About the Project
Key Information
Open to: UK fee eligible applicants only
The funding provider: Cancer Research Wales Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI)
The subject area: Cancer Immunometabolism
The Project start dates: October 2026
Supervisors: Dr James Cronin, Dr Nick Jones, Dr Roberto Angelini (Swansea University Medical School); in collaboration with Dr Florian Siebzehnrubl & Dr Matthew Clement, Cardiff University
Aligned programme of study: PhD in Cancer and Genomics
Mode of study: Full-time
Place of study: Swansea University Medical School (Singleton Campus)
Project Description
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer with poor survival and limited treatment options. A major barrier to effective therapy is the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment, which can restrict anti-tumour immunity and contribute to resistance to immune-checkpoint therapy. Nutrient availability is increasingly recognised as a determinant of immune cell fate and lipid metabolism is emerging as a key regulator of immune suppression in GBM, influencing lipid-laden macrophages and microglia, regulatory T-cell differentiation, cytotoxic T-cell exhaustion, and the wider balance between anti-tumour and pro-tumour immune states.
Using established protocols for the isolation, culture and functional analysis of human immune cells, the student will develop patient-derived GBM immune co-culture models to investigate how lipid metabolism regulates the immune tumour microenvironment.
The project will examine how lipid availability and lipid-metabolic pathways influence key immune populations in GBM, including regulatory T cells, cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T-cell subsets, glioma-associated macrophage/microglia-like cells, and other immune cells. Particular focus will be placed on how lipid metabolism affects immune-cell differentiation, suppressive function, inflammatory signalling, exhaustion and anti-tumour activity.
This will help determine whether lipid metabolism can be targeted to reduce immune suppression and restore anti-tumour immune function in GBM.
The project would suit a motivated student with experience or interest in cancer immunology and immunometabolism biology. Experience in primary immune-cell culture, flow cytometry, or lipidomics & mass spectrometry would be particularly advantageous, although full training will be provided.
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