The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute was established in 2007 as the sixth research institute of The University of Queensland. The aim of the Institute is to develop a better understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of disease, and to translate that understanding into practical outcomes for patients. Based at the Translational Research Institute (TRI) at the Princess Alexandra Hospital teaching campus in Brisbane, the Institute has almost 200 researchers and students who work closely with clinicians in the areas of cancer, immunology and genomic medicine. UQDI is the largest partner in TRI, and is building major programs in Immunology, Cancer and Genomic Medicine research, with a particular focus on research aimed at development of new treatments. Details of the research interests of academic staff may be accessed on the Institute's web site at http://www.di.uq.edu.au/research.
The Role
The successful Scholar will pursue a PhD degree in bioinformatics using next generation sequencing data to study the genetic landscape of Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and the relationship between UV damaged skin, Actinic keratosis (AK) and SCC.
The Project
A dataset of 125 exomes derived from between and within patient samples will be used to study the genetic landscape of Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and the relationship between UV damaged skin, Actinic keratosis (AK) and SCC.
The candidate will develop algorithms to perform quality control of sequence data and methods to capture a comprehensive set of mutations in these samples. Methods to control of false positives and coincidental findings will be developed using a resource of 2000 control exomes that have been sequenced at The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Genomics (UQCCG).
The candidate will then develop statistical methods to search for biomarkers that can be used to identify the transition between tumour states and study the heterogeneity between tumours using SNPs, structural variations and copy number information. The project will be performed in collaboration with the Genomic Medicine program and Cancer program at UQDI.
This analysis will require the use of high performance computing and programming in R and Perl.
The Person
The candidate will have a 1st Class Honours degree or equivalent in science, and should be eligible for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) or University of Queensland Research Scholarship (UQRS). We will consider students from a wide range of backgrounds, including: mathematics, statistics, epidemiology, computer science, bioinformatics, physics, genetics, and molecular biology. Applicants should be fluent in English.
Remuneration
The base stipend will be at the rate of AUD$24,653 per annum (2013 rate) tax-free for three years with the possibility of a six month extension in approved circumstances. Top-up salary may be available to suitably qualified candidates.
Contact
For further information about the research project, please contact Dr Paul Leo (p.leo@uq.edu.au) or Professor David Evans (d.evans1@uq.edu.au).
For information about entering the UQ PhD program and for the full terms and conditions, please visit the UQ Graduate School website at [http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school.
To apply please visit www.uq.edu.au/uqjobs and search for Scholarships.
