cardiac fibrosis PhD positions, programs, scholarships and fellowships

The successful candidate will join the Bone Metabolism research group at the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA) in Oviedo, Spain. The position involves hands-on work with laboratory animals, cell and tissue culture, and a wide range of histological and molecular biology techniques including DNA/RNA extraction, reverse transcription, genotyping, conventional and real-time PCR, Western blot, proteomics, and immunohistochemistry. Research will focus on evaluating vascular calcification, vascular and cardiac fibrosis, and senescence processes. This is a full-time, temporary postdoctoral role requiring a PhD or equivalent in Biological Sciences or a related field. The appointment is for one position, with applications due by June 28, 2026.

This PhD position focuses on cardiac immunometabolism, investigating interferon signaling's role in cardiocrine signaling and cardiac fibrosis using transgenic mouse models, hiPS-derived cardiomyocytes, and computational multi-omics analysis. The successful candidate will join Dr. Manju Kumari’s DFG-funded team at Heidelberg University’s Department of Cardiology, gaining expertise in molecular biology, animal work, and data integration while contributing to a collaborative interdisciplinary environment.

This PhD project investigates the mechanobiological mechanisms that determine whether cardiac tissue heals by scarring or regeneration across species. You will engineer cross-species cardiac microtissue models and apply controlled mechanical and biochemical cues to quantify tissue responses to injury. Using quantitative readouts of tissue organization, mechanics, and signaling, you will develop predictive hypotheses and identify intervention points to promote regenerative repair. The work combines wet‑lab experiments, advanced imaging, and computational modelling within the Soft Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology group at Eindhoven University of Technology.

This PhD position at Eindhoven University of Technology focuses on uncovering universal mechanobiological gateways to cardiac regeneration by engineering cross‑species cardiac microtissue models. The candidate will quantify how mechanical and biochemical cues from the cellular microenvironment influence tissue response to injury, develop predictive hypotheses, and identify intervention strategies to steer repair toward regenerative outcomes. The project combines wet‑lab work, advanced imaging, and computational analysis within the Soft Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology group.

This PhD position focuses on probing the methylome in cardiac remodelling during pathology and aging to discover biomarkers of health and understand transcriptional changes. The candidate will develop and apply advanced bioinformatics and computational epigenomics tools for single-cell DNA methylome analysis of human heart tissue, leveraging access to over 500 cardiac samples from the KU/UZ Leuven biobank and collaborators in Antwerp. The project aims to generate high-resolution methylome maps of cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and other cardiac cell types, enabling epigenetic age prediction, bulk tissue deconvolution, and integrative analyses linking cardiac and blood DNA methylomes to uncover minimally invasive biomarkers for cardiac health and disease progression.

This MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) in Barcelona focuses on investigating cardiac branched-chain amino acid transport and its reprogramming in heart failure. The fellow will use metabolomics, RNA-seq, and transgenic mouse models to elucidate the role of the Slc7a5/LAT1 transporter in myocardial BCAA uptake, insulin resistance, and adverse remodeling. The project combines basic and clinical research with international collaborations.

The University of Miami seeks a Post Doctoral Associate to conduct research in cardiovascular biology, heart failure, and regenerative medicine at their Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute. The role involves independent research, molecular assays, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and mentoring under supervision.

This PhD project at the University of Leicester aims to develop and apply machine learning techniques to diffusion MRI data for detecting subtle myocardial microstructural alterations in individuals with type 2 diabetes and early heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The student will optimise acquisition and post‑processing pipelines to quantify biomarkers such as mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, helix angle and secondary eigenvector angle, contributing to early risk stratification and personalised management of cardiometabolic patients.

This funded PhD project focuses on developing new anti-fibrotic eye drops derived from blood derivatives and extracellular vesicles to treat corneal fibrosis. The research will investigate the molecular mechanisms by which autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRGF), autologous serum (AS), and mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) inhibit myofibroblast differentiation and reduce extracellular matrix disorganization in the corneal stroma. By isolating biologically active fractions and identifying active principles, the project aims to formulate optimized therapeutic preparations for clinical use. The work combines in vitro and in vivo approaches, building on previous CIFRE findings that show PRGF and MSC-EVs possess complementary anti-fibrotic activities through distinct pathways.