Genetic susceptibilities to Asbestos-driven lung cancer
Prof Daniel Murphy, Prof Peter Hall, Prof Ram DasGupta, Prof John LeQuesne, Prof Kevin Blyth
Lab: Oncogene-Induced Vulnerabilities
Duration: 4 years, starting October 2026
Closing Date: Monday 18 May 2026
Interviews for this position will take place in July 2026
Background
While the link between Asbestos exposure and Mesothelioma is widely recognised, all types of Asbestos are also accepted risk factors for development of Lung Cancer of all varieties. Risk of thoracic Cancer from Asbestos varies by type of fibre, with Amphiboles such as Amosite and Crocidolite linked to greater risk of Mesothelioma, while serpentine Chrysotile asbestos comes with much higher risk of Lung Cancer. A recent meta-analysis estimates that for every single case of Mesothelioma linked to Chrysotile exposure there may be as many as 9 cases of Lung Cancer (Darnton et al ’24). Chrysotile asbestos was by far the greatest type of asbestos (by tonnage) imported by the UK and is the main type of Asbestos imported by Indonesia, with much of the material ending up in homes and buildings. In Scotland, the geographic distribution of Lung Cancer for the past 25 years mirrors that of Mesothelioma (Pearson R = 0.85), strongly suggesting that Asbestos has contributed substantially to Lung Cancer fatalities across Scotland and is almost certainly contributing to Lung Cancer in Indonesia.
Research Question
How does Asbestos-driven inflammation contribute to lung cancer? Sub questions: 1) Does this differ between types of Asbestos? 2) Do certain mutations predispose higher susceptibility to asbestos-driven cancer? 3) What pathways indicate involvement of Asbestos as a contributing factor? 4) What histological and transcriptional characteristics distinguish Asbestos driven Lung Cancer from non-Asbestos driven Lung Cancer?
Relevance to cancer challenges in Indonesia
The Indonesian population is widely exposed to Asbestos even if there is an effective ban on new importation. Incidence and mortality from lung cancer is higher in Indonesia than for most other cancer types. Evidence from our work in Scotland strongly suggests that exposure to Asbestos contributes substantially to Scottish Lung Cancer mortalities. Using functional analysis in mouse models combined with the wealth of data available from Scottish Cancer registries, we will identify features of Asbestos-driven Lung Cancer to empower Indonesian researchers to search for such features in their own cancer patients and to potentially adjust intervention strategies accordingly.
Skills/Techniques that will be gained
1) GE mouse models combining controlled exposure to Asbestos with sporadic activation of common cancer susceptibility alleles.
2) AI-assisted histological detection of asbestos fibres and Spatial Transcriptomic approaches to identify expression signatures linked to Asbestos exposure, starting with controlled exposure in mice then progressing to analysis of human tissue samples & data enriched for cases from the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, accessible through the Living Lab (local legacy of shipbuilding and exceedingly high rates of mesothelioma and lung cancer).
For questions regarding the application process, PhD programme/studentships at the CRUK Scotland Institute or any other queries, please contact phdstudentships@crukscotlandinstitute.ac.uk.
Closing date: Monday 18 May 2026
For your application to be considered, you must upload your CV and a completed document CRUK-LPDP Recruitment Form(108 KB)
CRUK Recruitment Form Instructions
- We ask that you do not add your name or any Institution details to the document CRUK-LPDP Recruitment Form(108 KB) .
- Applications will be shortlisted by CRUK SI initially based on the document CRUK-LPDP Recruitment Form(108 KB) only. CVs will be used in further rounds of shortlisting to invite candidates to interview.
Relevant Publications
Seyedshahi et al. Nature Communivcations 2025: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.18.624103v2.abstract
Farahmand et al. Frontiers in Toxicology 2023: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/toxicology/articles/10.3389/ftox.2023.1200650/full
Murphy. Open Access Government 2024:
https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/article/investigating-lung-cancer-using-genetically-engineered-mouse-models-gemms/175226/
Darnton et al. Environmental Research 2023: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935122020801
