Human Physiology/ Receptomics & Brain Disorders Lab

Department/Lab/Unit

University of the inviting researcher

UNIVERSIDAD DE MÁLAGA

Internship School Year

2025/2026

Research lines/projects

Ongoing funded projects: GPCR–GPCR / GPCR–RTK heteroreceptor complexes in neurodegeneration and depression. EMERGIA: Serotonergic heterocomplexes and fast-acting antidepressant mechanisms; neurobiology of exercise and receptor reorganization. Parkinson’s disease program: GPCR–α-synuclein interactions and dopamine neuron vulnerability. Concrete tasks (to be tailored to the researcher’s skillset): Implement/optimize in situ PLA to map 5-HT / DA heterocomplexes in human-relevant samples or cell models. Run live-cell kinetic BRET/GloSensor assays (reader: PolarOptima) to quantify ligand-biased signaling in GPCR dimers. Structure-guide interfaces of GPCR–RTK pairs (AlphaFold/ClusPro/PyMOL) and link to experimental PLA epitopes. Contribute to GPCR-HetNet curation (disease-weighted nodes for depression/Parkinson) and simple network analytics. Planned outputs (3-month stay): 1 short methods note/protocol or dataset paper, 1 joint manuscript outline (hypothesis or perspective), shared SOPs, and a grant sketch (e.g., MSCA-DN/ bilateral mobility).

Name of inviting researcher

Dasiel O. Borroto Escuela

Inviting researcher email

dasiel@uma.es

Academic Position of the inviting researcher

Researcher/ PhD students, Postdoc, researchers

Web page/ORCID

www.gpcr-hetnet.com/

Academic position of invited researcher

Master's students, PhD students, Academic and research staff, Administrative and support staff

Ideal profile and expertise expected from the invited researcher

Background in molecular/cellular neuroscience or neuropharmacology with a focus on GPCRs and/or RTKs, receptor crosstalk, and membrane signaling in brain disorders. Useful but not manadatory skills/expertise: confocal/FLIM imaging, live-cell kinetic assays, basic cell culture and/or protein–protein modeling (AlphaFold/ClusPro/PyMOL), and/or network/bioinformatics.

Strenghts of the offer/Expected benefits

For the invited fellow: integration into an active, international lab (UMA–IBIMA, strong ties with EU partners) with clear publication pipelines and grant-writing opportunities. Hands-on training in PLA/confocal, BRET, and membrane nanodomain assays; access to GPCR-HetNet resources. Mentoring for papers, SOPs, and career development (MSCA/EMBO contexts). Available infrastructure/resources (IBIMA–UMA): Microscopy: Leica SP2 confocal, FLIM system. Plate readers: PolarOptima (BMG LABTECH) compatible with kinetic luminescence/fluorescence assays. Molecular/cell biology: cell culture, qPCR, Western blot, basic MS/MS access, PLA kits and workflow. Clinical/translational links: access to IBIMA platforms and hospital partners (subject to approvals). Office/desk space, institutional Wi-Fi/IT, and admin support for visitors. Expected results: at least one co-authored manuscript or protocol, reusable SOPs, and a joint grant outline; groundwork for student co-supervision and future exchanges.

Additional information

Working language: English, French (daily lab work, writing); Spanish welcome for seminars/teaching. Hosting experience & collaborations: The PI (Dr. Borroto-Escuela) has supervised multiple PhD/MSc/BSc trainees from Sweden, Italy, Poland, Mexico, Chile, and Spain, with strong collaboration history with Karolinska Institutet and European partners. See also: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5736-373X

Minimum length of stay (weeks)

12

Maximum length of stay (weeks)

12

Period in which the internship can be made

To be agreed

Human Physiology/ Receptomics & Brain Disorders Lab - 2025/2026

Information about this opportunity