The University of Naples Federico II—one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe—invites expressions of interest from outstanding postdoctoral researchers wishing to apply for the 2026 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF). This opportunity is hosted within the Department of Translational Medical Sciences and the Laboratory of Metabolic Epigenetics and Cellular Senescence, under the supervision of Dr. Rosa Spinelli (Assistant Professor in Clinical Pathology).
Deciphering how metabolic stress becomes biologically embedded within cellular systems is a central challenge in the biology of aging and disease. Our research addresses how chronic metabolic perturbations are encoded through cellular senescence and become biologically embedded across tissues, positioning senescence as a key integrative mechanism linking environmental exposures, metabolic dysfunction, and long-term disease risk.
Within this framework, we combine multi-layered omics, RNA biology, and deeply phenotyped human cohorts to investigate how senescence programs are established, maintained, and propagated across metabolically active tissues. Particular emphasis is placed on regulatory axes connecting epigenetic modification, RNA dynamics, and stress responses to senescence commitment, including pathways such as the ZMAT3–p53 axis.
By bridging molecular mechanisms with clinical phenotypes, the project aims to redefine biological aging as a modifiable process and to identify circulating signatures of tissue-specific senescence, opening new avenues for precision-oriented and preventive strategies in cardiometabolic disease.
The host laboratory operates within a strongly multidisciplinary environment integrating Laboratory Medicine, Internal Medicine, Bioinformatics, Medical Statistics, and Pharmacology. The fellow will benefit from direct interaction with clinicians, access to deeply characterized human cohorts, and advanced molecular and omics platforms.
The laboratory is actively involved in COST Action SENESCENCE2030 and maintains collaborations with leading European research centres, offering opportunities for secondments, co-supervision, and integration into international research networks.
We welcome highly motivated and independent-minded candidates with a background in molecular biology, epigenetics, metabolism, cellular senescence, or related computational disciplines. Applicants should be interested in developing an original and competitive MSCA-PF proposal aligned with cutting-edge questions in senescence and metabolic aging and must comply with MSCA mobility rules.
The selected candidate will receive dedicated support throughout the MSCA-PF application process, including proposal co-design, scientific mentorship, and integration into an international research network. The research environment is designed to foster scientific independence, interdisciplinary training, and long-term career development.
Interested candidates should submit an Expression of Interest through the following link:
Submit your application
Applications will undergo an initial screening to verify eligibility and scientific profile. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a preparatory webinar and subsequently supported in developing a competitive MSCA-PF proposal.
For further details, please refer to the full hosting announcement available here.