Research Projects
Development of antibody-based therapeutics for ovarian clear cell carcinoma


Programme(s) to which this project applies:
☑ MPhil/PhD ☒ MRes[Med] ☒ URIS

Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is one of the most malignant gynaecological cancer types among Asian population. The treatment of OCCC generally follows the guidelines for high grade serous (HGSOC) subtypes, although the response rate is significantly less. Development of more effective therapeutic agents are therefore needed.
In the potential MPhil/PhD project, the student will 1) identify new targets in OCCC cells using comprehensive next generation sequencing and proteomics data; 2) develop monoclonal antibodies targeting OCCC specifically; 3) carry out further antibody engineering including cytotoxic payload conjugation; 4) test efficacy of the antibody drug in vitro and in vivo.
Candidates with background in antibody engineering, biochemistry and/or immunology are strongly recommended to apply. The candidate will potentially receive training in cancer immunology, antibody engineering, and modern molecular and cell biology techniques. 

Professor HN Lu, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Professor Lu is a Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He has an interest in cancer genomics, tumour-microenvironment interaction, and novel therapeutic strategies in gynaecological cancers.

Biography
ORCID
haonanlu@hku.hk

For more information or to express interest for this project, please email the supervisor or the specified contact point in the project description.  Interested candidates are advised to enclose with your email:

  1. your CV,
  2. a brief description of your research interest and experience, and
  3. two reference letters (not required for HKUMed UG students seeking MRes[Med]/URIS projects).

Information on the research programme, funding support and admission documentations could be referenced online at the Research Postgraduate Admissions website. General admission enquiries should be directed to rpgmed@hku.hk.

HKUMed MBBS students interested in the Master of Research in Medicine (MRes[Med]) programme may visit the programme website for more information.  

HKUMed UG students interested in the Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme (URIS) may visit the scheme’s website for more information. 

Research @ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology