EU funds interdisciplinary doctoral network LipAgg
Early-career researchers can apply for 15 open positions across Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden)
In a nutshell
- New PhD network LipAgg: The EU is funding the Doctoral Network as part of the “Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions” program.
- MPI participation: Christian Griesinger of the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences (MPI-NAT) is one of nine principal investigators participating in the network.
- 15 PhD positions: All positions are available on the LipAgg website. The application deadline for the two PhD projects advertised at the MPI-NAT is May 17, 2026.
The LipAgg program aims to answer key molecular questions underlying serious diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes. A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is misfolded beta-amyloid proteins that clump together and form toxic deposits. In Parkinson’s disease, misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins aggregate. These deposits can damage nerve cells. Furthermore, amyloid deposits in the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are considered a possible cause of type II diabetes mellitus.
As part of the LipAgg program, the doctoral students will combine innovative approaches to understand the role that lipids play in these processes. These lipids can aggregate with proteins and form harmful amyloid-lipid complexes — hence the network’s name: LipAgg. Additionally, researchers participating in the program will investigate how these amyloid-lipid complexes damage cell membranes and how they spread between cells.
The early-career researchers will receive interdisciplinary training and gain practical experience with state-of-the-art scientific methods. They will work closely with 23 partners from industry and academic institutions in six countries, as well as a patient association. By combining biophysical, structural biological, chemical, and molecular approaches, the goal is to develop strategies to identify amyloid-related damage and improve therapeutic prospects. (cr)
About the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Program
The MSCA program is part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s ninth research framework program. It supports the development of excellent programs for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers as well as joint research projects worldwide. The program aims to provide structural support to higher education institutions, research centers, and non-academic organizations in these activities.
Lucie Khemtemourian from the Centre national de la recherche scientifique in France is coordinating the doctoral network.
The LipAgg network is funded under Grant Agreement number 101227450.