Alex Cheong

I am a molecular biologist working on how transcription factors regulate gene expression. This is achieved through a new technique that I developed while at UCD, based on the secreted Gaussia luciferase (Cavadas and Cheong, 2014). This new method, coupled with thermostatiscal analysis and mathematical modelling, has enabled my group to unravel the complex transcriptional crosstalks at the promoter level. I have recently applied this technique to describe crosstalks between the transcription factors HIF and NFkB during hypoxic inflammation (Bruning et al, 2012) and to construct a comprehensive mathematical model of signalling network of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) (Nguyen, Cavadas et al, 2013).

 

Scheme used to construct a mathematical model of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway (Nguyen, Cavadas et al, JCS 2013).

The lab welcomes research collaborations and applications from students interested to study transcription factors. We are particularly interested in undergraduate students wishing to gain research experience (e.g. during a summer internship - studentships might be available) or postgraduate students on a research placements (e.g. ERASMUS).

 

PhD projects are available for Non-EU students on the following topics and are part funded by the Overseas Research Scholarship (competitive and by merit). The lab is interested in the transcriptional networks during cellular adaptation to hypoxia, with a focus on inflammatory diseases, cancer and ageing. The research will involve a combination of mathematical modelling and biological experimentation to advance our understanding of the regulatory pathways activated in hypoxia.

More information: http://www1.aston.ac.uk/lhs/research/postgraduate-research/