Research associate in evolution of endometrial cancer

Overview

The Blundell lab at the University of Cambridge is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to study the clonal evolution of the endometrium and how it goes awry in endometrial cancer and endometriosis. Both are common and diagnosed late, yet preceded by somatic changes that arise years before onset. The project will generate and model new datasets to understand how the endometrium's clonal composition evolves across cycles and reproductive age, and how this shapes disease risk.

Project

The endometrium is shed and rebuilt hundreds of times across reproductive life from a small pool of long-lived stem cells - an exceptional system for studying how tissue regeneration shapes disease. You will help develop an assay to lineage-trace endometrial stem-cell clones non-invasively from menstrual fluid, combining duplex sequencing of primary material with protocadherin (PCDH) methylation barcoding to read the clonal landscape of the ageing endometrium. You will then build mechanistic models of endometrial population dynamics - the mutation, drift and hormone-driven selection acting within each cycle and across a lifetime - using data from human samples and a menstruating-mouse model.

Candidate

Candidates should have (or be close to completing) a PhD in a quantitative discipline - mathematics, physics, statistics, genomics or quantitative biology - with an interest in cancer and somatic evolution. It will suit someone eager both to generate data at the bench and analyse it mathematically.

Lab and environment

The Blundell lab is part of the Early Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology, embedded in the CRUK Cambridge Centre on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, with access to human tissue samples, state-of-the-art sequencing, and collaborations with world-class physicists, biologists and clinicians. More at www.blundelllab.com.

Enquiries

This is a fixed-term post of one year. Informal enquiries should be directed to Jamie Blundell (jrb75@cam.ac.uk). Applicants should submit their application alongside a statement of interest. The closing date is 5th August 2026.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above.

Applicants must have (or be close to obtaining) a PhD.

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

Please quote reference RD50401 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. 

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