Predoctoral Fellow - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (MSCA DN) open call

The Alzheimer Prevention Program at BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center, Spain offers a PhD position for a doctoral candidate/MSCA fellow for the project: “The impact of menopause transition on women’s brain health with focus on AD risk.” The position is part of the EU-funded Marie Skłodowska- Curie Actions Doctoral Network MenoBrain “Brain Health in Menopausal Women” with full-time employment for a duration of 3 years, starting in February/March 2026.

About the employer

The Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC) is a research center dedicated to the prevention of Alzheimer disease and the study of cognitive functions affected in healthy and pathological aging. It was created in 2012 by the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, with the support of the Pompeu Fabra University.

The mission of the BBRC is to provide innovative solutions to decipher and prevent biological changes and cognitive dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the aging of the world population, these diseases constitute a global challenge, since for example, dementia can reach epidemic levels in 2050, with a forecast of more than 150 million people affected, if is not found a way to prevent its appearance and development.

The BBRC received the HR Excellence in Research award (HRS4R) granted by the European Commission; a recognition that shows its adherence to the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Research Staff. The center offers a stimulating and favorable working environment in accordance with the Charter and Code, which describe the rights and responsibilities of researchers and their employers, and contributes to the creation of a transparent, attractive and open ecosystem at international level.

Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Pompeu Fabra University and “la Caixa” Foundation are permanent members of the BBRC Board. The center is affiliated and located in the Ciutadella Campus of the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona, in a building inaugurated in 2016. The BBRC headquarters has excellent technical facilities, including a 3T MR scanner dedicated to research, and spaces for conducting Clinical Trials and EEG. State-of-the-art scientific facilities, effective management and continuous high-standard peer-review evaluation are the BBRC core proceedings to ensure achieving world-class research results.

BBRC is also part of the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), a large research facility that hosts other seven different research institutions related to biomedical research, including the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences of the Pompeu Fabra University (CEXS-UPF), the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE CSIC-UPF), the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal) and the Barcelona site of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), among others, in a multidisciplinary, collaborative and stimulating international environment in close contact with a clinical setting, thus conducive to translational research.

About the project

The ALFA (for Alzheimer and Families) parent cohort, established by the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, comprises nearly 3.000 cognitively normal participants, most of whom are first-degree descendants of AD patients. This cohort was established as a research platform to characterize preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in asymptomatic individuals and will serve to untangle the natural history of the disease and to model the preclinical stages to develop successful trials to prevent AD. Within the ALFA programme, the ALFA+ cohort study comprises 420 cognitively unimpaired participants, aged between 45 and 65 years at the ALFA baseline visit, who have been thoroughly characterized in terms of sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, lifestyle, cognitive abilities, genetics, and biomarkers (blood, fluid, and neuroimaging). 
Participants are followed every 3 years: so far, we have conducted the study’s baseline visit (2016-2019) and the first follow-up visit (2019-2022). The main objective of this project is to investigate how the menopausal transition affects women’s brain health later in life and contributes to AD in cognitively unimpaired postmenopausal women. It will examine how menopause influences changes in blood and CSF biomarkers of Alzheimer’s and their impact on disease staging, including neurodegeneration and cognition. The study also aims to identify biological pathways associated with a history of menopause, including neuroinflammation, synaptic dysfunction, and vascular dysregulation. Additionally, it will examine the relationship between menopause and overall brain health, including biological brain age and glucose metabolism. Finally, the project will assess how genetic, social, and modifiable factors interact with menopause to influence AD risk.

Requirements for the applicant

• Must hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Biomedicine, Biology, or a related field.
• Strong expertise in statistical analysis of cognitive and clinical data using standard tools (e.g., SPSS, R).
• Solid understanding of the clinical and biological aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.
• Experience in drafting research manuscripts and presenting findings at scientific conferences is highly desirable.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Excellent proficiency in English, both written and spoken, is essential.

MSCA eligibility (must-have)

• At the time of recruitment, Candidates must be in the first four years of their research career, not hold a doctoral degree.
• Not to have resided in Spain for more than 12 months in the three years immediately preceding the recruitment date.

We offer

• We offer a fully funded MSCA fellowship with network-wide training weeks, summer schools, international conference participation, and interdisciplinary training through secondments at: 

     ○    Jena University Hospital, Germany 
     ○    Alzheimer Europe, Luxembourg

 The candidate will join a multidisciplinary research team focusing on quantifying brain anatomy and classifying its changes, particularly in normal ageing and the early stages of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.

• Starting date: preferred on February/March 2026.    
• Type of contract: Predoctoral contract (R1 level). Regulated by the Spanish Law of Science.
• 3 Years position.
• Full-time position, 38 hours/week.
• Salary:

      ○    Annual gross salary (PhD): 38,000 €, estimated*
      ○    Annual gross salary with family allowance: 43,500 €, estimated*
 

*Please note that these amounts are indicative and may vary depending on the labour regulations in force at the time of hiring.

• The Foundation offers an extended vacation period and the possibility of benefit from flexible working hours.
• Hybrid working model (on-site + remote) and flexible working hours.

We offer a unique research opportunity in a highly innovative project in a multidisciplinary institution, promoting a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applicants regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.     
In the BBRC we also care about developing your professional abilities and career. We evaluate the potential of our team in order to develop the skills necessary to achieve a high level of professional performance.      

Application process
 

•  Interested candidates should submit the following documents in a single PDF file:
  o    A motivation letter
  o    A full CV, including publications (if applicable)
  o    Copies of university degrees and academic transcripts (including grades)
  o    Names and email addresses of two referees who can provide letters of reference
• Priority will be given to applications received before 30 November 2025.
   

Please send your application to menobrain@med.uni-jena.de, indicating “DC12 Application” in the email subject line.

Applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements and/or the above criteria may not be considered.

This position is one of 15 Doctoral Candidate roles within the MSCA Doctoral Network “Brain Health in Menopausal Women (MenoBrain)”, offered across multiple locations in the EU. For further details, please refer to the Euraxess job advertisement at the following link
For more information concerning the research project, please contact Anna Brugulat-Serrat (abrugulat@barcelonabeta.org).