Christopher Tape

Christopher Tape, Professor of Cell Communication at the UCL Cancer Institute, is recruiting a PhD student for a four-year project starting in January 2027 (flexible). The project asks whether all regions of a tumour are equally capable of adapting to treatment. The research focuses on colorectal cancer cell plasticity, including transitions from a fast-growing, chemotherapy-sensitive state to a wound-healing, drug-resistant state, and how the tumour microenvironment shapes these changes. The student will work with patient-derived organoids from multiple tumour regions and use single-cell mass cytometry, spatial transcriptomics, and computational analysis. The project is closely connected with clinical colleagues at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) and the wider REWIRE-CAN Cancer Grand Challenges team studying cancer cell signalling. This is a funded PhD opportunity at UCL Cancer Institute in London, United Kingdom. Funding includes a starting stipend of £27,800 per year, UK home tuition fees, and research consumables, supported by the Constance Travis Charitable Trust. Ideal applicants should be curious, tenacious team scientists with a strong interest in cancer biology and in combining experimental and computational approaches. The post is especially relevant to students interested in tumour heterogeneity, colorectal cancer, organoids, spatial biology, and translational cancer research. For full details and application instructions, use the provided link.