Decoding tumour-immune cells crosstalk in pancreatic cancer
Key information
Research topics
This is a summer student position supervised by Nathalia Williams in Aleksey Chudnovskiy's lab.
Introduction to the science
Cells behave like tiny cities packed with activity, where every resident has a job, a neighborhood, and a network of contacts. Cancer is more than just a group of abnormal cells. Tumors actually build their own little ecosystem inside the body, influencing immune cells, blood vessels, and surrounding tissues to help them survive and spread. I find it fascinating how cancer can reshape its environment and even trick the immune system into ignoring it.
In Aleksey Chudnovskiy’s lab, we study this tumor microenvironment to understand how cancer and immune cells interact. We use different cutting-edge techniques to see which cells are inside a tumor and how they communicate. By figuring out which cells help the tumor and which ones try to fight it, we hope to find new ways to support the immune system and stop cancer from spreading.
Our goal is to better understand how tumors work in the body so we can help design future treatments that target cancer more effectively.
About the project
In this project, you will study how the immune system interacts with pancreatic tumors. This is a very aggressive cancer, and part of the reason it’s so hard to treat is that tumors create an environment that stops immune cells from attacking them. We want to understand how immune cells behave in this environment and which signals control their activity.
You will get hands-on experience with techniques used in our lab. This may include preparing tumor and immune cells, staining them with antibodies, and analyzing them by flow cytometry to identify different cell types. You may also help with imaging tumor tissues to see where different cells are located and how they interact.
Your work will help map how immune cells respond to pancreatic tumors and how the tumor environment changes during cancer progression. This will give insights into which cells or pathways could be targeted to improve immune responses against PDAC. You will learn practical lab skills, data analysis, and experimental design during your work experience.
Candidate background
The post holder should embody and demonstrate the Crick ethos and ways of working: bold, open and collegial. The candidate must be registered at a UK Higher Education Institution, studying in the UK and must have completed a minimum of two years’ undergraduate study in a relevant discipline, and on track to receive a final degree grade of 2:1 or 1. In addition, they should be able demonstrate the following experience and key competencies:
- This project would suit a candidate studying biomedical science or biology or immunology
- Good knowledge in relevant scientific area(s)
- Good written and spoken communication skills
- Ability to work independently and also capable of interacting within a group
References
1. Pasqual, G., Chudnovskiy, A. and Victora, G.D. (2023)
Monitoring the interaction between dendritic cells and T cells in vivo with LIPSTIC.
Methods in Molecular Biology 2618: 71–80. PubMed abstract
2. Nakandakari-Higa, S., Walker, S., Canesso, M.C.C., van der Heide, V., Chudnovskiy, A., Kim, D.Y., . . . Victora, G.D. (2024)
Universal recording of immune cell interactions in vivo.
Nature 627: 399–406. PubMed abstract
3. Chudnovskiy, A., Castro, T.B.R., Nakandakari-Higa, S., Cui, A., Lin, C.H., Sade-Feldman, M., . . . Victora, G.D. (2024)
Proximity-dependent labeling identifies dendritic cells that drive the tumor-specific CD4 + T cell response.
Science Immunology 9: eadq8843. PubMed abstract