molecular biology labs. We aim to let the student watch the key lab experiments we perform in understanding functional genomics and epigenetics. If time permits, we can also teach the student how we do bioinformatic analyses.
Key activities
With this placement, our lab will provide a lab-tour and opportunity to shoulder our main experiments such as Chromatin immunoprecipitation, preparing samples for sequencing, interaction-based proteomics, quantitative PCRs, Western blots, etc. Depending on time, we will be also able to show our bioinformatic platforms for functional genomics. The students can also attend our weekly journal clubs and or lab meetings.
Supervisor style
We believe in maintaining friend collegiate environment, we are very supportive group to students and staffs. Our vision is to potentially stop cancer from spreading in our body and make treatments to work better.
About Dr. Sankari Nagarajan (Project Lead Supervisor)
Nagarajan’s lab is interested in unravelling the mechanisms of enhancer regulation and the role of transcription factors in mediating the progression to drug resistance and metastasis in aggressive cancers. Dr Sankari Nagarajan’s lab utilises single cell analyses, functional genomic technologies, quantitative chromatin-based proteomics and CRISPR-Cas9 assays to decipher the mechanisms of transcription. The lab work on the following projects:
1. Understanding the role of chromatin-associated proteins in driving endocrine resistance in breast and prostate cancers
2. Deciphering the activity of enhancers and transcription factors regulated by chromatin remodelling complexes
3. Single-cell epigenomics to investigate the molecular mechanisms of metastasis in aggressive cancers
4. Enhancer-derived RNAs as markers for enhancer regulation in aggressive breast cancers
Key information
Find answers to some common questions about our MB-PhD Studentships.
To apply for our MB-Phd Summer Placement Project, you must be:
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A current MBChB student (year 1 or year 2 of the MBChB or year 1 of GEM) at one of the following universities:
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The University of Manchester
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The University of Leeds
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The University of St Andrews (Medicine Manchester Pathway)
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Interested in pursuing a clinical academic career combining medical training with research in Cancer Sciences.
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Available to undertake the summer placement during the specified dates set out in the project details.
If you meet these criteria, we encourage you to apply and explore what a clinical academic career in cancer research could offer you.
Summer research opportunities include lab visits and research placements.
Lab visits will usually be one day in length and might include, but are not limited to: shadowing a staff member/PhD student; attending lab group/journal club meetings; assisting with any applicable experiments.
The length and start date of research placements will be agreed between staff and students, but would usually be one week maximum.
We encourage students to apply for many different opportunities to gauge interest in different supervisory teams.
Travel and accommodation reimbursements can be provided to summer research opportunity students where appropriate, with agreement from Dr Yasmin Noori, Postgraduate Programme Manager. Please apply for relevant opportunities, and we can discuss this post-application.
Students who are interested in any of the below opportunities should send the following details to Dr Yasmin Noori yasamin.noorijenaghard@manchester.ac.uk by Monday, 9th June 2025:
- Your name
- Institution
- Current year of study
- Are you intending to apply to the MB-Phd programme in future? (Yes/No/Undecided)
- Supervisor preference(s) [use staff members’ names] – please also indicate preference for research placement and/or lab visit with the relevant staff member/s if appropriate
- Supporting statement: 200 words maximum on why you are interested in the opportunities you have selected
Preference is likely to be given to students who are eligible to apply to the MB-PhD in the 2025-26 recruitment round.
Key dates
- Application deadline: Monday, 9th June 2025
- Decisions relayed to students: w/c 16th June 2025
- Start date: By the end of September 2025
Useful Links
MB-PhD Studentships
Find out more about our MB-PhD Studentships which allow you to study a fully-funded PhD alongside your medical degree.
Get in Touch
Contact Yasmin Noori, Postgraduate Programme Manager.
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