4-year pre-doctoral contract to join the IDECAM research group, at CEU Cardenal Herrera University (Valencia, Spain)

The Research Group on Cardiorenal and Metabolic Diseases (IDECAM), led by Professors Dr. Luis D’Marco and Dr. Ana Checa-Ros, is actively seeking a highly motivated and talented PhD student to join the team. The candidate will work on the clinical project titled “Morphological and Biochemical Changes in Adiposopathy Parameters in Patients with Diabetic Chronic Kidney Disease”.

The adipose tissue (AT), commonly known as body fat, is primarily responsible for energy storage but also plays a critical role in transmitting hormonal signals throughout the body. Excess AT can lead to chronic inflammation and a range of metabolic disorders, including heart and liver dysfunction. Based on current knowledge of the molecular connections between the AT and other organs, researchers hypothesize that disruptions in biochemical signalling and proteomic changes affecting the AT may contribute to chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The research aims to clarify the molecular bases of communication between the AT, heart and kidneys to identify factors influencing CKD progression or onset. In this context, the candidate will adopt an adipocentric approach to studying renal and cardiovascular functions and how these interactions change. The candidate will analyze biochemical and -omics signals to identify biomarkers linking adiposopathy with renal damage risk. The PhD student will also participate in collaborations with national and international groups, including Aston University (UK), the University of Alberta (Canada), Emory University (the United States) and Universidad Simón Bolívar (Colombia), with opportunities for short-term scientific training abroad.

The candidate will apply for the “Ayudas Fundación Ramón Areces para la Realización de Tesis Doctorales en Ciencias de la Vida y de la Materia, 2024” (https://www.fundacionareces.es/fundacionareces/es/convocatorias/ayudas-fundacion-ramon-areces-para-la-realizacion-de-tesis-doctorales-en-ciencias-de-la-vida-y-de-la-materia-2024.html) . The specific requirements include:
• A Life Sciences-related Bachelor’s degree of at least 240 ECTS, preferably obtained between 2020 and 2024, and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences or a related field.
• An academic average grade > 7.5 over 10.
• Commitment to enrolling the academic PhD programme on Translational Medicine in the CEINDO Doctorate School (https://www.escueladoctorado.ceu.es/programa-doctorado/medicina-traslacional/).
• Prior experience in proteomic (ELISA) and/or transcriptomic (qRT-PCR) techniques. Familiarity with statistical programs such as SPSS or GraphPad, will be considered a plus.

Further information about our group and publications at: https://www.uchceu.es/grupos-lineas-investigacion/investigacion-de-enfermedades-cardiorenales-y-metabolicas-idecam

Luis D'Marco's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0148-891X

Ana Checa-Ros' ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8958-6711

Interested candidates, should send their CV, contact information of 2 referees and a cover letter to Dr D’Marco (luis.dmarcogascon@uchceu.es) or Dr Checa-Ros (ana.checaros@uchceu.es) before Oct 10, 2024.