Dr. Milica Bozic, an established Miguel Servet researcher at the Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida - Fundació Dr. Pifarré (IRBLleida) and principal investigator leading an independent research line within the Vascular and Renal Translational Research Group, invites outstanding postdoctoral researchers to express their interest in applying for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2025. Her research group operates at the intersection of basic and translational nephrology, with a special emphasis on molecular mechanisms of kidney injury and repair. 

Research lines:

• Metabolic disorders and kidney disease: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapies
• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in renal pathophysiology and therapy
• Senescence, inflammation, and redox signaling in kidney injury and recovery

Situated within IRBLleida, our team benefits from cutting-edge infrastructure, including advanced molecular biology laboratories, animal facilities, and imaging platforms. We foster a collaborative and international scientific environment that supports innovation and excellence.

Fellowship Focus

The selected MSCA fellow will have the opportunity to co-develop a competitive, original research project aligned with the group’s expertise, potentially exploring:

• Small non-coding RNAs and molecular pathways linking metabolic disturbances to kidney injury
• The role of extracellular vesicles in renal pathophysiology and therapy
• Novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for renal senescence and chronic kidney disease

Selected candidates will have the freedom to develop and lead an original, personalized research project aligned with these themes, supported by expert supervision and integration into a vibrant research community.

Candidate Profile

Research Field

Applicants, depending on their background and interests, are welcome to participate in any of the research lines outlined above. These lines address critical aspects of kidney disease, including mechanisms of injury and repair, biomarker discovery, and novel therapeutic strategies with a focus on small non-coding RNAs, extracellular vesicles, and redox/senescence pathways. Interdisciplinary and translational approaches are encouraged.

Call Requirements

Important: Applicants must meet the eligibility and mobility conditions of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) 2025:

• Doctoral Degree: Candidates must hold a PhD at the call deadline (10 September 2025), and should have no more than 8 years of full-time research experience after obtaining the degree.
• Mobility Rule: Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.

For full details, refer to the official MSCA website:

https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/postdoctoral-fellowships

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send the following documents to milica.bozic@irblleida.udl.cat  by 18th July 2025:

1. Curriculum Vitae (max. 5 pages), including:
   • Full name and e-mail
   • Summary of academic and research career
   • Key publications
   • Contributions to conferences
   • Relevant fieldwork or laboratory experience
2. Short preliminary research proposal (in English, max. 3 pages) aligned with the host group's interests
3. Motivation letter (in English, max 1 page) briefly explaining your research goals, motivation to join the group, and MSCA-PF application intention

The most competitive candidate(s) will be supported throughout the proposal preparation and submission process by a committed supervisor (senior researcher) and an experienced research manager.

We welcome talented researchers worldwide to apply and contribute to our research excellence!

HOST INSTITUTION

The Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida - Fundació Dr. Pifarré (IRBLleida) was established with the aim of creating synergies between basic, clinical and epidemiological research, making biomedical research a key driver to improve current clinical practice. IRBLleida covers a wide range of translational research, from basic research aimed at understanding the physiological and pathological mechanisms of the human body, to clinical research that studies the behavior of diseases in large population groups.

IRBLleida was founded in 2004 through a cooperation agreement between the University of Lleida (UdL) and the Catalan Healthcare system. On one hand, IRBLleida integrates research groups from the Faculty of Medicine, as well as the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy of the UdL. On the other hand, we also incorporate research groups from: 

1. The Catalan Health Institute (ICS) both at the hospital level (Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital HUAV) and the primary healthcare of Lleida and the Alt Pirineu-Aran Health Region,
2. The healthcare provider Gestió de Serveis Sanitaris (GSS; Santa María University Hospital -HUSM, Pallars Regional Hospital and Mental Health, among others).

IRBLleida is an institute recognized by the Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIas a Health Research Instituteaccredited since 2014, having renewed this accreditation in February 2024. Thus, IRBLleida forms a part of the total of 35 accredited Health Research Institutes currently existing in Spain. In addition, IRBLleida has been a CERCA Institute since 2013, following a model of good governance and operation that ensures efficiency, management flexibility, talent recruitment and promotion, strategic planning, and executive capacity. In December 2014, IRBLleida was awarded with the "HR Excellence in Research" seal of quality by the European Commission that identifies IRBLleida as an entity committed to implementation of guidelines of "The European Charter & Code for Researchers" by improving the recruitment process, contract agreements, social rights and working conditions of research staff. Importantly, IRBLleida offers diverse collaborations among different research groups which is enhanced through weekly seminars and annual Scientific Retreat and Symposium. Additionally, the physical proximity of IRBLleida to HUAV facilitates translational research, including the utilization of human samples essential for this project.