The project will address this broader cancer question through the malignant pleural mesothelioma scenario. The project will design the framework for transfer to other cancer types. The existing materials have matched H&E whole-slide images, pathology reports, genomic, DNA methylation, gene-expression and treatment-response data. This allows direct comparison of tissue organisation with molecular activity and treatment response.
The student will first map tumour, immune and stromal communities across whole slides. They will then develop interpretable AI models that connect these maps with molecular and evolutionary states, and test whether disease states and treatment-response patterns can be inferred from tissue structure. Patient-level and within-tumour comparisons will test robustness, followed by pathologist review and targeted tissue validation.
The project will deliver a spatial atlas of mesothelioma ecosystems, a transferable analysis framework, and interpretable models evaluated on molecular subtyping, progression assessment and treatment-response prediction. It will also produce a prioritised set of ecosystem biomarkers and biological pathways, with the strongest candidates tested in tissue where feasible. These outputs could support diagnostic assessment, guide molecular testing and patient stratification, and identify treatment-linked mechanisms for therapeutic validation. The student will gain integrated training in tumour biology, spatial pathology, multi-omics, quantitative modelling and responsible AI.
Techniques that will be undertaken during the project
- Digital pathology and whole-slide image analysis
- Spatial phenotyping and cellular-neighbourhood analysis
- Interpretable AI and weakly supervised learning, including pathology foundation models
- Spatial statistics and graph-based modelling of multicellular ecosystems
- Genomic, proteomic and transcriptomic data analysis
- Multimodal integrative analysis
Sometimes also need to apply targeted immunohistochemistry, multiplex imaging or spatial molecular profiling, where tissue and resources permit.
Enquiries
Project Enquiries to hy208@leicester.ac.uk
Programme enquiries to mibtp-admin@leicester.ac.uk
To apply please refer to
https://le.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/funded-opportunities/bbsrc-mibtp
Funding Notes
All MIBTP students will be provided with a 4 year studentship. This includes: Tuition fees at the UK fee rate*, a tax free stipend which for 2026/7 is £21,805 per year (2027/8 stipend to be confirmed), a travel allowance over years 1-3, a travel/conference budget, a generous consumables budget, use of a laptop for the duration of the programme. The University of Leicester will provide full overseas fee waivers for the duration of their study to all international students accepted at Leicester. The funder, UKRI, allows us to appoint up to 30% overseas students.
