Investigating anaerobic bacteria and the effects on immune modulation in prostate cancer (COOPER_U25MMB)

Project Supervisor – Prof Colin Cooper

Secondary Supervisor & Organisation – Dr Rachel Hurst, University of East Anglia

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in men worldwide and ~397,000 men die every year. The prostate microbiome has an impact in health and disease and specific bacterial pathogens have been linked to aggressive prostate cancer.

In this project you will:

•  investigate detection of newly isolated bacterial species to determine how common they are in cancer patients 

•  investigate the presence of the bacterial sequences in large datasets and features of the bacteria linked to cancer 

•  determine the associations between bacteria, aggressive disease, and human cancer cell and immune cell changes by mining existing cancer and urine datasets. 

•  investigate the effects of the bacteria in model systems of prostate cancer

This research has the potential to reveal how bacteria can be used to predict the best treatment to receive and reveal new treatment possibilities to prevent or halt aggressive cancer.

This is a combined bioinformatics and lab experiment-based PhD. As part of the MMB DTP you will be able to take advantage in extensive training in microbial bioinformatics, lab skills for sequencing and molecular microbiology. During the PhD you will also gain skills in cancer biology, human ‘omics, “Big Data”, high performance computing, and statistical analyses.

You will be part of the Cancer Genetics team at the Norwich Medical School, which is an interdisciplinary team comprising a mixture of bioinformaticians, lab-based scientists, and clinicians. We have a broad interest in translational cancer based molecular studies with the aim of improving patient care. Research includes bacteria in cancer studies, urine-based biomarker development, whole genome sequencing studies, and cancer-subtype detection.

The Microbes, Microbiomes and Bioinformatics (MMB) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) is open to UK and international candidates with relevant undergraduate degrees for entry in October 2025 and offers the opportunity to undertake a fully-funded 4-year PhD research project supported by the UKRI Medical Research Council in microbiology and microbial bioinformatics.

Our unique and comprehensive training programme empowers students to feel comfortable running sophisticated computer analyses alongside laboratory work and emphasises problem-based learning in microbial bioinformatics, professional development and research skills. All MMB DTP students undertake a Professional Placement. 

Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 May 2025.

The MMB DTP is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Students are selected without regard to age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation or social background. We value curiosity, independence of thought, plus an aptitude for research that combines laboratory work and bioinformatics.

For information on eligibility and how to apply: http://www.uea.ac.uk/phd/mmbdtp

Start date

1 October 2025

Mode of study

Full-time

Entry requirements

At least UK equivalence Bachelors (Honours) 2:1 or UK equivalence Master’s degree. English Language requirement (Faculties of Science / Medicine and Health Sciences equivalent: IELTS 6.5 overall, 6 in each category).