i3S coordinates a €4.5 million doctoral programme to study the role of astrocytes in the brain
i3S will, for the first time, coordinate an international consortium within the framework of the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions – Doctoral Networks, having been awarded €4.5 million in European funding for the creation of a doctoral programme.
Coordinated by Olga Sin and named AstroCirc, this doctoral programme brings together 23 academic and non‑academic partners from 12 European countries, including Portugal, the United Kingdom, Norway, Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany. Its main objective is to investigate the role of astrocytes — the most abundant non‑neuronal cells in the brain — in the formation, functioning and maintenance of brain circuits.
“We aim to understand the mechanisms underlying astrocyte dysfunction in a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including epilepsy, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and to pave the way for more integrated and innovative therapeutic approaches,” stresses Olga Sin.
International and intersectoral doctoral training
Scheduled to start in 2027 and lasting three years, AstroCirc will train 15 doctoral students specialising in astrocyte–neuron interactions and neural circuit dynamics. The doctoral candidates will be distributed across 12 academic institutions within the consortium and will have the opportunity to undertake placements at other academic institutions and non‑academic partners, promoting genuine international and intersectoral mobility. Two students will be based at i3S, and the Institute will additionally host four doctoral candidates from other institutions on a rotating basis.
According to Olga Sin, the programme is distinguished by a simultaneous interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach: “It is interdisciplinary because it brings together internationally renowned researchers in glial biology, coming from very diverse scientific backgrounds, who are collaborating for the first time to address complex scientific questions from complementary perspectives.”
At the same time, she adds, “it is intersectoral because it exposes doctoral candidates to contexts beyond academia, through placements, courses and workshops delivered by biotechnology companies, the pharmaceutical industry, editors‑in‑chief of scientific journals, patient associations and legal professionals.”
Preparing careers inside and outside academia
In addition to providing excellent scientific training, AstroCirc aims to empower doctoral candidates to make informed decisions about their career paths, whether in academic research, industry or other sectors of society.
For Olga Sin, this doctoral programme holds profound personal and professional meaning. Having transitioned from research into scientific project management, she explains that coordinating AstroCirc is “the realisation of a professional dream”: “Designing an educational programme from scratch, tailored to the current needs of our research field, is exactly where I wanted to be at this stage of my career. I will have the privilege of shaping the next generation of scientists, research managers or leaders in non‑academic sectors, and of doing so in an international context.”
She also highlights the importance of close engagement with doctoral candidates and collaboration with partners outside academia: “It motivates me to be able to contribute actively and closely to the education and careers of promising young people, working side by side with leading scientists and with successful professionals in biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry, legal practice, scientific publishing and entrepreneurship.”
About the MSCA Doctoral Networks
The Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions – Doctoral Networks are one of the core funding instruments of Horizon Europe, focused on high‑level doctoral training. Each network supports a group of early‑stage researchers distributed across the consortium’s partner institutions, promoting international mobility, interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with the non‑academic sector.
