The Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) continues to shine in the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) program. Last week, the European Commission announced the selected projects for its latest edition, with CiQUS securing three of the five projects awarded to the University of Santiago de Compostela. The beneficiaries, three postdoctoral researchers, will develop their projects in CiQUS labs over the next two years. These results further validate CiQUS's successful strategy to attract international postdoctoral talent.
The NANO-MAC project, led by Dr. Mafalda Gonçalves (Portugal) under the supervision of Pablo del Pino, aims to develop nanocarriers that mimic macrophages to deliver drugs selectively to inflamed tissues, with applications in diseases like ulcerative colitis. The BOOST project, directed by Dr. M. Inés Paiva da Silva Leitao (Portugal) and supervised by Javier Montenegro, will explore the use of boron compounds to transport anionic oligonucleotides across cell membranes, opening new avenues for nucleic acid-based drug delivery. Lastly, the McCOFs project, led by Dr. Arindam Mal (India) and supervised by Manuel Souto, will focus on designing high-capacity organic cathodes for lithium batteries using covalent organic frameworks.
This call will allocate €417 million to support nearly 1,700 postdoctoral researchers from Europe and around the world, enabling them to develop their projects while receiving high-level training and supervision. The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships program is recognized as one of Europe's most prestigious and competitive, aiming to foster research excellence through international mobility and interdisciplinary training. Over the past few years, researchers from various countries, including India, Portugal, Iran, Colombia, and Guatemala, have joined CiQUS under this successful program. This new achievement reinforces the center's international standing and its ability to drive scientific advancements in cutting-edge areas.
From left to right: Inés Paiva da Silva, Mafalda Gonçalves and Arindam Mal.