MSCA-PF: Joint application at the University of Granada. Department of Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III e Inmunología.
Professor Ana C. Abadía-Molina, from the Department of Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III e Inmunología at the University of Granada, welcomes postdoctoral candidates interested in applying for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF) in 2026 at this University. Please note that applicants must comply with the Mobility Rule (for more information about the 2026 call, please consult this link).
Brief description of the institution:
The University of Granada (UGR), founded in 1531, is one of the largest and most important universities in Spain. With more than 57,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students and almost 7,000 members of staff, the UGR offers 97 undergraduate degrees, 157 master’s degrees (7 of which are double degrees) and 28 doctoral programmes via its 124 departments and nearly 50 centers. Accordingly, the UGR offers one of the most extensive and diverse ranges of higher education programmes in Spain.
The UGR has been awarded with the "Human Resources Excellence in Research (HRS4R)", which reflects the institution’s commitment to continuously improve its human resource policies in line with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The UGR is also internationally renowned for its excellence in diverse research fields and ranked among the top Spanish universities in a variety of ranking criteria, such as national R&D projects, fellowships awarded, publications, and international funding.
The UGR is one of the few Spanish Universities listed in the Shanghai Top 500 ranking - Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The 2025 edition of the ARWU places the UGR in 301-400th position in the world and as the 3-8 highest ranked University in Spain, reaffirming its position as an institution at the forefront of national and international research. From the perspective of specialist areas in the ARWU rankings, the UGR is outstanding in Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence and Dentistry & Oral Sciences (ranked between 51th-75th position), Computer Science & Engineering, Education and Hospitality & Tourism Management (between 76-100th position), and in the areas of Food Science & Technology and Business Administration (between 101-150th position). A little lower in the ranking, the UGR also stands out in the areas of Earth Sciences, Law, Management, Nursing, Psychology and Statistics, in which the UGR is positioned in the 151-200th position.
Additionally, the UGR counts with 4 researchers at the top of the Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) list, most of them related to the Computer Science and Mathematics scientific areas. It is also well recognised for its presence in the top 200 Universities in Europe at 83th place.
Internationally, the University of Granada is firmly committed to its participation in the calls of the Framework Programme of the European Union. For the duration of the prevoius Framework Programme, Horizon 2020, the UGR obtained a total of 124 projects with a total funding of more than €30 million. For the current Framework Programme, Horizon Europe, the UGR has obtained 136 projects, so far, with a total funding of more than €38 million.
Brief description of the Centre/Research Group:
This University of Granada research group specializes in Regional Immunology, specifically focusing on the Reproductive and Mucosal branches within the fields of Biomedicine and Life Sciences. Their scientific production centers on analyzing innate and specific immune responses at cellular and molecular levels using both in vitro and in vivo models. The group’s research has significant clinical applications, including studies on colitis models, the use of antibodies in therapy, and the investigation of SLAM family molecules. A key area of expertise is the study of Endometrial Stromal Cells (EnSC) and Decidual Stromal Cells to determine their therapeutic value in inflammatory processes.
Currently, the team leads the national HyperOxalDrug project (PID2022-141783-OB-C21), which utilizes EnSC to evaluate the toxicity and effectiveness of new drugs for treating primary hyperoxaluria (PHs), rare diseases involved in the hepatic metabolism of glyoxylate. The group operates specialized laboratories at the Biomedical Research Center (CIBM) and the Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine. These facilities are equipped for advanced cellular and molecular techniques, featuring real-time PCR, fluorescence microscopy, and Fujifilm Additionally, they utilize centralized CIBM services, such as a Flow Cytometry Unit with three cytometers and an Animal Experimentation Unit covering 800 m² with SPF certification and high biological safety. Their research is supported by international (ERDF, COST SPRINT), national HyperOxalDrug project PID2022-141783-OB-C21, and regional funding (Junta de Andalucía, BIO-225). The proposal aims at the development of drugs for the treatment of primary hyperoxalurias (PHs), testing these drugs on endometrial stromal cells from healthy and PHs patients.
Project description:
Understanding Primary Hyperoxalurias PHs are severe genetic disorders caused by mutations in hepatic enzymes responsible for glyoxylate metabolism, specifically al nineglyoxylate aminotransferase (PH1), glyoxylate/hydroxypyruvate reductase (PH2), and 4-hydroxy-2-oxoglutarate aldolase (PH3). These mutations result in the toxic overproduction of oxalate, which crystallizes in the kidneys, leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and systemic oxalosis. Current treatments, such as the siRNA drugs lumasiran and nedosiran, face significant challenges: they are expensive, require injectable administration, and are often ineffective in the most severe cases.
Proposed Therapeutic Solution The proposal suggests developing an affordable, oral, multi-target therapy using small molecules derived from salicylic acid. These molecules aim to inhibit key enzymes like glycolate oxidase (hGO) and lactate dehydrogenase A (hLDHA) to reduce oxalate formation. This approach could also benefit patients with other conditions involving oxalate accumulation, such as urolithiasis or atherosclerosis in NASH patients.
Innovative Cellular Modeling A critical aspect of this research is the use of menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (mEnSC) to create hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) for drug screening. mEnSCs are preferred because they are obtained through non invasive procedures, are easy to expand, and require only one donor per sample. By differentiating these cells into HLCs—especially those derived from PH1 patients—researchers can evaluate the efficacy of hGO-hLDHA inhibitors on human-derived models. This platform ensures a robust testing environment for identifying the most effective compounds before advancing to clinical stages.
Research Area:
- Life Sciences (LIFE)
For a correct evaluation of your candidature, please send the documents below to Professor Ana C. Abadía-Molina (acbadia@ugr.es):
- CV
- Letter of recommendation (optional)
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