Precision Oncology through AI
Spatial Multi-Omics and AI for Inferring the Tumour Immune Microenvironment from Pathology Images
This project is part of the UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship Scheme
Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend and a one-off Global Mobility Grant to conduct international engagement activities.
Whether a cancer patient responds to treatment depends on how immune cells and tumour cells are arranged inside the tumour. Cutting-edge spatial transcriptomics maps this landscape, measuring thousands of genes while recording where each cell sits. But each test costs thousands of dollars and is available at only a handful of centres, leaving patients in regional Australia and public hospitals behind.
In this PhD, you will build an AI system that closes this gap. A “teacher” model will learn tumour–immune structure from spatial transcriptomics, then train a “student” model to recognise the same patterns from routine pathology images that every hospital already produces.
You’ll work at the intersection of machine learning, computer vision and cancer biology, supervised at UNSW and A*STAR in Singapore, where you’ll spend at least one term on placement. You’ll graduate with in-demand AI skills, international collaborations and research with real potential to improve patient care.
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- Residency: Domestic applicants only.
- Degree program: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
You must meet the minimum requirements below to apply:
- An appropriate Bachelor degree with first or upper second class Honours from UNSW: OR
- A completed Master by Research, with a substantial research component and demonstrated capacity for timely completion of a high-quality research thesis; OR
- a qualification from another tertiary institution at a level considered equivalent by the Faculty Higher Degree Committee (HDC)
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Eligible applicants must contact the Primary Supervisor, Raymond Louie - r.louie@unsw.edu.au. If he agrees to supervise you, you will be invited to submit a formal application to UNSW.
Your email should include:
- CV
- Official academic transcripts
- A brief introduction about you and why you are qualified for this project.
- What interests you about this project and the supervisor(s) expertise.
Research project overview
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Scholarship value
$39,991 per annum (2027 rate) stipend for 3.5 years
$25,000 Global Mobility Grant (one-off) -
Supervisory team
Dr Raymond Louie (UNSW, Primary Supervisor)
Dr Mai Chan Lau (Bioinformatics Institute, Co-Supervisor)
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Global research partner
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Candidate residency
Domestic
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Degree program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
UNSW School | Research area
Faculty of Engineering | School of Computer Science and Engineering
Impact focus area
Pillar 8: Enable healthy lives
Learn more
Supervisors
Do you have questions?
The UNSW Graduate Research School manages all postgraduate research applications and scholarships. Get in touch with our team to discuss your research interests and the next steps.