Universidad Santiago de Compostela

Alternative splicing (AS) is a fundamental post-transcriptional mechanism that enables a single gene to generate multiple protein isoforms, dramatically expanding proteomic diversity. Dysregulation of AS is now recognised as a hallmark of human disease, contributing directly to cancer progression, neurodegeneration, metabolic syndromes, and numerous rare genetic disorders. Despite major technological advances, the translation of AS biology into clinical benefit remains limited by critical gaps in mechanistic understanding and by the absence of an integrated framework capable of driving discoveries from molecular insight to therapeutic intervention.
DECODES has been conceived to meet this challenge. It unites leading European scientists with highly complementary expertise to establish a coherent, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral research programme that bridges fundamental RNA biology with clinical and industrial translation. At its core, DECODES is a high-level doctoral program that will provide advanced, multidisciplinary training spanning computational genomics, structural biology, disease modelling, RNA biochemistry, medicinal chemistry and pharmacological screening. Embedded in a fully international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral (3I) environment, the program will equip 15 Doctoral Candidates with state-of-the-art research expertise, comprehensive transferable skills, and entrepreneurial competencies through structured coursework and immersive industrial secondments.
By integrating these diverse disciplines into a unified pipeline for the discovery of pathogenic isoforms and the development of precision splicing-targeted therapies, DECODES will push the boundaries of RNA splicing research and train a new generation of scientists uniquely prepared to become future leaders in academia, biotechnology, and translational medicine.