Offer Description
Join HARPNET – Harnessing Resolution Pharmacology for Next-Generation Therapeutics
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network HARPNET invites applications for 15 fully funded Doctoral Candidate (PhD) positions in an ambitious European research and training network advancing Resolution Pharmacology for chronic inflammatory diseases.
HARPNET investigates how the body actively switches off inflammation, restores immune balance and promotes tissue repair. Rather than simply suppressing inflammation, the network aims to understand and harness endogenous pro-resolving pathways—including specialised pro-resolving mediators, receptors and signalling networks—to develop new therapeutic strategies that preserve host defence while limiting chronic tissue damage.
The doctoral projects use rheumatoid arthritis and its cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities as interconnected disease models. They span resolution biology, immunology, GPCR pharmacology, lipid mediator biology, cardiovascular science, multi-omics, spatial biology, bioinformatics, computational modelling, medicinal chemistry, biomarker discovery and therapeutic development.
HARPNET brings together leading academic, clinical and industrial partners across seven European countries. The 15 Doctoral Candidates will undertake four-year PhD projects hosted by universities, hospitals and companies, working as part of an international and interdisciplinary cohort.
Successful candidates will receive:
- A fully funded doctoral position within the Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Networks programme.
- Joint supervision and mentoring from experts in academia, clinical research and industry.
- Advanced scientific training in Resolution Biology and Resolution Pharmacology.
- Access to cutting-edge technologies, including lipid mediator profiling, single-cell and spatial omics, computational modelling and drug-discovery platforms.
- International and intersectoral secondments with partner organisations.
- Training in transferable skills, including communication, entrepreneurship, intellectual property, regulatory science, open science and research leadership.
- Opportunities to participate in network-wide training schools, workshops, consortium meetings and international conferences.
We welcome candidates of any nationality with a strong academic background and a clear interest in biomedical research. Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, the qualifications required to enrol in a doctoral programme at the relevant host institution. Candidates must not already hold a doctoral degree and must meet the MSCA mobility rule for the country of their selected host organisation.
Applicants may submit one central application and rank up to three preferred doctoral projects. Applications will be assessed on academic excellence, relevant research experience, motivation, project fit, interdisciplinary potential, communication skills and capacity to contribute positively to an international research environment.
Application deadline: 1 October 2026
Expected start date: 1 April 2027
Further information and application:www.harpnet.eu
The Research Projects
Project 1 – Cellular mechanisms of inflammation resolution in rheumatoid arthritis
Investigate how synovial macrophages and fibroblasts coordinate the resolution of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Using patient-derived samples, experimental models, single-cell and spatial technologies, the project will identify mechanisms that fail during chronic joint inflammation and reveal new therapeutic targets.
Host institution: Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Supervisor: Professor Gerhard Krönke
Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis • Immunology • Single-cell biology • Spatial transcriptomics
Project 2 – Pro-resolving mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis-associated cardiovascular disease
Explore how failed inflammation resolution contributes to cardiovascular complications in rheumatoid arthritis. The project will define pro-resolving pathways that protect the heart and vasculature and identify opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
Host institution: University College Dublin, Ireland
Supervisor: Professor Catherine Godson
Keywords: Cardiovascular disease • Rheumatoid arthritis • Resolution biology • Translational medicine
Project 3 – Why does inflammation resolve in some forms of arthritis but persist in others?
Investigate why inflammatory arthritis follows different clinical courses in different individuals. The project will identify cellular and molecular determinants of persistent versus self-limiting inflammation, providing a basis for more targeted pro-resolving therapies.
Host institution: AMBIOTIS, France
Supervisor: Dr Marc Dubourdeau
Keywords: Arthritis • Inflammation resolution • Immunology • Therapeutic development
Project 4 – Cardiac-cell metabolism in inflammatory arthritis
Determine how inflammatory arthritis alters cardiac-cell metabolism and contributes to cardiovascular comorbidity. The project will examine links between immune activation, metabolic reprogramming and cardiac dysfunction to identify new protective strategies.
