Marie Curie PhD Opportunity, Doctoral Candidate (PhD Student) — MSCA Employment Contract. Organ[...]

Offer Description

Title: “Generating fully hiPSC‑derived blood‑brain barrier organoids for disease modelling and vascularized assemblies.”

The goal of the project is the development of pluripotent stem cell‑derived organoid models to reconstruct the blood‑brain barrier (BBB) in vitro, complemented by additional cell lineages, namely microglia. The model will be particularly valuable for studying diseases in which barrier integrity is compromised. The candidate will optimize differentiation protocols from pluripotent stem cells to generate astrocytes, endothelial cells, and mural cells—the key cellular components of the BBB. These lineages will then be assembled in a 3D setting to enhance the physiological relevance of the model and its capacity to recapitulate barrier disruption in disease.

Responsibilities

The candidate will develop and implement protocols for derivation and differentiation of hiPSCs into BBB cellular components, assemble the organoids, and validate the barrier function in disease‑modelling experiments.

Qualifications

Education: Master’s Degree or equivalent in Biological sciences or related field.

• Background in cellular biology, molecular biology, and neuroscience.
• Familiarity with basic cell culture procedures applied to pluripotent stem cells.
• Experience in hiPSC differentiation and cell culture (preferred).
• Strong organizational capacity and problem‑solving attitude.
• Team‑oriented and willing to learn.
• Curiosity and adaptability to advanced disease‑modeling cell models in life sciences, pharma, medtech, or biotech.

Eligibility (MSCA Doctoral Network Rules)

Applicants must meet all MSCA DN eligibility criteria at the time of recruitment:

1. Applicant must not already hold a PhD/doctoral degree.
2. Applicant must not have resided or carried out main activity in the recruitment country for more than 12 months in the last 36 months.

Contract Details

• 36-month MSCA employment contract with full social security coverage.
• MSCA allowances package (living + mobility; family allowance if applicable).
• Comprehensive international training programme through the Doctoral Network.
• Secondments with consortium partners.
• Joint supervision and access to a multi‑stakeholder ecosystem.