Organisation / Company CEU San Pablo University Department Pharmacy Faculty Is the Hosting related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? NoUSP-CEU welcomes early stage postdoctoral researchers with an excellent track record, to apply to the European Commission Marie Sklodowska-Curie (MSCA-25) Postodoctoral Felloships or any other R2 reseach calls, such as:
Juan de la Cierva (Spanish Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation) or Atracción Talento (Madrid Regional Goverment).Selected candidates
will be provided with
special assistance for proposal writing and development.
Our University has been beneficiary of 8 MSCA PF since 2017, including one MSCA-PF with an evaluation of 100/100 in 2021.Prof. Carmen M. Fernandez-Martos is a renowned researcher with extensive expertise in biomedicine and translational neuroscience. As A/Prof. at FUSP-CEU, she has fostered a team that has consistently advanced innovative solutions to complex scientific challenges in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Together, they have demonstrated an exceptional ability to integrate cutting-edge research with real-world applications. A/Prof. Fernandez-Martos has published over 30 high-impact articles and led competitive research projects (https:
//caixaresearch.Org/es/caixaresearch-meeting-health-2023-who-is-w… ), establishing expertise in investigating pathological mechanisms in ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases as frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). She has a long-standing expertise in translational neuroscience with a focus on leptin therapies. Collaboration is central to A/Prof. Fernandez-Martos. She has cultivated partnerships with leading institutions to ensure access to advanced resources. Her proven leadership in managing complex, high-impact projects underscore the group's ability to deliver transformative results.Romero-Muñoz L, Sanz-Martos AB, Cabrera-Pinto M, et al.
Weight gain-mediated recovery of metabolic and gut microbiome impairments in a TDP-43 mouse model of ALS.
Research Square;
2024. DOI:
10.21203/rs.3.Rs-4015840/v1.Atkinson RAK, Collins JM, Sreedharan J, King AE, Fernandez-Martos CM.
Alterations to metabolic hormones in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia postmortem human tissue.
J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2024 Nov 1;
83(11):
907-916. doi:
10.1093/jnen/nlae054.Ferrer-Donato A, Contreras A, Fernandez P, Fernandez-Martos CM.
The potential benefit of leptin therapy against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Brain Behav. 2022 Jan;
12(1):
E2465. doi:
10.1002/brb3.2465.Research topic description:
There is no cure for ALS. Over 60% of patients die within 3-5 years after diagnosis. Although much effort has been made in the past two decades to understand the complexity and heterogeneity of ALS, the development of effective therapies remains elusive due to several challenges. One major obstacle is the limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving ALS disease. Growing body of experimental and clinical evidence supports targeting the metabolism as a rational strategy for the treatment of ALS. In fact, one of the most consistent findings is that being overweight or obese confers a survival advantage in patients with ALS, with those who have higher levels of leptin (a hormone derived from fat cells that regulates body weight) surviving longer.New experimental data from our group show how reduced plasma leptin levels are closely associated with adipose tissue damage, which manifests in the pre-symptomatic phase before gradual weight loss occurs. In a preliminary prospective cohort study of overweight and obese patients with ALS, we determined how leptin levels were associated with slower disease progression compared to those with a normal weight, suggesting a strong link between the adipose tissue and the pathological features of ALS.In this context, the aim of this project is to provide an innovative way to intervene in ALS by integrating areas such as Chemistry and Neuroscience to deliver a breakthrough therapy that has the potential to surpass current state-of-the-art treatments by offering a more effective approach to slowing or halting the progression of ALS. Using highly relevant models of ALS pathology and chemical drug discovery tools, we aim to gain mechanistic insight into the significant role of adipose tissue in ALS pathogenesis and demonstrate how restoring adipose tissue metabolic function may significantly improve the metabolic dysfunction observed in patients with ALS.Candidate requirements:
We are looking for a highly motivated junior postdoctoral researcher (between 2 and 8 years after PhD) of any nationality to work on an innovative research project. He or she must have a background in biomedical sciences or related life sciences. A background in obesity and in vitro expertise in primary cultures will be very valuable.An expression of interest shall be sent to carmen.fernandezmartos@ceu.es (Attn.:
Dr.Carmen Fernandez Martos). Your file should contain the following elements:
A short CV (Max. 2 pages)A one-page research proposalA short statement explaining why CEU would be the best host institution for your research.Two letters of reference.For MSCA-PF 25 call, at the deadline for the submission of proposals (10/09/2025) candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activities in Spain or more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the abovementioned deadline.Those files received
before 15th of June y will be considered for MSCA-PF 2025 call .
Applications received
after this date, will be considered for
other calls after discussion with the candidate .Keywords :
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD);
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS);
Metabolism;
Leptin;
Biomarker
#J-18808-Ljbffr