(4A) Bioengineering approaches to neurophysiology in the space environment (CUP E84I19001220005)
Funding institution: University of Rome Tor Vergata
Doctoral site: University of Rome Tor Vergata
Contact: Myrka Zago [myrka.zago@uniroma2.it]
Funds: Project Funds
Mobility abroad: compulsory, minimum 6 months
Periods in companies/research centres/public administrations: optional
Future human space exploration programs represent extraordinary milestones for the sustainable development of our civilization, contributing to our social and economic well-being. However, these programs also pose significant challenges to human health. The main objective of the research is to study the physiological and biological bases of space adaptations, sensory deconditioning, and the internal model of gravity.
Understanding these aspects is crucial for developing effective countermeasures to protect astronauts' health during long-duration space missions. This research will provide insights into how the human body adapts to the microgravity environment of space and the implications for long-term human presence beyond Earth. The PhD position in Space Sciences and Technology, offered by the University of Rome Tor Vergata, focuses on Human Life Science and Space Medicine. This program specifically addresses the physiological and biological bases of space adaptations, aiming to equip researchers with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle these complex challenges and contribute to the future of human space exploration.
(4B) Bioengineering approaches to neurophysiology in the space environment (CUP E84I19001220005 e E53C23002510002)
Funding institution: University of Rome Tor Vergata
Doctoral site: University of Rome Tor Vergata
Contact: Myrka Zago [myrka.zago@uniroma2.it]
Funds: Project Funds
Mobility abroad: compulsory, minimum 6 months
Periods in companies/research centres/public administrations: optional
Future human space exploration programs represent extraordinary milestones for the sustainable development of our civilization, contributing to our social and economic well-being. However, these programs also pose significant challenges to human health. The main objective of the research is to study the physiological and biological bases of space adaptations, sensory deconditioning, and the internal model of gravity.
Understanding these aspects is crucial for developing effective countermeasures to protect astronauts' health during long-duration space missions. This research will provide insights into how the human body adapts to the microgravity environment of space and the implications for long-term human presence beyond Earth. The PhD position in Space Sciences and Technology, offered by the University of Rome Tor Vergata, focuses on Human Life Science and Space Medicine. This program specifically addresses the physiological and biological bases of space adaptations, aiming to equip researchers with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle these complex challenges and contribute to the future of human space exploration.
Applicants must demonstrate prior participation in space research projects funded by national and/or international space agencies. Such experience can be proved with appropriate documentation, including contracts, appointment letters, or official project deliverables.
(4C) Space Nutrition: Optimizing Protein and Energy Intake to Preserve Skeletal Muscle and Cardiovascular Health (CUP F63C26000380001)
Funding institution: Italian Space Agency - ASI
Doctoral site: University of Trieste - UNITS
Contact: Gianni Biolo [biolo@units.it]
Funds: Institutional Funds
Mobility abroad: compulsory, minimum 12 months
Periods in companies/research centres/public administrations: optional
Space nutrition is a strategic field for human exploration, as prolonged exposure to microgravity induces skeletal muscle loss, anabolic and insulin resistance, redox imbalance, lipid remodeling and increased cardiovascular vulnerability. This PhD project, within the National PhD Programme in Space Science and Technology at the University of Trieste, aims to define optimized protein and energy strategies to preserve muscle and cardiometabolic health during simulated and real spaceflight. The doctoral research will be embedded in an active space biomedicine programme coordinated by the "Clinica Medica" Unit of the Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences of the University of Trieste, building on ongoing ASI and ESA projects, including HDT bed-rest, dry-immersion, nutritional countermeasure studies and the ASI-ESA NUTRISS project on energy balance aboard the International Space Station. Using head-down tilt bed rest and dry immersion as terrestrial microgravity analogues, the project will investigate the interaction between muscle protein turnover, insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, redox regulation, endocrine pathways including the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, and sex-specific responses. Methods will include stable isotope tracers, DEXA and MRI, metabolomics, lipidomics, endocrine biomarkers, and omics-based pathway analyses. The expected outcome is the identification of integrated biomarkers and personalized countermeasures combining nutrition, exercise and potentially pharmacological approaches. The project will generate translational knowledge relevant to spaceflight, ageing, immobilization, sarcopenia and chronic disease.