Description
The pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by the loss of synaptic connections in cortical and limbic regions involved in mood regulation. Volumetric reductions in these brain structures have been associated with a more persistent clinical course, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Psilocybin has been introduced as a potentially efficacious antidepressant agent in TRD. This classical psychedelic is thought to enhance the expression of genes and proteins involved in synaptic plasticity, restoring dysfunctional networks through cellular and circuit-level remodelling. The ability to reinstate synaptic plasticity is, however, not confined to psilocybin as a novel antidepressant agent. It has been well-established that traditional antidepressants have comparable downstream effects, yet antidepressant efficacy in TRD is limited. This doctoral candidate project aims to provide a mechanistic understanding of the antidepressant efficacy of psilocybin relative to monoaminergic antidepressants. The doctoral candidate will investigate pathological levels of gene transcripts and proteins pertaining to putative drug targets in peripheral blood and postmortem brain tissue derived from human studies on MDD and TRD. The project will further evaluate the degree to which these molecular alterations can be reversed with antidepressant treatment, employing blood samples retrieved from clinical trials and brain tissue collected in animal models of MDD and TRD.
Location
University Center of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen (Groningen, The Netherlands)
Supervisors
Dr. Jens H. van Dalfsen is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the research group Psychedelic Treatment and Mechanisms at the Department of Psychiatry of the University Medical Center Groningen and a Visiting Researcher in the MINDS Lab at the Charles Perkins Centre of the University of Sydney, Australia. He leads a research line on Neurobiological Mechanisms in the Prevention and Treatment of MDD.
Dr. Natalie Matosin is a Senior Lecturer and Director of the MINDS Lab at the Charles Perkins Centre of the University of Sydney, Australia. Her research aims to elucidate the long-term neurobiological effects of stress on the human brain, including the involvement in the aetiology of psychiatric disorders.
Dr. Eleni T. Tzavara is a Research Director at the Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Centre of University of Paris Cité, France. Her research is focused on the translational and multi-level identification of biomarkers of antidepressant efficacy and novel targets for antidepressant treatment.
Prof. Dr. Robert A. Schoevers is a Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry of the University Medical Center Groningen and Director of the research group Psychedelic Treatment and Mechanisms. He coordinates various national and international research projects and clinical trials on the prevention and treatment of MDD and TRD.
Secondments
Institute: Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité (Paris, France)
Supervisors: Dr. Eleni T. Tzavara
Purpose: To conduct research on translational psychopharmacology aimed at the identification of novel targets and biomarkers in animal models of MDD and TRD.
Institute: Clerkenwell Health (London, England, United Kingdom)
Supervisors: Dr. Henry Fisher
Purpose: To gain experience in research on psychedelic drug development, including biomarker identification for clinical trials.
General eligibility criteria
- The position is open to candidates of any nationality (European and non-European) who fulfil the requirements set for the Doctoral Candidates (DCs) funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions.
- Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in a relevant academic field, allowing enrolment in a PhD program at the hiring beneficiary.
- Applicants must not previously have been awarded a PhD degree.
- Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country in which the DC project for which they are applying is based for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to recruitment. This excludes short stays such as holidays, compulsory national service or time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention.
- Applicants must be willing to undertake secondments at another institute of the network during the DC project, including at institutes in other countries.
- Applicants must be able to demonstrate their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English at a level that is sufficiently high to fully benefit from the network training (C1/C2 level).
- Applicants are expected to be motivated to work in the field of psychedelic therapy.
- Applicants are expected to work independently, well-structured and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary consortium.
Additional eligibility criteria
Academic background:
- Master’s degree in neuroscience, molecular biology, pharmacology, medicine, psychiatry, or a related field.
- Strong foundation in neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and/or molecular aspects of mental disorders.
Research experience:
- Prior involvement in studies analysing blood or brain tissue in clinical human populations or preclinical animal models of psychiatric disorders is desirable.
- Familiarity with bioinformatic data analysis, including the interpretation of transcriptomic and proteomic datasets, is an advantage.
Technical and analytical skills:
- Proficiency with laboratory data collection, statistical analysis, and the use of relevant software (e.g., R, SPSS).
- Ability to synthesize findings across molecular, cellular, and systems levels.
Personal attributes:
- Strong motivation to pursue translational research bridging molecular findings with clinical psychiatry.
- Excellent analytical thinking, problem-solving, and ability to perform independent research.
- Effective communication, with interest in interdisciplinary collaboration.
Additional desirable qualifications:
- Prior publication(s) or conference presentation(s) in the field of biological psychiatry or psychopharmacology.
- Willingness to engage in collaborative projects within international research networks.