PhD Studentship in the area of T lymphocyte mediated immune responses to
tumours: Enhancement of tumour cell immunogenicity.
Supervisor: Dr Michael Browning, Senior Lecturer in Immunology
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Leicester University
A PhD Studentship is available from 1st October 1996 to study mechanisms
of enhancement of tumour cell immunogenicity for T lymphocyte responses.
A number of studies of tumour immunology in animals and in man suggest
that the great majority of tumour cells express antigens which are
capable of being recognised by the host's T lymphocytes, but that the
tumour cells are poorly immunogenic and do not stimulate responses which
lead to tumour rejection. The aim of the project is to engineer tumour
cells to express a "professional" antigen presenting cell-like
phenotype, whilst maintaining expression of tumour-specific antigens.
The critical tumour cell / T cell interactions for effectively
stimulating tumour specific T cell responses will be investigated. The
long term goal is the development of techniques and reagents for
effective tumour immunotherapy and cancer vaccination. At a fundamental
level, however, the project can be viewed as an investigation of T cell
costimulation.
The project will involve the use of a range of cellular and molecular
immunological techniques, such as flow cytometry, cell separation, in
vitro T cell culture, assays of T cell function including lymphocyte
proliferation, cytokine release and cytotoxicity, antigen processing and
presentation, Western blotting, gene transfection, Southern blotting etc.
THE STUDENTSHIP IS AVAILABLE FROM 1ST OCTOBER 1996. APPLICANTS SHOULD HAVE
A FIRST OR UPPER SECOND CLASS HONOURS DEGREE FROM A UK ACADEMIC
INSTITUTION IN A RELEVANT BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE. NON-UK CITIZENS MUST BE ABLE
TO SHOW EVIDENCE OF ELIGIBILITY FOR A MRC
STUDENTSHIP.
The stipend (in the first year of the Studentship) will be #6,731 pa,
and the award also covers all relevant University and Tuition fees.
Applications, in the form of a curriculum vitae with the names of two
referees, should be addressed to Dr M Browning, Department of
Microbiology and Immunology, University of Leicester, Medical Sciences
Building, University Road, Leicester LE1 9HN. Further information is
available from Dr Michael Browning; Tel. 0116 252 2936.
--
Dr Alan J. Cann PhD, Department of Microbiology & Immunology,
University of Leicester, P.O. Box 138, Medical Sciences Building,
University Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK.
Email: nna at le.ac.ukhttp://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/AJC/nna.html
