The Faculty of Science, the Mathematical Institute and the Institute of Biology of Leiden University are looking for a PhD Student in Theoretical or Mathematical Biology (1.0 FTE). The advertisement for a postdoc position working concurrently on this project will be formally opened soon.
The opening is for a research position within the field of computational science, mathematical or theoretical biology, computational physics, or applied mathematics. This PhD project is part of the EU project PhotoMel (Decoding Early-Life UVA and Skincare Additive Interactions Driving Melanoma Risk and Progression in Young Adults), a multidisciplinary consortium of 7 European universities and partners. Together, PhotoMel aims to prevent melanoma (skin cancer) onset in young adults by decoding the impact of chemical exposures on UVA-induced damage in early childhood, including ECM remodeling and skin cell mutations that shape the melanoma niche.
Your task will be to further develop two-dimensional models of melanoma cell migration in complex 2D ECMs. The goal will be to determine how UV/chemical-induced ECM changes affect melanoma cell migration, proliferation, and gene expression. We will build upon a recent hybrid Cellular Potts model (hCPM) of cell-ECM interactions, which couples CPMs of cell migration and cell traction with a molecular dynamics model of ECM fiber networks, and a PDE model describing growth factors and ECM-modifying enzymes. Models will be initiated with simulated data and imaging data of skin samples. At a later stage, the models can be extended to three dimensions using software developed concurrently by a postdoc in our team.
The successful applicant will be an integral member of the EU PhotoMel community, which offers an open, diverse and inspiring environment to engage in multidisciplinary cancer research at the intersection of biology, medicine and physics, and is expected to participate in EU PhotoMel events, training and collaborations.
For more information, see: https://careers.universiteitleiden.nl/job/PhD-in-modeling-of-cell-migration-in-complex-ECMs-to-decode-the-risk-for-young-adult-skin-cancer/16603-en_US.
