Oncogenic Ageing - How normal physiological ageing predisposes to malignancy

Advanced age is the strongest risk factor for cancer development, with 1 in 2 persons developing cancer by age 85. Despite being a strong predictor of cancer development, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding how the ageing process predisposes to cancer. Cancer, which is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth, is the antithesis of normal ageing - which is characterised by a loss of self-renewal capacity and cellular senescence. Understanding this paradox is vital for preventing cancer initiation. This project will evaluate the ageing process in several organ systems, with a specific focus on organs that are prone to age-associated malignancies. Using spatial and single cell genomics, we will probe differential transcriptomic and cell identity in young and aged organs, and integrate these data with existing genomic data from cancer to identify gene targets of ageing and cancer. Candidates from these studies will be functionally interrogated using inducible in vitro organoid and murine models, coupled with the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system. This project would suit masters and PhD students with an interest in ageing and cancer biology. The candidate can expect to gain broad exposure to techniques associated with genomics, computational biology, stem cell biology and genome editing. The project can be adjusted to suit honours candidates.