Modelling spatial structure and stem cell fate during mouse epithelial morphogenesis and cancer initiation

Edouard is a theoretical physicist who will model stem cell fate during mouse embryo development and cancer initiation. During development, stem cell fate must be tightly regulated in order to ensure that the correct number of cells is generated in the correct sequence. This is dysregulated in tumours, although their cellular hierarchy is still largely unexplored. Edouard will combine mechanical models of organ shape with statistical models of stem cell fate to explore their complex spatiotemporal dynamics. He will work between the laboratories of Professor Ben Simons (Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge), Professor Jacco van Rheenen (Hubrecht Institute, Netherlands) and Professor Cedric Blanpain (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium).