Profiling Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Immunity

Paediatric AML comprises ~5% of all paediatric cancer diagnoses in Australia. These children have an extremely poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of 60-70%, much poorer than other types of leukaemia (~90%). They endure aggressive chemotherapy with devastating toxic side-effects, leading to a reduced quality of life and a lifetime of physiological and psychological trauma, even throughout adulthood for those lucky to make it. The high relapse rate (~50%) despite intensive chemotherapy further underscores the urgent need for novel approaches to monitor relapse and redirect the treatment course promptly to improve the outcomes for these patients.

There are ongoing efforts into developing immunotherapy for treating AML in children may be treated but this depends on whether the endogenous immune cells, such as tumour specific T-cells, have the potential to be activated in the highly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment.

This project aims to use single-cell TCR-profiling to achieve two key objectives: 1) identify if there are endogenous neo-antigen-specific T-cells in childhood AML, and 2) assess whether these T-cells can be induced by antigen stimulation. We will use single-cell sequencing to profile the tumour microenvironment in paediatric AML to assess for T-cell clonality and presence/absence of key immune cell interactions that may be useful for a vaccination response. In parallel, we will design and implement experimental workflows to assess T-cell-mediated tumour killing, enabling functional validation of potential neo-antigen candidates, in collaboration with leading immunology labs at UQ and beyond.

This interdisciplinary project sits at the intersection of computational immunology, cancer genomics, and translational immunotherapy, and offers the opportunity to contribute to a paradigm shift in how childhood AML is treated.

Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.

We take into account your:

• previous academic record
• publication record
• honours and awards
• employment history

A working knowledge of immunology and molecular biology would be of benefit to someone working on this project.

You will demonstrate academic achievement in the field/s of immunology and molecular biology and the potential for scholastic success.

A background or knowledge of single-cell sequencing, T-cell immunobiology, neo-antigen discovery, and/or computational analysis (e.g., R or Python) is highly desirable.

This is an Fellowship support scheme scholarship project that aligns with a recently awarded Australian Government grant.

The scholarship includes:

• living stipend of $36,400 per annum tax free (2025 rate), indexed annually
• your tuition fees covered
• single overseas student health cover (OSHC).

Learn more about the Fellowship support scheme scholarship.

The Computational Immunology (Tuong) lab is based at the Ian Frazer Centre for Children's Immunotherapy Research (IFCCIR), the first centre in Australia dedicated to advancing immunotherapy for children, and the UQ Child Health Research Centre, Queensland's premier research centre dedicated to understanding more about the health of children. Both the Computational Immunology lab and the IFCCIR maintain close collaborations with the Frazer Institute at The University of Queensland, providing access to cutting-edge research infrastructure and core facilities within the Translational Research Institute (TRI). These include high-throughput sequencing platforms, flow cytometry, bioinformatics support, and advanced imaging technologies.

This project focuses on using systems immunology approaches to understand/develop paediatric AML immunotherapy and therefore it will involve working closely with both wet-lab and dry-lab immunologists and clinicians, ensuring a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. Accordingly, the PhD candidate will be supported by both computational (dry-lab) and experimental (wet-lab) immunologists, ensuring comprehensive training and mentorship in both data-driven discovery and biological interpretation.

This unique setting offers an exciting opportunity to collaborate with leading immunologists, clinician-scientists, and translational researchers, particularly through our strong partnership with Children’s Health Queensland (CHQ).

This project requires candidates to commence no later than Research Quarter 1, 2027. You can start in an earlier research quarter.

You must submit an expression of interest (EOI) by the closing date for the research quarter (RQ) you want to start in:

Before you apply

1. Check your eligibility for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
2. Prepare your documentation.
3. If you have any questions about whether the project is suitable for your research interests, contact Dr Kelvin Tuong (z.tuong@uq.edu.au).

When you apply

To apply, submit an expression of interest (EOI) for the program. You don't need to apply separately for the project or scholarship. How to submit an EOI

In your EOI, complete the 'Scholarship/Sponsorship' section with the following details:

1. Are you applying for an advertised project: 'Yes'
2. Project: 'Fellowship project scholarship'
3. Scholarship Code Listed in the Advertisement: TUONG-050825
4. Link to Scholarship Advertisement: https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/projects/profiling-childhood-acute-myeloid-leukaemia-immunity

Submit an EOI