30 Sep 2026 - 09:00 (Australia/Adelaide)

Organisation/Company Adelaide University Department Centre for Cancer Biology Research Field Medical sciences Cancer research Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 30 Sep 2026 - 09:00 (Australia/Adelaide) Country Australia Type of Contract Other Type of Contract Extra Information Ph.D. Scholarship Job Status Full time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a meshwork of proteins that provides tissues with structure and support, as well as mechanical cues that influences how they behave. In cancer, changes to this meshwork can help tumours grow, spread locally, and move to other parts of the body, making the restoration of normal tissue structure an important treatment goal. This project will investigate the roles of newly identified ECM proteins in cancer progression using laboratory models containing multiple cell types; use new and established nanofabrication protocols to build artificial tissue-like environments to study how ECM structure influences cell behaviour; and develop and test tissue-based markers that may help predict cancer recurrence and spread using archived patient samples. The overarching objective of this research is to understand how the ECM causes cancers to grow and spread,



and investigate whether this insight can be used to develop new ways to combat metastasis.

- An undergraduate degree in the biological sciences and/or physical chemistry
- Demonstrated research experience in wet lab skills
- A strong interest in cancer biology, cell biology, materials sciences and/or physical chemistry
- An interest in realising the translational potential of laboratory research into health outcomes
- A willingness to develop inter-disciplinary skills across the biological and physical chemistry fields
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Research Field Biological sciences BiologyMedical sciences Cancer researchChemistry Physical chemistry Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

- The opportunity to work in a highly collaborative environment across the Centre for Cancer Biology, Future Industries Institute and the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research
- Located within the Adelaide BioMed Precinct that includes the Royal Adelaide Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Precinct
- 3.5 years funding includes stipend, and tuition fees for international students
- The opportunity to generate high-quality fundamental research outcomes with a high translational potential
- Funding for research consumables and travel to international conferences

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📌 Fully funded PhD scholarship to investigate causal relationships between the tumour extracellular matrix and cancer outcomes (Adelaide)
🏢 Adelaide University
📍 Adelaide