PhD Candidate for the Neuropharmacology and Pain research group

We are searching for a motivated, hard-working and enthusiastic PhD student to join the Neuropharmacology and Pain research group at the University of Barcelona (http://www.ub.edu/neuropharmpain/). The selected candidate will apply for a 3-4 years fellowship to develop the project entitled“Modullation of the hippocampal activity by cannabinoids: impact on Alzheimer’s disease”, recently granted by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades.

Previous results from our research group show that the combination of the phytocannabinoids delta⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) at non-psychotropic doses reduces some of the pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in an animal model, including cognitive impairment and excessive glutamatergic activity in the hippocampus. Despite the translational value of these results, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of THC and CBD in AD are not fully elucidated. By using novel pharmacological techniques to study GPCRs interactions in combination with complementary in vivo and in vitro experimental approaches, the candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to the elucidation of the role played by cannabinoid CB₁ (CB₁R) and adenosine A_2A (A_2AR) receptors in the ability of these cannabinoids to reestablish the neuronal excitation/inhibition balance in the hippocampus and, consequently, to produce cognitive improvement in AD. In addition, the candidate will explore whether these effects at the hippocampal level could also have consequences on mesolimbic dopaminergic signaling and, therefore, on the manifestation of psychotic symptoms frequently associated with AD. The consecution of these objectives might contribute to optimize a future multimodal therapy against AD based on these natural cannabinoids.