ISGlobal Presents 11 Research Proposals for ”la Caixa” Doctoral INPhINIT Fellowships
The programme offers a 3-year employment contract at research centres distinguished with the Spanish Seals of Excellence Severo Ochoa or María de Maeztu
03.12.2020
Eleven early-stage researchers have the opportunity of starting a top scientific career in ISGlobal under the ”laCaixa” Doctoral INPhINIT Incoming Fellowship programme, and consequently boost the chances of obtaining an independent research position worldwide. Promoted by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, this doctoral fellowship programme offers 35 PhD fellowships to support the best scientific talent and foster innovative and high-quality research in Spain and Portugal, in the fields of technology, engineering, physics, mathematics, life and health sciences.
The call for applications is intended for the pursuit of doctoral studies at centres accredited with the Severo Ochoa or María de Maeztu distinction of excellence, any centre of the Carlos III Health Institute, and units considered as “excellent and exceptional” by the Fundação de Ciência e Tecnologia (Foundation for Science and Technology) in Portugal.
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 eleven PhD positions in the following research projects:
- Adaptation response to climate change: social drivers of health inequalities in Europe (within an ERC Consolidator project) (Dr. Joan Ballester - Climate and Health programme)
- Addressing knowledge gaps of COVID-19 in pregnancy: from burden of disease to the evaluation of prevention and treatment strategies in vulnerable populations (Dra. Raquel González - Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health programme)
- Antimalarial drug discovery against a Plasmodium falciparum-specific enzyme with high therapeutic potential (Dr. Luis Izquierdo - Malaria programme)
- Development of new gold (III) antibiotics to fight multidrug-resistant bacteria (Dra. Sara Soto - Viral and Bacterial Infections programme)
- Early-life urban exposome and neurodevelopment – a novel approach to study the impact of multiple urban hazards (Dra. Maria Foraster - Childhood and Environment programme)
- Environmental degradation and COVID-19: A case study for planetary health (the student will be supervised by the project leader Federico Demaria, from ICTA - UAB Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, together with Cristina O'Callaghan-Gordo, from ISGlobal - UOC)
- GreenBrain: Contact with nature and pre- and postnatal neurodevelopment in humans (Dr. Payam Dadvand - Air Pollution and Urban Environment programme)
- Igniting the search for new anti-parasitic drugs against Chagas disease by unveiling the mechanisms of pathogenesis of Trypanosoma cruzi (Dr. Julio Alonso - Chagas, Parasitic and Imported Diseases programme)
- Impact of the global economic recession due to COVID-19 pandemic on mortality in Low and Middle-Income Countries: from evaluation to policy changes (Dr. Davide Rasella)
- Paediatric Patients with Tuberculosis (TB): Radiological Diagnostic and Follow-up (Dra. Isabelle Thierry-Chef - Radiation programme)
- Physical activity in highly polluted cities – recommendation or avoidance? An eHealth study on chronic patients (Dra. Judith Garcia-Aymerich - NCDs and Environment programme)
In addition to financial support —the programme offers a 3-year employment contract at the research centre—, 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 February 4, 2021. 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, 2021.
