Tweet
The focus of this project is to study the genetic profile of blood cancers, with a specific focus on the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), through the analysis of next-generation sequencing data.
Patients diagnosed with MDS display abnormal haematopoietic differentiation and an ineffective production of mature blood cells. MDS is mostly associated with advanced age, but also with exposure to radiation, chemotherapeutic agents and other toxic chemicals, or inherited syndromes related to abnormalities in DNA repair. Overall, the prognosis for patients is poor, with most patients developing AML within months of diagnosis and a median survival ranging from several months to years. While therapeutic agents can control symptoms and improve quality-of- life, haematopoietic stem cell transplantation provides the best treatment option with a ~50% 3-year survival rate. Novel targeted therapies that further improve patient survival rates are therefore required, and are likely to be developed as a consequence of studies that more precisely determine the genetic basis of these disorders.
The candidate will develop algorithms to detect a comprehensive set of mutations in MDS and AML, an analysis that will require the use of high performance computing and programming in R and Perl. The candidate will collaborate with laboratory based researchers to assist in the functional analysis of those mutations, and those that delineate the transformation from MDS to AML.
The base stipend will be at the rate of AUD$24,653 per annum (2014 rate) tax-free for three years with the possibility of a six month extension in approved circumstances. Top-up salary may be available to suitably qualified candidates.
Patients diagnosed with MDS display abnormal haematopoietic differentiation and an ineffective production of mature blood cells. MDS is mostly associated with advanced age, but also with exposure to radiation, chemotherapeutic agents and other toxic chemicals, or inherited syndromes related to abnormalities in DNA repair. Overall, the prognosis for patients is poor, with most patients developing AML within months of diagnosis and a median survival ranging from several months to years. While therapeutic agents can control symptoms and improve quality-of- life, haematopoietic stem cell transplantation provides the best treatment option with a ~50% 3-year survival rate. Novel targeted therapies that further improve patient survival rates are therefore required, and are likely to be developed as a consequence of studies that more precisely determine the genetic basis of these disorders.
The candidate will develop algorithms to detect a comprehensive set of mutations in MDS and AML, an analysis that will require the use of high performance computing and programming in R and Perl. The candidate will collaborate with laboratory based researchers to assist in the functional analysis of those mutations, and those that delineate the transformation from MDS to AML.
The base stipend will be at the rate of AUD$24,653 per annum (2014 rate) tax-free for three years with the possibility of a six month extension in approved circumstances. Top-up salary may be available to suitably qualified candidates.