Host institution: Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Supervisor: Professor Mauro Perretti
Keywords: Cardiac metabolism • Inflammatory arthritis • Cardiovascular disease • Immunometabolism
Project 5 – Specialised pro-resolving mediators in cardiometabolic disease: human population studies
Use human population cohorts to investigate the relationship between specialised pro-resolving mediators, cardiometabolic risk and chronic inflammatory disease. The project will combine epidemiology, biomarker analyses and advanced statistical approaches to identify clinically relevant resolution signatures.
Host institution: Maastricht University, Netherlands
Supervisor: Dr Marleen van Greevenbroek
Keywords: Epidemiology • Cardiometabolic disease • Lipid mediators • Biomarkers
Project 6 – Macrophage–fibroblast mechanisms restoring joint immune homeostasis
Examine how macrophages and fibroblasts communicate to restore immune balance and tissue homeostasis in the joint. The project will identify pro-resolving cell interactions and pathways that may be harnessed to limit persistent synovial inflammation.
Host institution: University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Supervisor: Professor Mariola Kurowska-Stolarska
Keywords: Macrophages • Fibroblasts • Joint inflammation • Tissue repair
Project 7 – MCTR3 signalling in synovial inflammation and tissue repair
Establish how the specialised pro-resolving mediator MCTR3 activates its receptor and reprogrammes synovial macrophages and fibroblasts. The project will connect receptor signalling with cellular metabolism, tissue-specific responses and repair pathways in experimental and human arthritis.
Host institution: Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Supervisor: Professor Jesmond Dalli
Keywords: GPCR pharmacology • MCTR3 • Synovial inflammation • Lipid mediators
Project 8 – Role of canonical–atypical chemokine receptor axis in resolution of inflammation
Define how canonical and atypical chemokine receptors coordinate immune-cell positioning and inflammation resolution. The project will investigate receptor cross-talk with pro-resolving mediators in immune and stromal cells, integrating functional assays with RNA sequencing, lipidomics and proteomics.
Host institution: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
Supervisor: Professor Martine Smit
Keywords: Chemokine receptors • GPCRs • Nanobodies • Lipidomics
Project 9 – Redox control of inflammatory fibroblast priming
Investigate how redox signalling primes fibroblasts for inflammatory responses and how this process can be redirected towards tissue repair. The project will identify molecular mechanisms that sustain pathogenic fibroblast states in chronic inflammation.
Host institution: University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Supervisor: Professor Markus Hoffmann
Keywords: Redox biology • Fibroblasts • Chronic inflammation • Tissue repair
Project 10 – Macrophage-derived specialised pro-resolving mediators in hypertension and cardiovascular damage
Determine how macrophage-derived specialised pro-resolving mediators regulate vascular and cardiac damage in hypertension, with and without joint inflammation. The project will combine cardiovascular physiology, macrophage biology, lipid mediator profiling and experimental disease models.
Host institution: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
Supervisor: Professor Ana Maria Briones
Keywords: Hypertension • Macrophages • Cardiovascular pharmacology • Lipid mediators
Project 11 – Computational identification of therapeutic checkpoints and resolution-promoting agents
Apply computational biology and artificial intelligence to identify therapeutic checkpoints that regulate inflammation resolution. The project will integrate multi-omics and biological data to discover candidate resolution-promoting agents and support their prioritisation for experimental validation.
Host institution: University of Rostock, Germany
Supervisor: Professor Olaf Wolkenhauer
Keywords: Bioinformatics • Artificial intelligence • Systems biology • Drug discovery
Project 12 – Small-molecule promoters of inflammation resolution
Design and develop small molecules that promote the active resolution of inflammation. The project will combine medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and biological testing to generate innovative candidates for next-generation pro-resolving therapeutics.
