Centre for Urological Research Student Information

The Centre for Urological Research aims to understand how cells communicate with one another in normal and diseased tissues – specifically in the prostate gland that becomes diseased upon aging. Although some of our research programs are focused on prostate cancer and the tumor micro-environment, others are directed at the study of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and focus on how steroid hormones and growth factors adversely influence prostate development leading to adult disease.

Animal models of human disease, especially tissue recombination techniques are used to study the regulation of cancer stem cells in prostate cancer, as well as the aberrant regulation of epithelial cell growth and differentiation in BPH. Understanding these mechanisms is likely to lead to new approaches to the prevention and treatment of disease in this organ.

Listed below are examples of projects that can be tailored for honours, masters or PhD level research programs commencing in 2007.  Scholarships are available for suitably qualified and highly motivated individuals interested in undertaking any of the projects offered. For more information, contact the supervisors listed for each project, or call the Centre on +61 3 9594 7408.

Research projects on offer in 2007 include:

1. Direction of human embryonic stem cells down a prostatic lineage
2. Epigenetics and aberrant prostate growth
3. Phenotype characterisation and physiological stress responses in activin Beta-C mouse models
4. Inhibiting human prostate cancer cell growth
5. Role of the inhibin alpha subunit in advanced prostate cancer