About the Project
Bladder cancer affects around 614,000 people worldwide each year. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is the most aggressive form of the disease and can be difficult to treat. Patients are usually offered either surgery to remove the bladder or radiotherapy. Unlike surgery, radiotherapy can preserve the bladder and help maintain quality of life. However, approximately one-third of patients experience their cancer returning after radiotherapy. Currently, we do not have a reliable way of…
identifying which patients are most likely to benefit from radiotherapy.
This PhD project aims to understand why some bladder cancers are resistant to radiotherapy. The successful candidate will use unique laboratory models of radiotherapy-resistant bladder cancer developed within our group, to investigate the biological changes that allow some cancers to survive treatment. They will use advanced techniques to study changes in genes and gene activity within cancer cells. A particular focus will be on tumour hypoxia (areas of low oxygen levels within tumours), which can make radiotherapy less effective.
The project will combine laboratory research with the analysis of data and tumour samples from major clinical trials, to identify biological markers that could help predict whether a patient's cancer is likely to respond to radiotherapy. The fellow will gain experience in cancer biology, molecular profiling, bioinformatics, biomarker discovery, and translational research, working within a multidisciplinary team of laboratory scientists, clinicians and computational biologists. This provides excellent training for a future career in clinical academia.
The long-term goal of this research is to develop biomarkers that will help doctors select the most effective treatment for each patient. By optimising the use of bladder-preserving radiotherapy, this work has the potential to reduce cancer recurrence and spare patients from unnecessary treatment, potentially improving both survival and quality of life for people with bladder cancer.
Eligibility
You must be a post-registration clinician and therefore must hold an MBChB degree or equivalent medical degree and ideally have a specialist post in a related subject, to apply for our Clinical Research Training Fellowships.
It is generally expected that CRTFs will return to a training programme in the UK upon completion of their research degree.
International applicants (including EU nationals) must ensure they meet the academic eligibility criteria (including English language) before contacting potential supervisors to express an interest in their project. Eligibility information can be found on the University's Country Specific information page.
Before you Apply
Applicants must make direct contact with preferred supervisors before applying. It is your responsibility to make arrangements to meet with potential supervisors, prior to submitting a formal online application.
How to Apply
Apply directly via this link: https://tinyurl.com/577zjazd or on the online application portal, select MCRC PhD Programme as the programme of study.
You may only apply for one project within this scheme. Please ensure that your application includes all required supporting documents:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Supporting Statement
- Academic Certificates and Transcripts
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Further details are available on our website: CRUK Manchester Centre PhD Training Scheme | Biology, Medicine and Health | University of Manchester
Application Timeline
- Applications open: Monday, 5 October 2026
- Application deadline: Monday, 23 November 2026
- Interview date: Week commencing 11 January 2027
- Start date: September 2027
Equality, diversity and inclusion are central to the University's activities. The full statement can be found here: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/getting-started/equality-diversity-inclusion/
Funding Notes
Clinical fellowships are typically tenable for three years, unless otherwise specified, although under limited circumstances they may extend to four years. The fellowship covers: running expenses, an appropriate salary aligned with the applicant's current salary and grade, and full coverage of University PhD fees at the UK/home fee rate.
International Candidates
We are able to offer a limited number of bursaries to high-performing EU and international candidates, covering PhD fees only. Bursaries do not include financial support for visa/health surcharges. We assess each EU and international candidate's suitability for a bursary at the application and interview stages.