Description
The immune system comprises a variety of effector cells that are uniquely poised to recognize infected or transformed cells. However, the capacity of these immune cells to target cancer is restricted by the activity of inhibitory receptors (immune checkpoints) that are co-opted by tumours in order to mediate immune resistance. Modulating the activity of immune checkpoints in order to unleash the destructive power of the immune system to seek out and destroy tumours has revolutionised cancer treatment, resulting in immunotherapy being listed as the breakthrough of the year in 2013 by Science magazine. My group is interested in determining the 3D structure of novel immune checkpoints bound to their cognate ligands. The insight provided by this research will pave the way for the rational design of novel therapeutics for use in cancer immunotherapy.
Essential criteria:
Minimum entry requirements can be found here: https://www.monash.edu/admissions/entry-requirements/minimum
Keywords
immune checkpoint, cancer immunotherapy, receptor ligand interactions, structural biology, X-ray crystallography, immune effector, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
School
Biomedicine Discovery Institute (School of Biomedical Sciences) » Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Available options
PhD/Doctorate
Masters by research
Honours
Time commitment
Full-time
Top-up scholarship funding available
No
Physical location
Clayton Campus
Research webpage