MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship recognition mechanisms and targeting of protein-protein interac

Position: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship on recognition mechanisms and targeting of protein-protein interac[...]
Università degli Studi di Verona, Department of Biotechnology.

Dr. Francesca Munari , Assistant Professor at the  Department of Biotechnology of University of Verona (Italy) , invites talented researchers to apply for a Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship on the recognition mechanisms and targeting of protein‑protein interactions linked to neurodegenerative disease.

The project aims to unravel the mechanisms of recognition between proteins playing a key role in neurodegenerative pathways, combining molecular biology, biochemical and biophysical methods. Protein interactions will be analysed using purified recombinant proteins (NMR, SPR, ITC) and fluorescence‑based direct interaction assays in model cells (FRET/BiFC). These methods will also help evaluate the ability of small molecules, identified through ligand screening or rational drug design, to inhibit aberrant protein interactions.

Beyond advancing our knowledge of the molecular basis of fundamental neuronal pathways, the outcomes will facilitate the design of new therapeutic strategies against neurodegeneration.

Hosting Research Group / Supervisor
Dr.  Francesca Munari , Assistant Professor at the University of Verona since 2019.

Dr. Munari has extensive expertise in investigating proteins’ structure, activity, and interactions through biochemical and biophysical methods. After completing her Ph.D. in Molecular Science at the University of Padova in 2009, she held postdoctoral positions at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases until 2014. In 2019, after five years of research at the University of Verona, she transitioned into her current role as Assistant Professor.

In the group, NMR is used as the leading technique to study protein function and dysfunction at atomic resolution, combined with complementary methods and in‑cell assays.

The hosting department and the Centro Piattaforme Tecnologiche of University of Verona provide an outstanding variety of instruments and facilities for the production and purification of recombinant proteins from bacterial and mammalian systems, for the analysis of protein structure, dynamics, stability, interactions and activity and for cell‑biology and proteomics studies.

Selected candidates will be offered both academic and administrative support from the Department of Biotechnology and the University of Verona Grant Office with regards to the proposal preparation.

Eligibility
Candidates must be eligible according to the criteria established by the 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral fellowship call:

To have a PhD at the call deadline (September 9, 2026)

To have up to 8 years research experience after PhD

To be citizens of an EU State or of an Associated Country or long‑term resident in Europe (only for Global Fellowship)

Not to have resided or carried their main activity in Italy for more than 12 in the 36 months before call deadline (September 9, 2026) – for European Fellowship

Not to have resided or carried their main activity in the country of the Host Institution in the third country for more than 12 in the 36 months before call deadline (September 9, 2026) – for a Global Fellowship.

Besides, candidates should be fluent in English, have excellent teamwork attitude, organizational skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment.

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