Published: 21-02-2025 08:45 | Updated: 21-02-2025 09:05

Eight prestigious MSCA grants awarded to KI

Illustration.
Illustration: Getty Images

KI has been awarded grants for eight postdoc research posts under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the EU’s flagship programme to promote international mobility among leading young researchers. The MSCA are part of the EU’s Horizon Europe innovation programme and KI has been awarded the grants in very tough open competition.

The MSCA Postdoc Fellowship makes it possible for a postdoc to conduct a scientific project in another country. The grant is open to younger, successful researchers and provides opportunities for them to build an international career and to develop their skills in their particular discipline.  

In last year’s MSCA call, some 10,000 projects applied for a share of over EUR 417 million. In this highly competitive application process, 1,700 projects were selected from 40 EU countries and a few other countries that operate within the Horizon Europe framework. Among them were eight projects from KI.  

The grant enables eight international postdocs to conduct their research at KI with opportunities for short-term international exchanges. It covers their salaries and some of their research costs for up to two years. 

The researcher is titled a “fellow” and his/her supervisor is the principal investigator (PI). During an exchange, the researcher will work under a different supervisor in the new country. 

The KI projects awarded 2024 MSCA grants

Project: cdiGMPBP - Detection and characterization of cyclic di-GMP-binding proteins  
Research leader/PI: Ute Römling 
Fellow/postdoc: Roman Sidorov 
Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology 

Project: GUTMATES - Exploring the impact of gut microbiota-derived octadecanoids on mucosal healing 
Research leader/PI: Eduardo Villablanca 
Fellow/postdoc: Angélica Julieth Díaz Basabe 
Department of Medicine (Solna) 

Project: LETMEAGE - A complex system approach to metrics of aging for identifying personalised interventions  
Research leader/PI: Davide Liborio Vetrano 
Fellow/postdoc: Caterina Gregorio 
Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society 

Project: NanoNAD - Nanoparticle-mediated ocular delivery of novel NAD-boosting small molecules for ophthalmic disease
Research leader/PI: Pete Williams  
Fellow/postdoc: Sai Kocherlakota 
Department of Clinical Neuroscience  

Project: POTRET - Cell type-specific endometrial dysfunctions across the menstrual cycle and their potential for drug interventions in polycystic ovary syndrome 
Research leader/PI: Elisabet Stener-Victorin 
Fellow/postdoc: Tanja Turunen 
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology  

Project: REJUVIMMUNE - Partial reprogramming for hematopoietic system rejuvenation: Impact on systemic hallmarks of aging and health span 
Research leader/PI: Federico Pietrocola 
Fellow/postdoc: Patricia Marqués González 
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology  

Project: SPARC - Spatial profiling of gastric cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis to tackle cancer spreading and improve precision immuno-oncology 
Research leader/PI: Andrea Ponzetta  
Fellow/postdoc: Angela Sandri 
Department of Medicine (Huddinge) 

Project: TRANSLATOME - Uncovering mechanisms and organization underlying selective regulation of mRNA translation 
Research leader/PI: Ola Larsson 
Fellow/postdoc: Alana Eduarda de Castro Panzenhagen 
Department of Oncology-Pathology