MS thesis - 2025

June 2025 - May 2026
Supervisor: Prof. Dominik Wodarz

This project is still in progress. Feel free to contact me via my email if you would like to talk about this project, I am always open to exchanging ideas.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a central role in tumour growth, plasticity, and therapy resistance. I am investigating the evolutionary dynamics of CSCs within spatially structured tumour environments using a stochastic agent-based modelling framework. Building on previous work that demonstrated how spatial feedback and feedforward regulation shape population homeostasis and pattern formation, I introduce mutation and selection to explore how CSC phenotypes—such as differences in self-renewal and signalling—evolve under ecological constraints. The model is further extended to include interactions with stromal cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), capturing how tumour–microenvironment cooperation via diffusible signals sustains stemness and drives adaptation. I also utilise complementary ODE-based models to contrast spatial and well-mixed dynamics. This integrative approach provides insights into how spatial organisation and feedback loops govern CSC evolution, offering implications for tumour robustness, therapy resistance, and the broader understanding of evolution in structured populations.