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Course Objectives

To provide skills that enable students to plan, conduct, and analyze research at both the clinical and experimental levels in the field of Arterial Hypertension and Vascular Biology. Over the three years, the PhD program offers multidisciplinary training equipping candidates with competencies suitable for their immediate integration into highly specialized research groups.

Research Areas
1. Experimental Research

Vascular biology, with particular focus on the endothelium and endothelial dysfunction

Salt/water homeostasis

Pathophysiology of blood pressure control

Genetic and molecular investigations

Experimental models of atherosclerosis

Animal models of arterial hypertension

Molecular and experimental pharmacology

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antihypertensive drugs

2. Clinical Research

Epidemiology and statistics applied to hypertension

Principles of pharmacoeconomics applied to hypertension

Methodologies for assessing organ damage in hypertension

Pathophysiology of secondary forms of arterial hypertension

Guidelines for risk stratification and treatment

Design and planning of clinical studies on hypertension

Educational Activities
– First Year of Research

A general introductory training on research methods is provided. Every year, a course is held at the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), attended by numerous faculty members of the University of Padua’s PhD programs and high-profile experts external to the University. The course aims to illustrate “How to conduct research,” examining the most recent applications of chemistry and physics to medicine and addressing new developments in genetics, molecular biology, statistics, ethics, and social issues.

During the first year, PhD students participate in workshops and research seminars delivered by ARHYVAB faculty members, senior PhD candidates, or external speakers, focusing on various aspects of the cardiovascular system.

Doctoral training includes learning a variety of techniques, with the opportunity to attend advanced courses in different laboratories.

By the end of the first year, the student must have acquired the skills necessary to organize and present research. A specific research project will be assigned and conducted under the supervision of an expert tutor. Progression to the next year depends on the results obtained in the curricular activities during the first year.

– Second and Third Year of Research

In the second year, the PhD candidate focuses on the assigned project. As research advances, the candidate will have the opportunity to present their work at seminars and conferences. Throughout the program, the candidate is required to participate in formal activities, including Weekly Meetings and Journal Clubs, attended by the Faculty Board and other researchers.

In either the second or third year, the PhD student spends at least 6 months abroad at research institutes or universities collaborating with the PhD program.

Work toward the dissertation is progressively discussed with the supervisor. The thesis defense takes place before the ARHYVAB Faculty Board and external experts.

Weekly Meetings (also open to other researchers) are held every Wednesday at 08:15. During these meetings, PhD candidates take turns discussing their project and sharing results to foster collective knowledge advancement, refine methods, and achieve project objectives.

Journal Clubs are held every Friday at 08:15 and consist of interactive discussion sessions.

Professional Profile

ARHYVAB aims to train highly qualified professionals, with the degree awarded jointly by the Rectors of the Partner Universities. Specifically, ARHYVAB seeks to train two professional profiles:

A) Clinical Researchers (Clinician-scientists)
Professionals with skills enabling employment in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, capable of planning, organizing, and conducting clinical trials on arterial hypertension and disseminating results to the public through conferences and publications.

B) Experimental Researchers
Professionals suitable for positions in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, in Italy and abroad, focusing on research into the physiopathological, cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms underlying Arterial Hypertension and its complications.

  Other information

• Calls and Admissions
• The International PhD guide
• Administrative Informations