Ref. 2026_138

Call for Candidates Interested in Applying for the “Juan de la Cierva 2026 Postdoctoral Fellowships” and Similar Funding Schemes to Carry Out a Postdoctoral Research Stay in the Molecular Physiology of the Synapse Laboratory. Application deadline: 6 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m.

Resolution 2026_138

About the Unit / Research Group

The Molecular Physiology of the Synapse Laboratory is located at the Sant Pau Research Institute in Barcelona and is led by Dr. Àlex Bayés (group website: www.molecular-synapse.org; Dr. Bayés' Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UXZ_kiwAAAAJ&hl=ca).

Our goal is to understand how the synaptic proteome is organized and functions, particularly at excitatory synapses in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. We study how this set of proteins regulates synaptic plasticity and, consequently, cognition and behaviour. We also investigate how molecular alterations can lead to cognitive disorders such as intellectual disability and autism.

We apply systems biology approaches, combining mass spectrometry-based proteomics with bioinformatics analyses. In addition, we have recently developed expertise in electroencephalographic (EEG) analyses. This has enabled us to conduct studies integrating proteomic and bioinformatic data with EEG recordings to understand how different patterns of brain activity modulate, in the medium and long term, the characteristics and functional properties of the synaptic proteome.

Another major research focus of the group is the characterization of synaptic molecular pathology in cognitive disorders. We are particularly interested in non-syndromic intellectual disability, as many of the genes involved in these disorders encode proteins located at the synapse. Within this field of neurodevelopmental disorders, we mainly investigate encephalopathy caused by SYNGAP1 deficiency.

The postdoctoral project for which we are seeking a candidate aims to expand some of our most recent findings. We have demonstrated in affected individuals that SYNGAP1 deficiency significantly reduces a specific type of sleep-related brain oscillation (Ribeiro-Constante et al., 2024), known as sleep spindles, which play a key role in long-term memory formation and can be detected by EEG. The same phenotype is observed in animal models of this neurodevelopmental disorder.

Our proteomic studies in these models suggest that the molecular mechanisms involved in synaptic stabilization, which are essential for the formation and maintenance of long-term memory, are severely disrupted as a consequence of reduced sleep spindle activity. This may represent a relevant pathophysiological mechanism for this and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

The manuscript describing these findings is currently under second-round review at Nature Communications (NREM Oscillations Mediate Sleep-Dependant Proteome Dynamics to Support Synaptic Stabilization, del Castillo-Berges et al.) and is also available on bioRxiv.

The main objective of the postdoctoral project is to demonstrate the direct relationship between altered sleep spindle activity and the observed proteomic changes. In addition, we aim to evaluate whether genetic restoration of Syngap1 in adult animals can recover these brain oscillations and, if so, whether such recovery has a positive impact at both the proteomic and cognitive levels.

Essential Requirements

PhD degree in a biosciences discipline or in physics.
Oral and written proficiency in the two official languages of Catalonia.

The Following will be valued

Outstanding predoctoral academic record.
Academic or professional experience abroad.
Strong motivation for basic and translational research.
Research experience in biochemistry and molecular biology.
Research experience in proteomics and mass spectrometry.
Experience handling laboratory animal models.
Experience in bioinformatics studies.
Experience conducting EEG studies in animal models.
Official accreditation for working with laboratory animals.
Programming skills in R and/or Python.
Ability to work independently and think critically.
Strong teamwork and collaborative skills.

We Offer Application

The opportunity to develop a postdoctoral research project in the scientific field described above within the framework of the Juan de la Cierva programme or similar postdoctoral funding schemes.
Support in applying for competitive public funding programmes aimed at obtaining postdoctoral research contracts (AGAUR, ISCIII, MICIU, etc.).

Procedure and Deadline

Interested candidates should preferably submit their documentation in PDF format by email to the Management of the Research Institute Foundation of Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau at seleccio@recercasantpau.cat, indicating reference 2026/138.

Required documentation:

Cover letter.
Updated Curriculum Vitae.

Candidates may be required by the Research Institute Foundation of Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau to provide supporting documentation for the qualifications and achievements listed in their Curriculum Vitae.

The deadline for submitting applications is 6 November 2026 at 3:00 p.m.

Apply to this offer

CV * Accepted File Extensions: PDF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, TXT (max 10 MB)

Cover letter * Accepted File Extensions: PDF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, TXT (max 10 MB)

Authorisation of personal data processing

AUTHORISATION FOR THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA

Dear candidate,

The Sant Pau Research Foundation (Fundació Institut de Recerca de l’Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau), with tax ID G-60136934 and registered office at C/Sant Quintí, 77-79, 08024 Barcelona, as data controller, informs you that it will process your data for the following purposes:

Receipt of applications.
Analysis of applications with the aim of recruiting the candidate to the team of the Sant Pau Research Foundation, for a current vacancy and for future selection processes matching your profile.
Conducting personnel selection processes, as well as formalising the hiring of the candidate, where applicable.
Complying with the required legal obligations.

The legal basis for the processing of the data is the legitimate interest in managing this job offer, in accordance with Article 6.1 b) of the General Data Protection Regulation, given that your data are necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or for the application, at the data subject’s request, of pre-contractual measures.

Likewise, we inform you that your data (i) will only be processed by those departments or areas of the Institute that, according to their competences and functions, have an interest in personnel selection; (ii) may be disclosed to public authorities and bodies for the fulfilment of a legal obligation, as well as to service providers and third parties necessary for the management and execution of the relationships arising from the application; and (iii) will be retained for the periods foreseen for the prescription of legal liabilities.

Finally, we inform you that you have the right to access your personal data, to rectify them, to request their deletion, to object to their processing and to withdraw your consent to such processing. In certain circumstances you may request the limitation of the processing of your personal data, in which case we will only keep them for the exercise or defence of claims. In addition, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. If you have any question about the processing of your data you can contact the entity’s Data Protection Officer by sending an email to dpo@santpau.cat.

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