PhD Students in Computational Biology
The Mu Computational Biology Lab at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, are now recruiting 1-2 PhD students (starting in Spring or Fall 2025). Dr Mu’s research will focus on computational investigation of human diseases. More details of the research in the Mu Lab are described below. Interested students are encouraged to contact Dr Mu via email (quanhua.muATpolyuDOTeduDOThk).
Our research
Research in the Mu Lab is focused on the development and application of computational approaches to mine multi-omics data of human diseases, with the aim of revealing key factors regulating cancer drug response and tumor progression. Drug resistance is a major obstacle undermining the efficacy of cancer therapy. It is now recognized that drug resistance is a multi-faceted problem where genomics, epigenetics, and tumor microenvironment are all playing a role. We will therefore develop innovative computational methods, from basic statistical tests to machine learning and artificial intelligence, to analyze multi-omics data to identify biomarkers and drug targets useful for disease treatment.
Requirements
The candidate is expected to have strength in quantitative sciences, and knowledgable of programming and statistical analysis. Prior knowledge in biology, medicine or a relevant field is a plus but not required.
How to apply
Please send a copy of your CV to quanhua.muATpolyuDOTeduDOThk via email.
About the PI
Dr Quanhua Mu is an assistant professor at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degree from Nankai University, and then completed PhD and postdoc training in professor Jiguang Wang’s lab at HKUST, working on brain tumor evolution and drug resistance. Working with local and global collaborators, his research revealed (i) targetable MET exon 14 skipping in secondary glioblastoma (Cell, 2018), (ii) novel MGMT gene fusions driving temozolomide resistance (Nat Comm 2020), (iii) MYC activation promoting hypermutation of recurrent gliomas (Sci Transl Med, 2023), and (iv) DNA amplification as driver of drug resistance in mammalian cells (PNAS, 2023). The secondary glioblastoma study was recognized as one of the top 10 research advances in life sciences of China in 2018, and the MGMT fusion study was elected as one of the top 10 research advances in glioma research of China in 2020.
About the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) aspires to be an innovative world-class university with a strong sense of social responsibility, driven by its motto, “To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind”(開物成務 勵學利民). The University’s unwavering commitment to excellence has earned it international recognition, with PolyU consistently ranking among the top 100 universities worldwide. Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) is a multi-disciplinary department that embraces chemistry, biology, biochemistry, biochemical engineering and materials science. In keeping with the mission of PolyU, ABCT focuses on providing high quality education and building our strength in basic and applied research to meet the requirements of a rapidly changing society.