Dissecting the tumor microenvironment to discover new promising therapeutic targets - HOSTING OFFER – MSCA-PF 2025

The group “BE18” lead by Dr./Prof Melissa García Caballero at the IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND in Málaga (Spain) is interested in hosting a Marie Curie Fellowship. 1 Marie Skłodowska-Curie projects is offered to be supervised by Dr/ Prof Melissa García Caballero:

Dr. / Prof Melissa García Caballero is a biologist with 16 years of research experience in cell biology and excellent expertise in tumor microenvironment, lymph/angiogenesis, metabolism and drug screening fields. Prof.  Melissa García Caballero has developed a solid background in assessing and dissecting the tumor microenvironment with a variety of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models and she has got familiar with a wide subset of state-of-the-art techniques, single cell RNA-sequencing and omics analysis.

Description of the center: IBIMA Platform BIONAND is a multidisciplinary research space in biomedicine and nanomedicine that is centered around the two largest hospitals located in Malaga (Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals) and Primary Care Units of the Andalusian Public Health System, together with the biotechnological groups of the University of Malaga. This entity brings together 73 research groups, selected based on scientific excellence, and working on eight big research areas. IBIMA aims to promote research of excellence, oriented towards translational research, fostering transferable results to clinical practice, advancing in the improvement of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the most prevalent health problems at the regional, national and international level. It enables the development and promotion of a space for cutting-edge research that contributes to the scientific basis of the programs and policies of the National Health System. In 2015, IBIMA obtained recognition from the National Ministry of Health as one of the Biomedical Research Institute of reference in Spain. In 2022, the Andalusian Centre for Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (BIONAND) was integrated into IBIMA, equipped with a nanoimaging Unit holding the distinction of “Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure” awarded by the Spanish Government, infrastructure unique in Spain and one of the most complete in Europe. The Institute is part of relevant European research infrastructures such us EATRIS (Biomarkers and ATMP platforms) and ECRIN (designated in 2022 as National Hub of ECRIN-ERIC by the Spanish Government), and also participates in more than 80 scientific and technological research networks, being a European reference in biomedical and translational research.

Description of the group: Our group is focused on studying interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment to better characterize tumour progression, metastatic dissemination, therapeutic responses and resistance. As such, the in-depth characterization of the tumour microenvironment, with special focus on the tumour vasculature and their different cell subpopulations, is of great interest to discover new genes, molecules and secreted factors which determine primary tumour progression and the reprogramming that precedes the systemic lethal spread. The identification of new promising therapeutic targets will favour the development of effective novel therapies to avoid tumour progression and metastatic dissemination.

Description of the project/projects:

  • Number of positions available: 1
  • Project 1 Objective: In depth characterization of the tumor vasculature
  • Project 2 Objective: Identification of new promising targets and validation of their impact in the tumor progression

Description Principal Investigator

Prof Melissa García Caballero is Group Leader of the BE18 team of IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND. She is co-author of 50 manuscripts, 26 of them published in high impact factor journals belonging to the first decil (Nature, Cancer Cell, Cell, Nature Metabolism, Nature Communications, etc.). After completion of her PhD training at the University of Málaga she performed a long postdoctoral stay, first in the GIGA-Cancer (Liege, Belgium) as Marie Curie fellow and then, in the Center for Cancer Biology (Leuven, Belgium) as senior postdoctoral researcher. Since 2021 she has been Distinguished Researcher and Professor Beatriz Galindo at UMA and IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND and is leading several projects about the tumor microenvironment and the discovery of novel targets. Prof. Melissa García Caballero is coordinator of the Unit Onco-Hematology-CIMO at IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4263-5536

Application Details

  • Foreseen job starting date: March 2026 (or later, depending on the GA signature)
  • Application deadline: 11 September 2025
  • How to apply: MSCA application website
  • Application e-mail: opi@ibima.eu; jessica.goodman@ibima.eu

Candidate profile

  • You are a highly motivated PhD. graduate, in your first 8 years of research experience in Biomedical/Biology/Biochemistry field, looking for a hosting institution to apply for a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship.
  • You have not resided or carried out their main activities in the country of Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the abovementioned deadline.
  • Your research expertise is related to cell and molecular biology/biochemistry/bioinformatics/

Required education level:

  • Required education level 1: PhD
  • Degree field: Biomedical/Biology/Biochemistry.

Required experience level:

  • Main research field: cell and molecular biology/biochemistry/bioinformatics/
  • Years of research experience: Max. 8 years of postdoctoral experience

Required languages skills:

  • Language: English
  • Language level: Proficient (C1 or higher)

Additional requirements:

  • Skills: cell culturing, molecular biology, biochemistry and bioinformatics skills

At the deadline for the submission of proposals (11 September, 2024), researchers:

  • shall be in possession of a doctoral degree.
  • must have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date of award of the doctoral degree.
  • must not have resided or carried out their main activities in the country of Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the abovementioned deadline.

Important and contac information