...you're in the middle of it
We are seeking a highly motivated PhD Student to join our „Quantitative Spatial Cancer Biology" research group at the Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology 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. Konstantinos Kokkaliaris, specializes in hematopoietic stem-cell biology and bone marrow tissue organization in health, aging and cancer. We use innovative single-cell protein profiling technologies including cutting-edge multiplex 3D tissue imaging, multicolor flow cytometry and mass cytometry. The focus of the lab is to better understand tissue organization in homeostasis, aging and disease as well as further develop multiplex tissue imaging modalities. We are looking for a candidate interested in deciphering the cross-talk mechanisms through which pre-malignant cells interact and prime their local tissue microenvironment to favor disease transformation at the expense of healthy tissue function using singe-cell technologies and in vivo models. Further information on the lab can be found here: https://www.kokkaliarislab.com/
Project Description:
The project aims to define the key cellular, molecular and structural alterations in the bone marrow in pre-malignant conditions. We will focus on targetable interactions between pre-malignant cells and their spatial tumor microenvironment(s) to bypass malignant transformation, while enhancing healthy tissue function. Our goal is to leverage those findings towards designing and functional validation of novel therapeutic intervention strategies for longer disease-free survival against hematologic conditions that often leading to acute myeloid leukemia (i.e. clonal hematopoiesis).
Relevant Publications:
Hofmann J. and Kokkaliaris KD. Bone marrow niches for hematopoietic stem cells: life span dynamics and adaptation to acute stress. Blood. 2020; 144 (1): 21–34.
Kokkaliaris KD and Scadden DT. Cell interactions in the bone marrow microenvironment affecting myeloid malignancies. Blood Advances. 4(15):3795-3803. (Cover story)
Kokkaliaris KD*, Kunz L, Cabezas-Wallscheid N, Christodoulou C, Renders S, Camargo F, Trumpp A, Scadden DT, Schroeder T*. Adult blood stem cell localization reflects the abundance of reported bone marrow niche cell types and their combinations. Blood. 2020; 136(20):2296-2307. *co-corresponding authors (Cover story)
Coutu D+, Kokkaliaris KD+, Kunz L+, Schroeder T. Multicolor quantitative confocal imaging cytometry. Nature Methods, 2018; 15: 39-46. +co-first authors
Coutu D+, Kokkaliaris KD+, Kunz L, Schroeder T. Three-dimensional map of nonhematopoietic bone and bone-marrow cells and molecules. Nature Biotechnology, 2017; 35(12):1202-1210. +co-first authors (Cover story)
