ISGlobal Presents 10 Research Proposals for “la Caixa” Doctoral INPhINIT Fellowships
The programme offers a four-year work contract at leading research centres in Spain and Portugal
17.11.2023
Ten early-stage researchers will have the opportunity of starting a top scientific career in ISGlobal under the ”la Caixa” Doctoral INPhINIT Incoming Fellowship programme. Promoted by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, this doctoral fellowship programme offers 30 PhD fellowships for a maximum of four years to support the best scientific talent and foster innovative and high-quality research in Spain and Portugal.
The INPhINIT Incoming PhD Fellows will carry out their research projects in one of the Spanish research centres accredited with the Severo Ochoa or María de Maeztu distinction of excellence, any centre of the Carlos III Health Institute, or units considered as “excellent and exceptional” by the Fundação de Ciência e Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology) in Portugal. The positions cover STEM fields: technology, engineering, physics, mathematics, and health and life sciences.
ISGlobal, being a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence and member of the CERCA programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya, is included among the eligible centers for this year's programme. Our institution offers ten PhD positions in the following research projects:
- ‘The hexosamine pathway as a new source of multistage drug targets against Plasmodium falciparum’ (Luis Izquierdo Lázaro, Plasmodium Glycobiology Lab)
- A rapid assessment and decision-making digital tool to enhance coverage and quality of key health interventions in Africa (Caterina Guinovart, Malaria Elimination initiative)
- Analysis of the Effectiveness and Social Drivers of Heat-Health Early Warning Systems to Increase the Preparedness and Resilience to Climate Change (Joan Ballester, Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health programme)
- Characterization of new antimalarial drugs having as mode of action the inhibition of protein aggregation in Plasmodium (Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets, Malaria Elimination initiative)
- Climate change and health: quantifying health impacts of climate change and health co-benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation in Europe (Cathryn Tonne, Climate, Air Pollution, Nature and Urban Health programme)
- Delivering an evidence-based vaccination tool to address vaccine and preventable diseases among migrants (Ana Requena Méndez, Migrant Health research group)
- Development of new metalloantibiotics to combat the antimicrobial resistance (Sara M. Soto, Antimicrobial Resistance initiative)
- Innovating Precision Medicine with Universal Medical Digital Twins: A Multidisciplinary and Technical Framework for Global Health Advancement (Juan R Gonzalez, Bioinformatic Research Group in Epidemiology)
- Lead pollution related to subsistence hunting and health risks for indigenous people in tropical rainforests (INDILEAD) (Cristina O’Callaghan Gordo, Environment and Health over the Lifecourse programme)
- Urban Environment and Brain Health in Aging (Eider Arenaza-Urquijo, Environment and Health over the Lifecourse programme)
In addition to financial support, the fellowship includes a training programme on cross-cutting skills such as technology transfer, entrepreneurship, commercialisation of innovation, intellectual property, leadership, creativity, communication, teamwork, personal development, planning, assertiveness and networking.
The selection process is ensured by the “la Caixa” Foundation, and candidates should apply before January 24, 2024. The selected fellows, as well as the candidates on the reserve list, when applicable, will be published on the “la Caixa” Foundation website on June 7, 2024.
