PhD in Osteoporosis and Bone Biology
Job No:
G38
Location:
Darlinghurst, Sydney
Supervisor: Prof Peter Croucher
The Croucher lab’s research interests are in the major diseases of the skeletal system, particularly in diseases such as osteoporosis and tumours that grow in bone, including multiple myeloma, or those that metastasise to bone, such as breast and prostate cancer. Our research interests are in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to these conditions with the aim of developing new approaches for clinical intervention. In recent years we have developed new screening tools that have allowed us to identify new genes that control bone strength and developed new approaches to increasing bone mass. We have also developed novel high-resolution imaging technologies that allow us to visualize individual metastasis-initiating cells as they colonise the skeleton. Building upon these discoveries we are now utilizing the latest next generation genomic technology, bioinformatic and systems biology approaches, and the latest high-resolution imaging to taking these projects forward. We have a number of projects available in the following areas:
Project 1: New gene targets for anabolic therapy in osteoporosis
Treatments for osteoporosis prevents further bone loss but have a limited ability to restore bone mass so patients continue to fracture. In collaboration with Professor Graham William and Dr Duncan Bassett at Imperial College London, we have screened knockout mice from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Mouse Genetics Programme and identified strains with increased bone strength resulting from deletion of genes not previously known to have a role in the skeleton. This project will establish the role of these pathways in controlling bone strength and identify new therapeutic targets for treating osteoporosis.
Project 2: Targeting ‘metastasis initiating cells’ in breast and prostate cancer
Bone metastases are a devastating clinical consequence for patients with breast and prostate cancer. The mechanisms leading to their development are poorly defined, and approaches to prevention and treatment limited. We have developed new high-resolution imaging technology that allows us to visualize the tumour initiating cells, at a single cell resolution, in the skeleton. Projects in this area will use the latest imaging technology and next generation genetic and bioinformatic tools to establish a genetic and molecular fingerprint of these tumour-initiating cells and utilise this knowledge to develop new therapeutic approaches to preventing the development of bone metastasis.
Project 3: Defining the tumour initiating cells in multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a B-cell neoplasm characterised by the growth of tumour cells in the skeleton and the development of a devastating bone disease. We have developed novel in vivo imaging technology to study single myeloma cells and their interactions with bone in vivo and discovered new molecules implicated in myeloma bone disease. We will use this new technology and next generation genetic and bioinformatic approaches to define a genetic and molecular fingerprint of these cells, establish the role of osteoblasts in regulating their behaviour and utilise this knowledge to develop new therapeutic approaches.