MenoBrain: Brain Health in Menopausal Women

Santrauka: Prognozuojama, kad iki 2030 m. pasaulyje menopauzę patiriančių moterų skaičius pasieks 1,2 milijardo, todėl menopauzė yra kritinis, tačiau nepakankamai ištirtas moterų sveikatos etapas. Hormoniniai pokyčiai šio pereinamojo laikotarpio metu kelia pavojų smegenų sveikatai, kognityvinėms funkcijoms ir emocinei gerovei, o taip pat didina su amžiumi susijusių susirgimų rizikas, kaip pavyzdžiui, Alzheimerio ligos. Nepaisant didelio socialinio aktualumo, su menopauze susiję smegenų pokyčiai vis dar yra mažai ištirti, o biologiškai aktyvių medžiagų ir įrodymais pagrįstų intervencijų yra nedaug. MenoBrain siekia užpildyti šią spragą, rengdama naują 15 doktorantų kartą, kuri spręs aktualias su menopauze susijusias smegenų sveikatos problemas. Doktorantai dirbs daugiadiscipliniame ir tarptautiniame 19 dalyvių tinkle (12 naudos gavėjų ir 7 partnerių), apimančiame neurovaizdinimą, neuropsichologiją, endokrinologiją, mikrobiomo tyrimus ir bioinformatiką. „MenoBrain“ naudos pažangiausius metodus, įskaitant pažangų neurovaizdinimą (MRT, DTI, PET, EEG), šeimininko mikrobiomo modeliavimą ir kompiuterinius „BrainAGE“ modelius. Šis integruotas požiūris leis ištirti, kaip su menopauze susiję hormoniniai pokyčiai ir intervencijos, pvz., menopauzės hormoninė terapija, veikia kognityvinę sveikatą, žarnyno ir smegenų komunikaciją bei senėjimo trajektorijas. Projektas derina mokslinę kompetenciją su pažangia mokymo infrastruktūra, kad MenoBrain doktorantai įgytų tarpdisciplininių ir tarpsektorinių tyrimų, pažangių technologijų ir perkeltinų įgūdžių žinių. Naudodamiesi naujausia infrastruktūra, MenoBrain dalyviai ieškos biomarkerių, leidžiančių anksti nustatyti kognityvinius sutrikimus, tobulins terapines strategijas ir pažangią individualizuotą sveikatos priežiūrą moterims menopauzėje. „MenoBrain“ ne tik užpildo kritinę spragą moterų sveikatos tyrimų srityje, bet ir atitinka ES darbotvarkę, kuria siekiama skatinti sveiką senėjimą, lyčiai specifines sveikatos priežiūros paslaugas ir novatorišką mokymą naujos kartos mokslo ir pramonės lyderiams.

Kvietimas studijuoti doktorantūrą!

Doctoral Network MenoBrain 15 Open PhD Positions!

MenoBrain (Brain Health in Menopausal Women), a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (DN), is currently recruiting 15 PhDs candidates. The fellowships are funded as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) under the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme.

The MenoBrain consortium consists of 11 beneficiaries and 7 partner organisations involving hospitals, universities, research institutes and companies from 10 European Countries. The consortium, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Christian Gaser of the Jena University Hospital, will conduct cutting-edge research and training in the highly topical and emerging field of gender-specific healthcare with focus on healthy aging in woman.
All PhD positions are listed via EURAXESS: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/379260

Vilnius University Life Sciences Center is hiring two PhD candidates supervised by prof. Ramunė Grikšienė (see DC Project 10) and prof. Aurelijus Burokas (see DC Project 11).

 MSCA eligibility (must-have): At the time of recruitment, candidates must be in the first four years of

their research career, must not hold a doctoral degree, and must not have resided in Lithuania or

carried out their main activity (work or study) there for more than 12 months in the 36 months

immediately prior to the recruitment date.

What we offer: We offer a fully funded MSCA fellowship with network-wide training weeks, summer

schools, international conference participation, and interdisciplinary training through secondments. Gross salary (in the employment contract) – 4110 EUR, Netto salary (after taxes) – 2486 EUR.

Selection process: Interested candidates please send a motivation letter, a CV including publications (if available), copies of university degrees and courses (including obtained grades), and the names and e-mail addresses of two scientists who can provide references (all summarized in one pdf) to . Please indicate the DC position you applying for (DC10 or DC11). Applications that do not meet the profile and/or the above criteria cannot be considered. For more information concerning the research project (DC10) please contact Prof. Dr. Ramune Griksiene via email:   and the research project (DC11) please contact Prof. Dr. Aurelijus Burokas via email:    .

Application deadline for DC10 and DC11: 15 December 2025

MenoBrain DC project 10

The Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania offers a PhD position for a doctoral candidate/MSCA fellow for the project: “A longitudinal evaluation of the impact of peri- and postmenopausal MHT on female brain function, cognition and gut microbiota.” The position is part of the EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network MenoBrain “Brain Health in Menopausal Women” with full-time employment for a duration of 3 years, starting in February 2026.

Objective of the project: (Peri)menopause involves hormonal fluctuations that trigger physical and psychological symptoms. Menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT) is the primary treatment for (peri)menopausal symptoms; however, understanding MHT's benefits and risks, particularly its effects on psychological well-being, brain health, and cognition, remains limited. The DC10 project aims to investigate the effects of MHT on brain function, cognition, and gut microbiota in (peri)menopausal women through a longitudinal study. This study combines electroencephalography (EEG), psychometric, and psychological assessments to analyze resting-state brain activity, cognitive outcomes, emotion regulation, psychological profiles, and microbiota variations.  

The successful candidate will join a Hormones and Brain Function Research Group studying the relationships between sex/gender, hormones, cognitive function, emotional behavior, and brain activity using psychophysiological methods.

Requirements for the applicant:  Candidates should be motivated and have good time management skills, able to work independently, while also being interested in collaborative work within and beyond the group. Applicants are expected to hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, or a related field, with a strong background in statistics. Experience with human EEG and gut microbiota, as well as programming skills (Python, Matlab), are advantageous. Very good English language skills are required. The ability to speak Lithuanian is desirable to enable direct communications with participants.

For more information concerning the research project please contact Prof. Dr. Ramune Griksiene via email:   .

MenoBrain DC project 11

The Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania offers a PhD position for a doctoral candidate/MSCA fellow for the project: “Menopausal hormonal treatment (MHT), cognition, and microRNA - microbiome dynamics in ageing mouse model.” The position is part of the EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network MenoBrain “Brain Health in Menopausal Women” with full-time employment for a duration of 3 years, starting in February 2026.

Objective of the project: Effects of menopausal hormonal treatment (MHT) on brain function, cognition, the gut microbiota, and molecular biomarkers in a menopause mouse model. It focuses on understanding the role of the HT in neurobiological processes related to cognitive decline, emphasizing microRNA and gene expression in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, as well as the gut microbiota, to uncover mechanisms and biomarkers for menopause-related cognitive changes.

The candidate will join a multidisciplinary research team (Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis Research) focusing on the microbiota-gut-brain ageing and the early stages of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

Requirements for the applicant: We expect a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Neuroscience, Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related field. Candidates with a background in Psychology may also be considered if they have strong experience in experimental research. Strong skills in molecular biology techniques and statistical analysis are required. Experience with experimental animal handling is desirable, and familiarity with bioinformatics or sequencing data analysis will be considered an advantage. Furthermore, the applicant should be able to work both independently and in a team. Very good language skills in English are required.

For more information concerning the research project, please contact Dr. Aurelijus Burokas (email: ; phone: +370 52234382).