About the Project
Commencement date
September 2026
Location
Cancer Biotherapeutics Research Group, Life Sciences Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
Project overview
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join an ambitious translational cancer research project aiming to transform outcomes for patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer.
HER2+ breast cancer accounts for approximately 20% of all breast cancer cases and remains a major clinical challenge, particularly in advanced disease. While most patients with metastatic HER2+ cancer have a median survival of less than five years, a remarkable subset—known as exceptional responders—survive for over a decade, and sometimes up to 20 years [1].
This PhD project will investigate the biological mechanisms underlying these extraordinary responses, with the goal of translating these insights into improved diagnostics, therapeutic strategies, and personalised treatment approaches. It is a cross-disciplinary project that will require the student to generate and analyse large datasets and also carry out in vitro validation of identified targets.
