Genomic Drivers of Juvenile Granulosa Cell Tumours of the Ovary

Juvenile granulosa cell tumours (jGCT) are rare ovarian tumours that occur predominantly in children and young women and are biologically distinct from adult granulosa cell tumours. Unlike adult GCT, juvenile tumours do not typically harbour the FOXL2 mutation, and the genomic events driving these tumours are still poorly defined. Improving our understanding of the molecular basis of jGCT is essential for better diagnosis, classification, and development of targeted therapies. Our recent genomic studies have identified potentially important alterations in subsets of juvenile GCT, including mutations in genes such as GNAS and TGFBR1, suggesting that these may represent biologically relevant markers and possible drivers of tumour behaviour. Ongoing work in the laboratory is focused on characterising these alterations and determining how they influence signalling pathways, tumour cell function, and disease pathogenesis. This project will involve exploring the genomic landscape and biological significance of novel mutations identified in jGCT using molecular and functional approaches. It will suit students with an interest in cancer genomics, rare tumours, signalling pathways, and translational cancer research, and may include opportunities for bioinformatic analysis, laboratory-based validation, and mechanistic studies.