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Ronjon Chakraverty

ABOUT THE research

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated graduates to study for a DPhil research programme in the laboratory of Prof. Ronjon Chakraverty to carry out research in the arena of advanced cellular therapeutics. Our research program is generating new methods to identify and manipulate molecular targets in haematopoietic stem and T cells for testing in first-in-human trials. Prof. Chakraverty is the Director of the NIHR Blood and transplant Research Unit in Precision Cellular Therapeutics.  Examples of potential projects include:

  • Selection and expansion of T cell sub-populations with best potential for therapeutic efficacy
  • Understanding interactions of therapeutic T cells with the tumour microenvironment
  • Defining mechanisms of off target toxicity

Additional supervision may be provided by Professor Persephone Borrow (NDM) and Professor Paresh Vyas.

 

Training Opportunities

DPhil students in the program will develop skills in gene manipulation (gene transfer and editing), next generation sequencing and analysis, multiparameter cytomics, and functional assays.  

 

Students will be enrolled on the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine DPhil Course, which takes place in the autumn of their first year. Running over several days, this course helps students to develop basic research and presentation skills, as well as introducing them to a wide-range of scientific techniques and principles, ensuring that students have the opportunity to build a broad-based understanding of differing research methodologies.

Generic skills training is offered through the Medical Sciences Division's Skills Training Programme. This programme offers a comprehensive range of courses covering many important areas of researcher development: knowledge and intellectual abilities, personal effectiveness, research governance and organisation, and engagement, influence and impact. Students are actively encouraged to take advantage of the training opportunities available to them.

As well as the specific training detailed above, students will have access to a wide-range of seminars and training opportunities through the many research institutes and centres based in Oxford.

All WIMM graduate students are encouraged to participate in the successful mentoring scheme of the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, which is the host department of the WIMM. This mentoring scheme provides an additional possible channel for personal and professional development outside the regular supervisory framework. The RDM also holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award in recognition of our efforts to build a happy and rewarding environment where all staff and students are supported to achieve their full potential.

 

Publications

1

Graft-versus-host disease reduces lymph node display of tissue-restricted self-antigens and promotes autoimmunity.

Dertschnig S, Evans P, Santos E Sousa P, Manzo T, Ferrer IR, Stauss HJ, Bennett CL, Chakraverty R.J Clin Invest. 2020 Apr 1;130(4):1896-1911. doi: 10.1172/JCI133102.

 

2


Redirection to the bone marrow improves T cell persistence and antitumor functions.

Khan AB, Carpenter B, Santos E Sousa P, Pospori C, Khorshed R, Griffin J, Velica P, Zech M, Ghorashian S, Forrest C, Thomas S, Gonzalez Anton S, Ahmadi M, Holler A, Flutter B, Ramirez-Ortiz Z, Means TK, Bennett CL, Stauss H, Morris E, Lo Celso C, Chakraverty R.J Clin Invest. 2018 May 1;128(5):2010-2024. doi: 10.1172/JCI97454. Epub 2018 Apr 9.

 

3

Graft Versus Leukemia: Current Status and Future Perspectives.

O'Neill AT, Chakraverty R.J Clin Oncol. 2021 Feb 10;39(5):361-372. 

 

 

 

 

 

Supervisors