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Cancer Research UK & EPSRC Cancer Imaging Centre
Division of Radiotherapy & Imaging
The Institute of Cancer Research
Sutton, Surrey, UK
Post-Doctoral Training Fellow – Pre-Clinical Imaging
Reference number: 1239647
Pre-Clinical In Vivo MRI of Transgenic Models of Neuroblastoma
The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) is one of the world’s most influential cancer research
institutes. Our mission is to make the discoveries that defeat cancer. We have a long and
distinguished history of research with a major impact on the outcome for cancer patients. Our
unique partnership with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust (RMH) makes us the largest
comprehensive cancer centre in Europe, performing high quality original basic research and
translational studies. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Professor Alan Ashworth FRS, we
are committed to attracting, developing and retaining the best minds in the world. The ICR was
ranked as the UK’s top academic research centre in the 2008 Higher Education Funding Council
Research Assessment Exercise. Based on our publication record, citations and impact we rank
among the world’s leading cancer research centres.
Based within the Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, the ICR CR-UK and EPSRC Cancer
Imaging Centre is a multidisciplinary Section with research developing and evaluating methods for
early detection of disease, improved diagnosis, prognosis and evaluation of response. There is
particular emphasis on developing methods to assess the action of novel therapeutics and to aid
therapy planning. The Pre-Clinical Imaging Team, led by Dr. Simon Robinson, is principally
concerned with the further development, expansion and application of non-invasive MRI methods
to identify, evaluate and qualify non-invasive imaging biomarkers of tumour pathophysiology and
therapeutic response in pre-clinical tumour models in vivo. There is a strong emphasis on the
development of quantitative MRI biomarkers that can be realistically translated to the clinic, to
assist in planning of individual patient treatment protocols and which may find roles as biomarkers
in clinical trials of anti-cancer therapies.
Through a highly innovative and productive collaboration with Dr. Louis Chesler (Leader,
Neuroblastoma Drug Development Team), quantitative multi-parametric MRI biomarkers are being
evaluated in vivo within transgenic models of neuroblastoma, which more closely recapitulate the
radiological appearance and therapeutic responses of childhood disease (Chesler & Weiss,
Seminars in Cancer Biology 2012; Jamin et al, Radiology, 2012, in press). Incorporation of noninvasive imaging into pre-clinical trial designs provides a powerful, symbiotic strategy to accelerate
the clinical development of new drugs for the treatment of paediatric cancer.
We are now looking to recruit an early-stage post-doctoral scientist with experience in pre-clinical
imaging to further enhance our imaging strategies for pre-clinical trials of novel targeted
therapeutics using transgenic models of neuroblastoma. Appointment to this novel and exciting
opportunity for the successful candidate will be on fixed term contract of up to 3 years in the first
instance.
Interested candidates should contact Dr Simon Robinson in the first instance for further
information/discussion ([email protected]). Please do not send applications
directly to Dr Robinson. To apply please visit http://www.icr.ac.uk/jobs/index.shtml and
search using reference number 1239647
Further information is available through the jobs link at http://www.icr.ac.uk/.
Closing date is 3 August 2012.