Host institution: University of Oslo, Norway
Supervisor: Professor Trond V. Hansen
Keywords: Medicinal chemistry • Small molecules • Pharmacology • Therapeutic development
Project 13 – Lipid-mediator class-switching drugs
Develop compounds that redirect lipid-mediator production away from pro-inflammatory pathways and towards specialised pro-resolving mediators. The project will combine chemical biology, lipid mediator profiling and pharmacological validation to establish a new class of resolution-directed medicines.
Host institution: Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
Supervisor: Professor Oliver Werz
Keywords: Lipid mediators • Drug discovery • Pharmacology • Inflammation resolution
Project 14 – Resomelagon in rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular comorbidities
Investigate the therapeutic potential of Resomelagon in rheumatoid arthritis and its cardiovascular complications. The project will assess how this pro-resolving therapeutic approach regulates inflammatory mechanisms, tissue damage and cardiovascular risk.
Host institution: Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Supervisor: Professor Mauro Perretti
Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis • Cardiovascular comorbidity • Pharmacology • Therapeutics
Project 15 – Specialised pro-resolving mediators as regulators of haematopoiesis in rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease
Determine how specialised pro-resolving mediators regulate blood-cell development and immune-cell output in rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease. The project will investigate bone-marrow mechanisms linking chronic inflammation, altered haematopoiesis and disease progression.
Host institution: Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Supervisor: Professor Jesmond Dalli
Keywords: Haematopoiesis • Bone marrow • Lipid mediators • Cardiovascular disease
Where to apply
Website: https://harpnet.eu/application-portal/
Requirements
Research Field: Biological sciences » Biology
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field: Chemistry » Organic chemistry
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field: Computer science » Other
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field: Medical sciences » Other
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Excellent
Additional Information
Benefits
Successful candidates will join an international cohort of 15 Doctoral Candidates within a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network. Each position offers:
- A fully funded four-year PhD position, with employment conditions and allowances in accordance with the applicable MSCA Doctoral Networks rules and the host institution’s national regulations.
- Joint supervision and mentoring from leading academic, clinical and industry-based researchers.
- Specialist training in Resolution Biology, Resolution Pharmacology and related interdisciplinary fields.
- Access to advanced research platforms, including multi-omics, spatial biology, lipid mediator profiling, computational modelling and drug-discovery technologies.
- International and intersectoral secondments with HARPNET partner organisations.
- Training in transferable skills, including research communication, open science, entrepreneurship, intellectual property, regulatory science and leadership.
- Participation in network-wide training schools, workshops, consortium meetings and international conferences.
- A strong professional network across universities, hospitals, biotechnology, pharmaceutical research and patient-facing organisations.
Eligibility criteria
Candidates of any nationality are welcome to apply.
Applicants must:
- Not already hold a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.
- Hold, or expect to obtain before recruitment, the academic qualification required for enrolment in a doctoral programme at the relevant host institution.
- Meet any project-specific academic, technical and language requirements stated in the individual project description.
- Be able to demonstrate strong academic potential, motivation for doctoral research and interest in Resolution Pharmacology and chronic inflammatory disease.
- Be willing to work in an international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral research environment, including participation in secondments and network-wide activities.
- Meet the MSCA mobility rule for the country of their selected host institution. In general, applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity—such as work or study—in that country for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding the recruitment date.
Selection process
Candidates should submit one central application and may rank up to three preferred doctoral projects.
Applications will first be assessed for eligibility, including doctoral-candidate status, relevant academic qualifications and compliance with the MSCA mobility rule. Eligible applications will then be evaluated on:
- Academic excellence and relevant research experience;
- Alignment with the selected project(s);
- Motivation, initiative and capacity for critical and independent thinking;
- Potential to work across disciplines and sectors;
- Communication, presentation and teamwork skills; and
- Commitment to participate fully in HARPNET’s training, secondment, networking and outreach activities.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview as part of a transparent, merit-based and inclusive network-wide selection process. Final appointments will be made by the relevant recruiting host institution, subject to successful completion of all eligibility and enrolment requirements.
Additional comments
Full project descriptions, host institutions, eligibility requirements and application instructions are available at:
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