From next year, the Medical University of Graz will be home to two new PhD programmes funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). The TIMO and TRPC.at programmes will each receive over 2.5 million euros in funding from the FWF.
TIMO – Translational Immunology and Metabolism in Oncology
The term ‘cancer’ describes a wide variety of different diseases that differ significantly in their manifestations and clinical courses. However, all types of cancer share metabolic changes and a suppressed immune response in the tumour microenvironment. The interactions between these two fundamental malignant processes are being investigated in the TIMO doctoral programme (“Translational Immunology and Metabolism in Oncology”) in aggressive cancer types and developed with a view to therapeutic application. Through a co-supervision model combining complementary clinical and basic research expertise, TIMO is training a new generation of translational cancer researchers.
TRP-mediated cation signalling pathways – TRPC.at
TRP ion channels control the transport of calcium and sodium into our cells and are therefore crucial for many physiological processes. However, malfunctions in these channels can trigger a wide variety of diseases – from pulmonary hypertension and heart disease to disorders of brain development. To get to the root of these diseases, this PhD programme is pursuing a new approach: Using light-controlled molecules, modern biosensors, computer-based models and transparent organisms, the programme investigates how faulty signals arise within the cell and develop into complex diseases. The interdisciplinary programme at the Medical University of Graz utilises these state-of-the-art methods in conjunction with clinically relevant models to gain a fundamentally better understanding of disease mechanisms in the lungs, heart and brain.
The Medical University of Graz warmly congratulates all those involved!
Source of project descriptions: FWF
