Local and sustained delivery of adjuvants to transform immunotherapies for brain cancers

About the Project

Background:

Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer with very poor survival rates, even after surgery and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy, a treatment that turns the immune system against cancers, has shown success in other cancers but not for glioblastoma so far. This is because this tumour creates an environment in the brain that drastically undermines the body’s own ability to fight it.

This project aims to improve immunotherapy for brain cancer by developing a tiny implant that can be placed in the brain after surgery. This implant slowly releases immune-boosting medicines directly into the area where the tumour was removed. By doing this, we can help immune cells in the brain become more active against any remaining cancer cells, without being blocked by the natural barrier that usually protects the brain from such drugs.

The research will test how this new device affects immune cells taken from brain cancer patients, to see if it makes them better at fighting cancer.

Methods:

By working on this interdisciplinary project the PhD candidate will learn a range of techniques including biomaterial synthesis, microfluidic flow focussing, drug loading studies, drug release assays, cell culture including 3D culture and cell health assays.

The project with therefore equip the PhD candidate with a wide range of laboratory skills whilst giving them a firm knowledge base in biomaterials science, immunotherapies, pharmaceutical sciences, glioblastoma and brain cancer therapeutics. Two candidate biologics have already been selected for this PhD project, however, there is scope for repurposing other potential therapeutics as the PhD progresses. Such a skill set would provide the candidate with an ideal platform for a career in academia or pharmaceutical companies.

The project will take place at Cardiff University, at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The primary supervisor for the project will be Dr. Ben Newland though he has a network of glioblastoma collaborators who will contribute to the supervision of this project.

Enquiries regarding the project: Dr Ben Newland, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University.

E-mails: newlandb@cardiff.ac.uk

You can apply online – consideration is automatic on applying for a Full-time PhD with an October 2026 start date.

Please use our online application service at: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/pharmacy

Funding Notes

The PhD studentship is fully funded by Cancer Research Wales and is open to Home and EU applicants. The award offered will cover fees and a maintenance stipend. For 2025/26 the stipend for full-time students is £20,780 per annum.

Eligibility

1. Have an offer to study on a full-time Postgraduate Research programme
2. Be classified as ‘EU’ for tuition fee purposes

To be classified as ‘EU’ for tuition fee purposes, you must:

1. Be ordinarily resident* in the EU/EEA/UK/Switzerland for the full three-year period prior to commencing your studies
2. Have no immigration restriction on the length of your stay in the EU/EEA/UK/Switzerland
3. Not be eligible for ‘Home’ fee status under Welsh Government regulations

Applicants must hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second-Class Honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant scientific discipline.

English requirements: If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements by the start of the programme. View Website