The Applied Aquatic Ecology (AQUAE) group at IMDEA Agua is searching for a candidate interested in conducting a doctoral thesis focused on the effects of tire wear particles and their associated chemical additives in freshwater ecosystems. The goal is to jointly submit an application for the upcoming call for funding for predoctoral research staff training from the Community of Madrid.
The thesis will be carried out within the framework of the TWIST project – Fate and impacts of tire wear particles and associated chemical additives in freshwater ecosystems (PID2025-176574OA-I00), funded by the Spanish State Research Agency. Tire wear particles are a major source of microplastics and, along with their chemical compounds, can reach aquatic ecosystems, creating uncertainty about their fate and risks to biological communities.
Research activities will include sampling water and sediments to quantify particles and associated chemical compounds, conducting mesocosm experiments to assess effects on phytoplankton, zooplankton, and macroinvertebrates, laboratory trials with selected species, and ecological risk assessment.
The selected candidate will join the group and be supervised by Dr. Fernando Chaguaceda Borjabad and Dr. Paula Redondo Hasselerharm. Requirements include a university degree and a master's degree totaling at least 300 ECTS credits, a minimum undergraduate GPA of 8.0, no prior doctoral degree, and a good command of English.
Positive consideration will be given to experience in aquatic ecology, ecotoxicology, experimental design, cultivation of aquatic organisms, biochemical analysis, statistical analysis using R, and scientific data visualization. Final hiring is contingent upon the successful award of the grant by the Community of Madrid, expected in April 2027.
Interested individuals should send their updated curriculum vitae and official academic transcript to empleo@agua.imdea.org by September 7, 2026, with the subject line “TWIST expression of interest”.
