12 Doctoral Candidate positions - MSCA - "Cellular Homeostasis ANd AGing in Connective TissuE Disorders" (CHANGE)

CHANGE is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) focused on investigating connective tissue (CT) disorders to identify key players in age-related decline in physiological functions to develop therapeutic strategies and identify treatment targets for common diseases and frailty associated with aging. It is part of Horizon EUROPE programme of the European Union and 12 Doctoral Candidates (DC) will be appointed for 36 months each.

CHANGE project - summary

Lifespan has significantly increased but age-related disorders severely limit healthy aging and quality of life, and are a serious burden for the society. Musculoskeletal, cardio- and cerebrovascular failure are hallmarks of physical and cognitive decline in the elderly, but importantly, are also common traits in several early onset hereditary connective tissue disorders.

In CHANGE, 12 young scientists will combine skills in musculoskeletal and vascular developmental and cellular biology and pathobiology related to aging, with expertise in cell culture, animal models, -omics, innovative high-resolution imaging and functional techniques. Exchange of knowledge and multidisciplinary collaboration between these fields of research and partners within the consortium will provide the skills, multidisciplinary knowledge and on-the-job training experience necessary to tackle the main aspects of biology of aging and age-related disorders affecting bone, cartilage, muscle and vasculature.

PhD positions

The consortium consists of partners from academia and industry with excellent scientific qualifications in multiple disciplines. In total, there are 12 open PhD positions for DCs within CHANGE. Each DC will be appointed at one of the consortium partners but secondments and regular meetings will be performed at other partners to ensure multidisciplinary training and close collaboration. An ideal DC candidate will hold a Master’s degree with excellent marks from her/his previous studies and experience in one or more of the relevant broad research fields will be an advantage. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are essential. The DCs will start their projects between September 2022 and March 2023.

University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy – Prof. Antonella Forlino and Prof. Antonio Rossi – 2 DC positions

DC1 (Supervisor Prof. Forlino) will dissect the aging effect of misfolded collagen type I on multi-organ failure using a murine model of osteogenesis imerfecta, the most common among the rare bone diseases. Respiratory, cardiovascular and muscleskeletal systems will be investigated using cutting-edge techniques; DC2 (Supervisor Prof. Rossi) will use a murine model of diastrophic dysplasia (DTD) to define the macromolecular sulfation role in aging of the musculoskeletal system to define the expression patterns of intracellular and extracellular matrix components in the ageing process.

University of Padova, Padova, Italy – Prof. Paolo Bonaldo – 1 DC position

DC3 will focus on genetic muscular diseases linked to collagen VI deficiency to investigate the transduction mechanisms of collagen VI in disease & premature ageing.

Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany – Prof. Frank Zaucke and Dr. Zsuzsa Jenei-Lanzl – 2 DC positions

DC4 (Supervisor Prof. Zaucke) will dissect the contribution of different tissues to osteoarthritis (OA) in age-dependent and post-traumatic OA. DC5 (Supervisor Dr Jenei-Lanzl) will investigate the role of the aging autonomic nervous system in intervertebral disc and facet joint degeneration and subsequent genesis of low back pain.

IMAGINE Institute, Paris, France – Prof. Laurence Legeai-Mallet - 1 DC position

DC6 will investigate relevant cellular and mouse models of hypochondroplasia (HCH) which is a rare form of FGFR3-related dwarfism in humans.

École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France – Dr Florence Ruggiero – 1 DC position

DC7 will use zebrafish, an emerging model for the study of human diseases, to investigate the progressive pathophysiological mechanisms of collagen VI-related myopathies in aging.

EVERCYTE, Vienna, Austria – Dr. Regina Grillari and Prof. Johannes Grillari – 1 DC position

DC8 will use extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells obtained from different sources as senomorphic and/or enhancers of primary cilia function in connective tissue diseases.

LifeTec Group, Eindhoven, The Netherlands – Dr. Linda Kock – 1 DC position

DC9 will develop ex vivo disease models to study osteochondral disease progression and repair.

MEDETIA, Paris, France – Dr. Jean-Philippe Annereau and Dr. Luis Briseno-Roa – 1 DC position

DC10 will study the role of primary cilia in mechanisms of aging.

University of Newcastle, Newcastle, England – Dr. Katarzyna Pirog and Prof. Michael Briggs – 1 DC position

DC11 will focus on the investigation of the role of KIF22 in development of musculoskeletal tissues. KIF22 is not only the disease gene causing Spondyloepimetaphyseal Dysplasia with Joint Laxity type II but also potentially involved in the formation of primary cilia and in cilia-associated transport mechanisms.

University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland – Prof. Tom Van Agtmael and Prof. Colin Selman – 1 DC position

DC12 will focus on the investigation of the interaction between aging and collagen IV in age- dependent vascular disease.

To apply for this position, send your CV, motivation letter and at least a reference letter to the following email address: change_project.msca@unipv.it

Please state the DC reference (CHANGE DC number) in the subject line. If you would like to apply for more than one position, please indicate your first and second preference.

Short listed Applicants will be interview by the Trainee Committee.