A 3-year PhD fellowship in regenerative biology is available within the Molecular Medicine program of the International PhD school of the University Vita/Salute San Raffaele. The PhD student will be based at the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neurosciences at the San Raffaele Hospital, in Milan, Italy. The fellowship is a part of the REGENERATE-IT doctoral network, funded by the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Action (MSCA).
Job Description - Missions:
The goal of the project is to learn from robustly regenerating organisms how to enhance the ability of mammalian (mouse and human) stem/progenitor cells of the mesoderm to engraft and repair skeletal and cardiac muscle in different forms of muscular dystrophy. Clinical protocols of cell therapy only work for diseases of the blood and epithelia where stem cells have virtually unlimited self-renewal potency and, moreover it is possible to ablate diseased cells to create “space” for transplanted cells (Cossu et al. Lancet 2018). To reach clinical efficacy for diseases that affect other tissues such as skeletal muscle, transplanted cells need to survive, proliferate, migrate and integrate into the host tissue. These functions are far more efficient in organisms that regenerate efficiently than in mammals. The project aims to express or silence genes (or non-coding RNA) that share homology with genes known to orchestrate regeneration in lower phila in mesoderm progenitor cells such a mesoangioblasts (vessel-associated myogenic progenitors: Dellavalle et al. Nat Cell Biol. 2007). Robust regulatory controls will ensure that the transgene can be activated or silenced as needed. Transduced cells will be challenged in mouse models of acute regeneration and of muscular dystrophies, including immune deficient dystrophic mice that allows transplantation of human progenitors and analysis of their efficacy or possible toxicity.
Expected Results:
- Validation of novel regulators that may enhance the regenerative potency of mammalian mesoderm progenitor cells;
- Development of novel pre-clinical protocols for cell therapy that can be directly translated into phase I/IIa clinical trials.
The REGENERATE-IT Consortium:
This project is a part of the REGENERATE-IT Doctoral Network, funded by the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Action (MSCA). The network brings together a full spectrum of disciplines – from fundamental to applied research – to train the next generation of researchers in regenerative biology and adjacent field. It is a consortium of high-profile researchers from various universities, research institutions, and companies spanning 12 academic institutions in 10 European countries (the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, and the UK). The competencies available in the REGENERATE-IT Network are further expanded by the involvement of one non-academic beneficiary, four industrial partner organizations, a patent attorney firm, a non-profit research organization, a scientific publisher, a patient advocacy group, and Women Scientists network organization.
The REGENERATE-IT consortium offers 12 fully funded PhD positions to work with leading European researchers to advance the frontiers of regenerative biology and medicine. More information about all projects is available on the project website www.regenerate-it.eu.
Training – Activities
The fellow will receive training in molecular and developmental genetics, microscopy and genomics from the host lab, in the context of the research project, as well as training in regenerative biology in the context of the REGENERATE-IT doctoral network. The training will be adapted to the needs of the fellow and the selected project (see above). In addition the fellow will follow the courses of the Molecular Medicine Program offered by the University.
This fellowship will involve periods of training/research in the laboratories of other REGENERATE-IT partners and participation in yearly meetings and summer schools organized by the network, to take full advantage of the wide range of expertise available in the network. The fellow will have opportunities to develop presentation, writing, and other transferable skills, and to participate in outreach activities.
Working Environmen
You will be working in the Institute for Experimental Neurology, Division of Neurosciences of San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy.
The fellow will receive training in molecular and developmental genetics, microscopy and genomics from the host lab, in the context of the research project, as well as training in regenerative biology in the context of the REGENERATE-IT doctoral network. The training will be adapted to the needs of the fellow and the selected project (see above). In addition the fellow will follow the courses of the Molecular Medicine Program offered by the University.
This fellowship will involve periods of training/research in the laboratories of other REGENERATE-IT partners and participation in yearly meetings and summer schools organized by the network, to take full advantage of the wide range of expertise available in the network. The fellow will have opportunities to develop presentation, writing, and other transferable skills, and to participate in outreach activities. More information about the training activities is available on the project website www.regenerate-it.eu
The San Raffaele Hospital is a university hospital and scientific institute establiched in 1971 to provide specialized care for the most complex health conditions and to perform cutting-edge translational research. Thanks to 100 high-tech laboratories and pre-clinical facilities, 50 medical specialties, 50.000 hospitalizations per years and more than 880 ongoing climical trials, at San Raffaele Hospital basic science translate quickly into clinical practice and clinical needs drive basic research. It is a world leader for gene therapy with the highest number of successful therapies for genetic diseases.
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (UniSR) is one of the top-ranking universities in Italy for research and teaching. UniSR comprises the faculties of Medicine, Psychology and Philosophy and is affiliated to the San Raffaele Research Hospital (OSR), which is now part of the Gruppo Ospedaliero San Donato, the largest private hospital group in Italy.
UniSR is committed to ensuring the quality, trustworthiness and reproducibility of the research conducted by its investigators by upholding high standards of integrity, working to foster an environment in which the responsible conduct of research is explicitly discussed and encouraged.
UniSR provides top-level education thanks to the high-quality research activities carried out. These activities are supported by the Research Development Area which is fully committed to provide tailored-made and supportive services to researchers through a Responsible Research and Innovation approach.
You will join the research team of Cell therapy for myopathies led by Prof. Giulio Cossu. The research team is international, and the working language is English. The research team studies novel cell and gene therapies for muscular dystrophies.
You will also be part of the wider community of fellows in the REGENERATE-IT doctoral network, funded by the MSCA Doctoral Networks, comprising 12 laboratories across Europe (www.regenerate-it.eu/). You will participate in the training activities organized by the network, including secondments, in which you will be hosted for research/training visits in a partner laboratory.
You will be enrolled as a Ph.D. student in the International Phd Course in Molecular Medicine of Università Vita e Salute (UniSR) and will be supervised by Prof. Giulio Cossu.
What we need – Expected skills
- You should have a Master’s degree or equivalent in science, preferably in molecular biosciences (molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, genetics, or genomics). Practical experience in developmental biology, genetics, microscopy, genomics, or bioinformatics will be appreciated. Strongly motivated students from other disciplines (e.g., physics) are also encouraged to apply;
- You should be able to communicate well in both written and spoken English;
- You may have any nationality, but you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Italy for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to your appointment (short stays such as holidays are not taken into account);
- You should submit a motivation letter and a CV.
What we offer – Indicative salary and benefits
You will receive an attractive salary following the MSCA regulations for doctoral candidates (https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/document/msca-fellows-in-innovative-training-networks-information-note). Your salary will be a minimum of € 2.789,- gross per month in the first year and a maximum of € 3.379,- gross per month (scale PhD) in the 3rd year, based on a full-time appointment (36 hours a week).
The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (if the recruited doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations during the duration of the fellowship). The guaranteed PhD funding is for 36 months. In addition to their individual scientific projects, all doctoral candidates of the REGENERATE-IT network will benefit from further training, which includes internships/secondments in other laboratories, a variety of training courses (including transferable skills), and active participation in workshops and conferences.