Ph.D. in Translational Medicine

Specific Program Objectives include: 

• Provide in-depth mentoring to assure productive research training
• Provide research opportunities which enhance creative and global thinking in the design of research projects through a molecular genetic approach
• Teach fundamental theory and knowledge in the subject areas essential to clinical research
• Provide a critical environment fostering inquiry, integrity, teaching and communication skills, high productivity, and working in a multi-disciplinary environment.

Particular emphasis is placed on translational and interdisciplinary applications consistent with the development of experimental protocols in vivo and in vitro and animal models. These are engineered to provide adequate validation of new pathological markers of targeted therapeutical strategies in a broad spectrum of chronic degenerative diseases, in the area of oncology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular diseases. 

The experimental models enable the design of preclinical and clinical studies on biomarkers of early-stage, drugs, and biomolecular systems able to promote a prompt and accurate diagnosis. In this context, the programming on technology advanced basis (self-factory, computational chemistry of new molecules) can be used as diagnostic and therapeutical clinical tools. 

The Ph.D. program operates in the Department of Pharmacy and Health and Nutritional Science (DFSSN), awarded as “Department of Excellence” by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities, and Research (MIUR) over 2018-2022 in the medical area, in cooperation with the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies (CTC).

The Ph.D. program in “Translational Medicine”, which is planned throughout the 3-year, includes the following curricula: 

• Molecular basis of diseases and pharmacological approaches for translational medicine
• The design of innovative molecules for both diagnostic and clinical use

• Kimmel Cancer Center Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
• Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France.
• Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Paris, France.
• Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics, University of Calgary, Canada.
• Departamento de Química e Bioquímica da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
• Baylor College of Medicine, Lester & Sue Smith Breast Center, Houston, TX, USA.
• Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Breast Centre, University of Manchester, UK.
• University of Salford, Manchester, UK.
• Department of Pathology, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, USA.
• University Hospital Erlangen, Institute of Pathology, Bavaria, Germany.
• Universitat Politècnica de València, Institute of Chemical Technology, Spain.
• Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University.
• Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, UK.
• German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
• Université de Montpellier - Institut Charles Gerhardt de Montpellier (ICGM), France.
• Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and UCL, London, UK.
• Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, Castello, Spain.
• Department of Therapeutic Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, University of Mons, Belgium.
• Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium.
• Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
• Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.

Training

Ph.D. students will attend to their chosen research project in the School labs and those of associated institutions, working under the supervision of a tutor. 

Students will be involved in a host of activities - from journal clubs, workshops, and training sessions in communication skills to a full spectrum of lectures organized during the Ph.D. program with a strong international representation. Participation in these activities is mandatory. 

Opportunities to carry out stages for complementary training in laboratories of national/international institutions are also provided by the Ph.D. program.

Courses

The courses of the PhD program in “Translational Medicine” include advanced courses organized by the University and courses held by scientific board members and by national/international experts and professors, highly qualified in the disciplines belonging to the scientific fields relevant to the degree program. The course credits are mainly scheduled in the first and second years of the cycle. The third year is mostly dedicated to complete the research and write the doctoral thesis. Minimum credit requirements for each PhD student must be at least 30 CFU.