MSCA-PF: Joint application at the University of Granada. Department of Physiology.

euraxess.ec.europa.eu - Jobboard; España; Presencial; EUR 30.000 - 40.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

The University of Granada invites applications for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship in Exercise Physiology for 2025. This position will focus on developing lifestyle-based strategies to enhance obesity treatment outcomes, employing a randomized controlled trial to evaluate intervention effectiveness. Candidates will work within a dynamic research group committed to advancing knowledge in clinical translational research.

Formación

• Candidates should hold a PhD in Physiology or a related field with a focus on clinical applications.
• Experience in translational research and exercise intervention programs is desirable.
• Candidates must be motivated with a strong commitment to improving patient outcomes.

Responsabilidades

• Conduct research on exercise physiology and its impact on obesity treatment.
• Participate in a randomized controlled trial evaluating lifestyle interventions.
• Collaborate with national and international research groups.

Conocimientos

Exercise Physiology

Clinical Research

Nutritional Strategies

Translational Research

Educación

PhD in Physiology or related field

Descripción del empleo

Organisation / Company University of Granada Department International Research Projects Office Laboratory Department of Physiology Is the Hosting related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Professor Francisco J. Amaro Gahete , from the Department of Physiology at the University of Granada, welcomes postdoctoral candidatesinterested inapplying for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF)in 2025 at this University. Please note that applicants must comply with the Mobility Rule (for more information about the 2025 call, please consult this link .

Brief description of the institution:

The University of Granada (UGR), founded in 1531, is one of the largest and most important universities in Spain. With amost 54,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students and more than 6,000 members of staff, the UGR offers over 90 undergraduate degrees, 157 master’s degrees (7 of which are international double degrees) and 28 doctoral programmes via its 124 departments and nearly 50 centers. Accordingly, the UGR offers one of the most extensive and diverse ranges of higher education programmes in Spain.

The UGR has been awarded with the "Human Resources Excellence in Research (HRS4R)", which reflects the institution’s commitment to continuously improve its human resource policies in line with the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. The UGR is also internationally renowned for its excellence in diverse research fields and ranked among the top Spanish universities in a variety of ranking criteria, such as national R&D projects, fellowships awarded, publications, and international funding.

The UGR is one of the few Spanish Universities listed in the Shanghai Top 500 ranking - Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The 2024 edition of the ARWU places the UGR in 301-400th position in the world and as the 3-8 highest ranked University in Spain ( http://sl.ugr.es/0dwJ ) , reaffirming its position as an institution at the forefront of national and international research. From the perspective of specialist areas in the ARWU rankings ( http://sl.ugr.es/0bSp ) , the UGR is outstanding in Mathematics and Dentistry & Oral Sciences Food Science & Technology (both ranked between 51th-75th position), Computer Science & Engineering, Food Science & Technology and Hospitality & Tourism Management (all three ranked between 76-100th position), and in the areas of Statistics and Psychology (both ranked between 101-150th position). A little lower in the ranking, the UGR also stands out in the areas of Business Administration and Earth Sciences, in which the UGR is positioned in the 151-200th position.

Additionally, the UGR counts with 3 researchers at the top of the Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) list ( http://sl.ugr.es/0cmD ), most of them related to the Computer Science scientific area. It is also well recognised for its presence in the top 200 Universities in Europe ( http://sl.ugr.es/0a6i ) at 43th place .

Internationally, the University of Granada is firmly committed to its participation in the calls of the Framework Programme of the European Union. For the duration of the prevoius Framework Programme, Horizon 2020, the UGR obtained a totalof123 projectswith a total funding of around€30 million.For the current Framework Programme, Horizon Europe, the UGR has obtained108 projects, so far, with a total funding of€33 million.

Brief description of the Centre/Research Group:

The Clinical and Exercise Physiology Research Group belongs to the Department of Physiology at the School of Medicine, University of Granada. Our research follows a translational approach, bridging basic and clinical science to understand human physiology in both health and disease. We focus on the design and implementation of lifestyle-based interventions—particularly structured exercise and nutritional strategies—to improve patient outcomes, with special attention to individuals with obesity, metabolic disorders, and cancer.

Our current lines of work include prehabilitation and rehabilitation in surgical oncology, the integration of whole-body electromyostimulation in clinical settings, physiological responses to caloric restriction and intermittent fasting, brown adipose tissue metabolism, and the use of lifestyle interventions as adjuncts to pharmacological treatments for obesity.

We apply a wide range of physiological and metabolic techniques, including indirect calorimetry, exercise testing, metabolic imaging, stable isotopes, cold exposure, and hyperinsulinemic clamps, in collaboration with national and international research groups. The group offers a stimulating scientific environment, with access to clinical populations, advanced facilities, and a strong record of multidisciplinary collaboration. We welcome expressions of interest from researchers motivated to join a team committed to advancing knowledge in exercise physiology and clinical translational research.

The fellow will join the SEMAFIT research line, focused on developing lifestyle-based strategies to counteract adverse effects of semaglutide in the treatment of obesity. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that induces substantial weight loss but causes a significant reduction in lean mass (~40% of total weight lost), which may compromise physical function, metabolic health, and long-term treatment efficacy. SEMAFIT aims to evaluate the impact of a 24-week supervised intervention combining resistance training (2–3 sessions/week) and a protein intake of 1.8 g/kg of fat-free mass/day in adults with obesity initiating semaglutide treatment.

A randomized controlled trial will be conducted including 100 participants (50 women), aged 18–65 years, with BMI 30–45 kg/m² and no type 2 diabetes. Participants will be assigned to usual care (control) or usual care plus intervention (experimental group). Outcomes include changes in total and regional body composition (DXA and MRI), cardiometabolic risk markers, adverse events, quality of life, diet, appetite, energy expenditure, physical activity, and sleep.

This line of research integrates exercise physiology, nutrition, endocrinology, and advanced metabolic phenotyping, and is supported by state-of-the-art facilities at the University of Granada. The project has strong translational potential, with expected clinical and societal impact through the development of effective and implementable strategies to optimize obesity management in the era of pharmacotherapy.

Research Area:

• Life Sciences (LIFE)

For a correct evaluation of your candidature, please send the documents below to Professor Francisco J. Amaro Gahete ( [e-mail] ):