Istituto Superiore di Sanità
6 days ago
PhD in Pharmacological Therapy for Leukodystrophies (MSCA-DN, POLARIS) Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Italy
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Biology
Funding
The PhD is part of the MSCA Doctoral Network POLARIS. The candidate will be employed by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome, Italy, and trained within an international consortium with secondments at Amsterdam UMC and CNR. No stipend amount or tuition coverage is stated in the post.
Deadline
Oct 5, 2026
Country
Italy
University
Istituto Superiore di Sanità
How do I apply for this?
Sign in for free to reveal details, requirements, and source links.
Apply for this position
Keywords
Suggested positions
About this position
MSCA-DN PhD opportunity in pharmacological therapy for leukodystrophies within the POLARIS Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network. The project is hosted by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) in Rome, Italy, with academic enrolment at Sapienza University of Rome.
The research focuses on the preclinical evaluation of therapies for megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC), a rare leukodystrophy. The work combines stem cell-based disease modelling, neuroscience, translational research, compound screening, and drug repurposing. You will use human in vitro models such as iPSC-derived astrocytes and brain organoids, and investigate disease phenotypes using cellular, molecular, biochemical, imaging, and omics approaches.
The doctoral candidate will contribute to the development and testing of potential pharmacological therapies, and will also gain experience through secondments. At Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands, training will cover MLC animal models for preclinical evaluation. At the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) in Cagliari, the candidate will learn computational chemistry approaches for identifying drug repurposing candidates.
Supervision is provided by Dr Elena Ambrosini, with disease-specific expertise from Dr Angela Lanciotti and Dr Maria Stefania Brignone at ISS, and academic support from Prof. Maria Egle De Stefano at Sapienza University of Rome. The secondment at Amsterdam UMC involves Dr Rogier Min.
This is a doctoral opening rather than a scholarship-only award. The post indicates employment by ISS and participation in an international training network, but it does not state a stipend amount or detailed funding package. The deadline shown is 5 October 2026.
Applicants interested in cell and developmental biology, neuroscience, biomedical research, and preclinical drug development should review the full vacancy and apply through the linked portal.
Funding details
The PhD is part of the MSCA Doctoral Network POLARIS. The candidate will be employed by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome, Italy, and trained within an international consortium with secondments at Amsterdam UMC and CNR. No stipend amount or tuition coverage is stated in the post.
What's required
Applicants should be suitable for a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology and have interest or background in stem cell-based disease modelling, neuroscience, translational research, and preclinical therapy testing. The project involves human iPSC-derived astrocytes and brain organoids, cellular and molecular biology, biochemical, imaging and omics approaches, and planned secondments in animal models and computational chemistry. International and interdisciplinary training is part of the programme.
How to apply
Apply through the AcademicTransfer link provided in the post. Review the full vacancy details and submit the application via the portal before the deadline. The position is based at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome and academically enrolled at Sapienza University of Rome.
More information can be found here
Ask ApplyKite AI
How do I apply for this?
Sign in for free to reveal details, requirements, and source links.