Program Overview

Introduction to the PhD Program

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) offers a PhD program in cancer research, focusing on the development of novel sequencing approaches and bioinformatic analyses for cancer evolution. The program is part of the EU-funded Evolutionary Medical Genomics Doctoral Network (EvoMG-DN), which recruits a cohort of 15 PhD students based at leading universities, research institutes, and industry partners across 7 European countries.

Program Details

• Project Title: Towards non-invasive monitoring and prediction of cancer evolutionary dynamics from cfDNA
• Application Closing Date: 16/11/25
• Primary Site: Sutton
• Funding: Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network 2025
• Primary Supervisor: Professor Trevor Graham
• Associate Supervisors: Dr. Annie Baker, Dr. Ben O'Leary
• Secondary Supervisor: Professor Udai Banerji
• Division: Cancer Biology
• Subjects: Physics, Computer Science, Epidemiology, Biological Sciences, Maths & Stats, Engineering

Project Background

Cancer development is fundamentally an evolutionary process. However, monitoring evolutionary dynamics through treatment remains challenging. The team has developed a new methodology to monitor clonal evolution by measuring DNA methylation, a stably inherited epigenetic marker on tumor DNA.

Project Aims

• Develop a sequencing approach to detect mutations and methylation in cfDNA from cancer patients
• Build computational tools to interpret methylation profiles from cfDNA
• Use sequencing to reconstruct clonal dynamics through treatment and resistance
• Apply the new methodology to samples from large clinical cohorts

Further Details and Requirements

• Research Proposal: Hypothesis - Methylation profiling in cfDNA can be used to infer tumor clonal dynamics, for example in treatment response, resistance, and recurrence.
• Eligibility: Only applicants who satisfy the mobility rule are eligible to apply. Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
• Salary and Allowances: The candidate will receive a monthly salary of Euros 4,917 (subject to tax and National Insurance deductions), which includes both a living allowance and a mobility allowance, for a duration of 36 months. Additionally, candidates with a family may be eligible for a monthly family allowance of Euros 380.

Candidate Profile

• Degree: BSc (First or 2:1) or Master's degree in a biological, computational, or quantitative subject.
• Interest: A strong interest in evolutionary approaches to medicine is essential, and willingness to engage in extensive mathematical and computational work.
• Experience: Experience in sequencing technologies, epigenetics, or computational modeling would be highly advantageous but is not essential.

Literature References

• "Fluctuating methylation clocks for cell lineage tracing at high temporal resolution in human tissues" Gabbutt et al, Nat Biotechnol. 2022 May;40(5):720-730.
• "Fluctuating DNA methylation tracks cancer evolution at clinical scale" Gabbutt et al, Nature. 2025 Sep;645(8081):764-773.
• "Circulating tumor DNA to guide rechallenge with panitumumab in metastatic colorectal cancer: the phase 2 CHRONOS trial" Sartore-Bianchi et al, Nat Med. 2022 Aug;28(8).

Program Structure and Training

• The studentship will be based in the Genomics and Evolutionary Dynamics group, within the Centre for Evolution and Cancer.
• The candidate will have the opportunity to visit two other institutions within the Doctoral Network for training and placements.
• Full training will be provided to the successful candidate in novel sequencing approaches and bioinformatic analyses for cancer evolution.