Position title: PhD Project: biomarker identification in lutetium PSMA-treated prostate cancer patients using circulating tumour DNA @ VIC

Employer: Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Closing date: 31/01/2022

Brief position description: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a type 2 membrane glycoprotein overexpressed on prostate cancer cells that has emerged as a key therapeutic target in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Two landmark trials (including one led by Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) have positioned lutetium PSMA radionuclide therapy (Lu-PSMA) as a highly effective new treatment option for mCRPC. Nevertheless, responses to Lu-PSMA treatment can be variable, and development of resistance remains inevitable. Identifying biomarkers linked to outcomes with Lu-PSMA is therefore a critical unmet need, in order to select patients most likely to benefit from treatment and to dissect mechanisms of therapeutic resistance.
As part of the newly opened Prostate Imaging and Theranostic Centre of Excellence (ProsTIC), we are running a series of investigator-led clinical trials with Lu-PSMA and other theranostics. Serial plasma samples collected as part of these trials represents a valuable world-first repository of biospecimens with which to perform biomarker discovery. Currently, these plasma samples are being utilised to generate targeted sequencing data from which somatic and germline mutations can be identified. As part of this fully-funded project, students will help to develop bioinformatics approaches to analyse and explore next-generation sequencing data to identify putative predictive and prognostic biomarkers for this novel radionuclide therapy that may be incorporated into future clinical trials here at Peter Mac. Students will receive training in clinical trial research, genomics, cancer biology, bioinformatics and biostatistics and will work with a team of wet-lab biologists and bioinformaticians. The candidate will require prior experience with unix-like operating systems, R and/or python programming languages. A background in mathematics or statistics is also highly desirable.

Job website:

Contact name: Heidi Fettke

Contact email: heidi.fettke@petermac.org