Nuclear Dynamics Group

The Nuclear Dynamics Group investigates how cells attempt to re-organise cellular architecture to resolve threats on genome stability. We use highly specialised techniques, including super-resolution microscopy and live cell imaging, to track changes in the structure and movement of molecules within the nuclei of cells.

The nucleus is a dynamic entity required to maintain genome integrity by facilitating repair of the genetic material when needed. The most prominent challenge for genome integrity is the DNA replication process, whose complexity renders genome copying susceptible to endogenous and exogenous threats. Any process hindering replication is referred to as "replication stress," and the cellular processes that countervail replication threats are the "replication stress response". Most of the genome instability that drives cancer development results from replication stress. Consequently, cancer cells typically suffer from endogenous replication stress and rely heavily on the replication stress response for survival. The main goal of our lab is to understand how cancer cells' unique stress response and nuclear dynamics allow tumour progression and drug resistance.

Our lab is interested in identifying the structural, architectural, and physical nuclear alterations that occur in response to replication stress and understanding how these alterations facilitate the regulation of DNA repair in time and space. Our over-arching aim is to integrate cutting-edge basic research with translational approaches to identify, validate, and target specific regulators of nuclear dynamics in response to DNA replication stress. Specifically, our lab employs diverse experimental strategies and various techniques, including biochemistry, proteomics, live-cell imaging, super-resolution microscopy, bespoke image analysis tools and DNA combing analysis to gain conceptual advances in nuclear biology.

Opportunities

Come work with us on nuclear dynamics, DNA damage and repair, and cancer development. We are currently recruiting for the positions of:

• Research Assistant 

• Honours Student

• PhD Student - CMRI offers a competitive PhD Research Award, providing a top-up on other PhD scholarships. Applications are open all year; more details about the application process can be found on the CMRI Research Awards page. For further information, contact the CMRI Postgraduate student coordinator ([email protected]).

• Postdoctoral fellow

Interested applicants should submit CV and Cover Letter to Dr Noa Lamm-Shalem: [email protected].