Call Expression of Interest MSCA Postdoctoral fellowships at UNIGE – N. Generation o

Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy, is seeking postdoctoral researchers of any nationality with an excellent track record to apply for a joint project under the upcoming Call for Marie Sklodowska‑Curie (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026.

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship is a funding scheme of the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Research & Innovation programme, designed to promote international mobility, interdisciplinary work and inter‑sectoral exchanges. Selected candidates will receive a competitive salary plus mobility and family allowances where applicable, and a contribution to cover research, training and networking costs. Fellowship projects will run for 2‑ or 3‑years.

Applicants will benefit from special support for proposal writing and development. In May 2026 the University of Genoa will host the fifth edition of the Masterclass MSCA@Uni Ge
. Candidates will attend a 2‑day online intensive training and coaching course on how to write a successful proposal, and will have access to draft‑proposal pre‑screening and dedicated B2B meetings organized by the European Research Office of Uni Ge, the National Contact Point and other experts.

MSCA domains: Life Sciences (LIF);
Information Science and Engineering (ENG)

Research project description

The project aims to advance human in vitro brain models, crucial for neurological research. It will overcome species‑specific limitations of animal models by refining state‑of‑the‑art 2‑D and 3‑D human brain platforms and applying them to genetic neurological disorders. In the 2‑D line, we have standardized and optimized the generation of iPSC‑derived glutamatergic neurons via inducible Neurogenin‑2 (NGN2) over-expression, yielding homogeneous neuronal populations with controlled differentiation steps and validated culture conditions for network formation.

This protocol is used to model neurodevelopmental disorders associated with mutations in TMEM
151A, SYN1, TBC1D24, TANGO2 and PRRT
2. In the 3‑D line, we refined cerebral organoid protocols by culturing organoid slices to eliminate necrotic cores and by integrating microglia, enabling advanced maturation. Using high‑density microelectrode arrays, we have demonstrated mature, functionally integrated neural networks. This platform is currently applied to model early stages of familial Alzheimer’s disease, enabling direct investigation of human‑specific mechanisms and supporting personalized therapy and drug testing on patient‑derived models.

Research group

The Laboratory of Neurophysiology is part of the Department of Experimental Medicine at the University of Genoa, collaborating with the Ospedale Policlinico San Martino‑IRCCS in Neuroscience and Oncology and the Center of Synaptic Neuroscience of the Italian Institute of Technology. Across these institutes we have access to state‑of‑the‑art electrophysiology (patch‑clamp and multi‑electrode arrays), molecular and cellular neurobiology units, live‑cell neuroimaging facilities, FACS sorting platforms, 10x Genomics transcriptomics, proteomics, and a dedicated bio‑computational unit.

Eligibility for MSCA‑PF 26

For the MSCA‑PF 26 call (opening expected on 10 April 2026, proposal deadline 9 September 2026), postdoctoral candidates must have a maximum of 8 years of post‑doctoral research experience and must not have resided or carried out their main activities in Italy (for European Fellowship) or in the Third Country of the outgoing phase (for Global Fellowship) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline.

More information on MSCA PF is available at the provided link.