(We are targeting applicants of all genders)
Full-time| imited | Ausschreibungsnummer: 411-2023
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join our “Molecular Precision Medicine for Hormone-Driven Cancers" research group at the Department of Urology (Director: Prof. Felix Chun) and the Mildred Scheel Career Center (MSNZ) Frankfurt, an excellence program supporting careers in translational cancer research (funded by the German Cancer Aid). The lab, headed by Dr. Anne Fassl, specializes in interrogating canonical and non-canonical functions of cell cycle regulators to develop novel strategies for targeted therapies in breast and prostate cancer.
Project Description
This project aims to extend our understanding of CDK4/6 inhibition in breast cancer and prostate cancer. Proliferation of breast and prostate cancer cells is particularly dependent on Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 signaling as CDK4/6 are drivers of cell cycle progression. The addition of CDK4/6 inhibitors to anti-hormone-therapy in breast cancer marked a breakthrough in breast cancer treatment, but initial clinical trials, currently underway, in prostate cancer have shown limited success. It is unclear why CDK4/6 inhibition is effective in hormonally-driven breast but not prostate cancer. In this project we will investigate the biological basis for the limited efficiency of CDK4/6 inhibition in prostate cancer and develop effective CDK4/6 inhibitor-based treatment strategies for prostate cancer.