PhD in Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences

Academic Year 2021/2022 PON Scholarships Call
Subject area Medical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Medical Sciences
Cycle 37
Coordinator Prof.ssa Matilde Yung Follo
Language English, Italian
Duration 3 years
Positions 6 positions. More information in the PhD Programme Table.
Application deadline Oct 20, 2021 at 11:59 PM (Expired)
Enrolment period From Nov 05, 2021 to Nov 12, 2021
Doctoral programme start date Jan 01, 2022
Operating centre
Bologna
Main Department
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences - DIBINEM
Associated Departments
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences - DIMEC
Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine - DIMES
Research topics
  • Biomedical and Molecular Sciences
  • Clinical and Experimental Physiopathology
  • Basic and Clinical Neurosciences
  • Morphology, Differentiation and Stem Cells
  • Personalized Medicine in Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences
Job opportunities and potential areas of employment
Academics, National Health Service, National and International Biotech and Pharmaceutical Companies.
Admission Board

Name Surname University Role email
Patrizia Fattori Università di Bologna Member
Paola Taddei Università di Bologna Member
Caterina Tonon Università di Bologna Member
Lorenzo Breschi Università di Bologna Substitute
Francesca Bisulli Università di Bologna Substitute
Elisabetta Ciani Università di Bologna Substitute
Learning outcomes
The aim of the PhD programme is to provide to the scientific community outstanding young researchers who can lead research groups in the Universities, Hospitals, Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industries. Our PhDs will have comprehensive skills in the fields of: Morphology and functions of the nucleus; Gene regulation mechanisms; Morphogenesis, organogenesis and differentiation; Stem cells; Biopathology of acute and chronic lymphoproliferative and myeloproliferative disorders; Nervous system; Cellular and molecular aspects of nerve function; Pathophysiology of the sleep-wake cycle; Neurological pathologies; Neuropharmacology and Neuropathology; Image analysis and biomolecular correlates; Clinical and Experimental Pathology and Pathophysiology; Medical biotechnology and biomedical technologies; Biochemistry of metabolic systems.
Activities to be carried out by Doctoral candidates
- Teaching: PhD candidates must attend at least 5 general seminars given by outstanding international scientists, including Nobel Laureates (in the last years Sir Tim Hunt has been coopted as Special lecturer), as well as lab seminars indicated or delivered by the supervisors.
- Research: each PhD candidate must spend 36 hours per week in the lab under the guidance of thier supervisor.
Research training activities compliant with the Doctoral programme's learning outcomes
The PhD programme is articulated in 8 research topics:
- Biochemistry and Clinicak Biochemistry;
- Medical Biotechnology;
- Experimental Hematology;
- Applied Physiology and Pathophysiology;
- Neurophysiology;
- Human Morphological and Molecolar Sciences.
- Personalised Medicine (Central theme that stems from the MIUR project "Excellent Departments", by coherently aggregating different disciplines and methodologies of the biomedical area, involving different ERC areas of basic and clinical disciplines, such as LS3, LS4, LS5, LS7).
In order to achieve the tasks of the PhD programme, the Academic Board takes advantage from a Steering Committee, constituted by members of the Board belonging each to a research topics. The PhD programme includes laboratory and/or clinical research activities, organised by the Supervisor of each PhD candidate, and teaching activities organised by four entities: the University of Bologna, the pool of medical PhD programmes, the PhD programme itself and the Supervisor of each PhD candidate.
- The University of Bologna organises courses on: basic research management, research systems, research financing, research evaluation and intellectual property, business management. Advanced courses will be organised for PhD candidates with specific interests.
- The pool of medical PhD programmes organises common lectures, courses of scientific English (24 hours, in collaboration with the "Centro Linguistico di Ateneo") and courses on the safety in the biomedical environment (12 hours, in collaboration with the Area "Persone e Organizzazione" of the University and with the safety managers of the medical Departments).
- The PhD programme organises seminars managed by the members of the Academic Board.
- Each Supervisor coordinates the attendance to specific events (meetings, workshops, grand rounds, etc.) and provides advanced bioinformatical education and tools in relation to the specific research project of each PhD candidate.
Internationalization features
- Short training abroad for PhD candidates;
- Foreign candidates: the University of Tsukuba, according to the signed MOU, will send n.2 PhD candidates from Tsukuba (see the attached MOU);
- Online publication of the PhD programme training activities: This has allowed in the past the recruitment of foreign candidates dealing with Erasmus, Socrates-Erasmus, SUNBEAM Erasmus Mundus programmes, as well as candidates coming from British Medical Schools;
- Availability for MOU with foreign Universities aimed at the achievement of dual degree;
- Members of the Academic Board coming from highly qualified foreign Institutions;
- Both Admission and PhD assignment Boards can be constituted by foreign scientists in addition to Italian ones;
- Thesis defense can be carried out also in a foreign language;
- Main universities and international research centres collaborating with the PhD programme:
    - University of Tsukuba, Japan
    - Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
    - Vermont Cancer Center
    - University of Vermont, USA
    - National Institutes of Health, NHLBI, USA
    - MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
Expected research results and products
The Academic Board of the PhD programme will check the candidates' activity as follows:
- monthly: discussion of the results obtained;
- at the end of each year: the PhD candidate must submit to the Academic Board their report and will discuss with the Board members the value of the data after critical evaluation and the future experiments. It is mandatory for each PhD candidate to publish at the end of the programme at least one paper on peer-reviewed journals. The number of papers will be quantified on the basis of the IRIS database.
Doctoral programme Academic Board
Name Surname University/Institution Qualification
Giulio Alessandri Bonetti Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Nicola Baldini Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Francesca Bisulli Università di Bologna Ricercatore Confermato
Lorenzo Breschi Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Valerio Carelli Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Elisabetta Ciani Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Lucio Ildebrando Cocco Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Pietro Cortelli Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Alberto Corrado Di Martino Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Patrizia Fattori Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Matilde Yung Follo Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Rocco Liguori Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Raffaele Lodi Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Lucia Manzoli Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Alberto Maria Martelli Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Diego Mazzatenta Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Piero Parchi Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Carlo Prati Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Federica Provini Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Pann-Ghill Suh Ulsan National InsTitute of Science and Technology - University (Korea, South) Professore Ordinario
Paola Taddei Università di Bologna Professore Associato Confermato
Giovanni Tallini Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Caterina Tonon Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Franco Trevisani Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Giovanni Zucchelli Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario