Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsyhopharmacology
Organisation / Company UNIVERSIDAD DE MÁLAGA Department Psychobiology Laboratory Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsyhopharmacology Is the Hosting related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Dr. Eduardo Blanco Calvo is a Tenured Associate Professor in Psychobiology at the University of Málaga (UMA), with over 15 years of experience in preclinical research on neuropharmacology. He leads the Laboratory of Experimental Dr. Eduardo Blanco Calvo is a tenured Associate Professor in Psychobiology at the University of Málaga, with more than 20 years of experience in preclinical research on neuropharmacology, animal behaviour and drug addiction. He works in the Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology (Faculty of Psychology), focused on understanding the neuroprotective effects of IGF-II in Parkinson's disease aggravated by chronic stress mediated on the regulation of neurotoxicity, modifying neurological and behavioural disorders (motor, cognitive and emotional).
The research group combines behavioural neuroscience, pharmacological interventions, and animal models of experimental model of Parkinson's disease to explore neuroprotetive mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
The laboratory has a solid track record of publications in high-impact journals, participation in national and international projects, and established collaborations with leading researchers in neuropsychopharmacology. The team offers a dynamic and supportive research environment, state-of-the‑art facilities for behavioural testing and neurochemical analysis, and access to UMA’s doctoral and postdoctoral training resources.
Research topic:
The project will investigate the neuroprotective efficacy of neuropsychopharmacological interventions in neuronal and behavioural dysfunction using experimental models of Parkinson’s disease.
Our hosting group offers an integrated research line focused on Parkinson’s disease–related neurodegeneration induced by MPTP/probenecid and its interaction with chronic stress, combining neuroprotection, oxidative‑mitochondrial dysfunction, and animal behaviour readouts. The core scientific objective is to understand why stress‑related glucocorticoid signalling increases vulnerability of the nigro‑striatal dopaminergic pathway and to identify neuroprotective strategies able to prevent or reverse motor and non‑motor phenotypes.
Main topics available for the MSCA PF project include: (i) in vivo MPTP‑based models to quantify nigro‑striatal damage and neuroinflammation and to test neuroprotective interventions, with parallel assessment of stress exacerbation; (ii) behavioural phenotyping linking neuronal injury to motor and cognitive‑emotional outcomes (motor coordination, exploration, associative memory, anxiety‑/depression‑like behaviour), enabling robust translational endpoints; (iii) mechanistic studies of protein homeostasis pathways (α‑synuclein aggregation/clearance, autophagy‑lysosomal function, and mTOR/Nrf2‑related signalling) as key modulators of neurotoxicity and resilience.
Opportunities for research and career development
The fellow will work in a multidisciplinary environment (psychobiology/behaviour, neurobiology, pharmacology and cell biology), with access to fully equipped laboratories for behavioural analysis, histology/immunohistochemistry, western blotting, fluorescence/confocal approaches, spectrophotometry/ELISA, and flow cytometry, as well as institutional core facilities and accredited animal experimentation infrastructures. The candidate will be embedded in an active publishing environment, supported to present results at international conferences, develop grant‑writing skills, and build collaborations (including external secondments) aligned with MSCA goals.
Preferred expertise:
Hands‑on experience (or strong motivation to acquire it) in at least two of the following: MPTP models and/or rodent behavioural testing; oxidative stress/mitochondrial assays; immunohistochemistry and quantitative analysis (including dopaminergic markers); autophagy/lysosome and protein aggregation biology; rigorous biostatistics and experimental design.
Expressions of interest:
We invite interested candidates to send the following documents to by June 15th, 2026:
* A one‑page expression of interest outlining your research background, alignment with the proposed topics, and initial ideas for a possible MSCA PF project.
* A detailed CV, including publication list and relevant research experience.
Candidates must fulfil the MSCA PF 2026 eligibility criteria, including mobility rules and PhD completion requirements. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further development of the application.
If applicable, feel free to include a brief statement of motivation or questions about specific aspects of the hosting offer.
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