Marisa M. Merino

This funded PhD project investigates how distinct liver cancer states become dependent on extracellular signalling. The research is centered on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and aims to connect observations from human cancer with fundamental biological mechanisms. The student will use complementary experimental systems, including human HCC tissue, three-dimensional spheroids and in vivo genetics. The project also relates to cancer biology, morphogen signalling and extracellular communication, with approaches designed to examine how signalling environments shape tumour-cell states and dependencies. The work will be conducted in the laboratory of Research Group Leader Marisa M. Merino at the University of Liverpool and will be co-supervised by Professor Dan Palmer. The project offers a research environment combining human cancer material, three-dimensional model systems and genetic investigation in vivo.