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Course objectives

The general objective of the program is to train researchers capable of taking on nationally and internationally relevant roles in biomedical research and innovation and in health planning, with particular focus on women’s and children’s health.
A more specific objective is to develop, through a multidisciplinary approach, the different vocations of the PhD students, who often come from diverse backgrounds (physicians, biologists, chemists, epidemiologists). The program offers them the opportunity to carry out basic research under the supervision of experienced researchers equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and technologies, or to carry out clinical research by joining various working groups with strong expertise and tradition in this area.
The training of clinical scientists who integrate the different fields of research (laboratory, clinical, and translational) is strongly pursued by our program.

Another specific objective is the internationalization of PhD students, which is promoted by encouraging research periods in foreign institutions and giving them the opportunity to join research groups recognized as national and international leaders in their fields. This creates a unique environment for PhD candidates who, in addition to having access to the financial resources necessary to conduct their research, have the opportunity to establish cross-border collaborations.

Another aspect of internationalization concerns the field of International Cooperation, offering, on the one hand, opportunities for interested PhD students to carry out operational research in low-resource countries, and on the other, opportunities for graduates from those countries to access the PhD program.

Educational activities

The research program is supported by an educational plan that includes four levels:

- Lectures and seminars on topics of interest for various research fields, with particular attention to research methodology;

- Elective training activities on topics of specific interest to each PhD student;

- Scientific events on multidisciplinary topics of interest to all PhD students in the course and/or courses in the biomedical area;

- Active teaching by the PhD student, who is involved in activities of both the PhD course itself (journal club) and other courses (such as specialty schools, master's programs, grand rounds).

On average, in the 3 years of the course there are from 30 to 40 PhD students enrolled in the program. One of the peculiar characteristics of the program is the diverse background of the PhD students. In recent years, about 50% had a degree in medicine and surgery, about 30% had a degree in biology/biotechnology, and the remaining came from other degree programs (chemistry, psychology, etc.). This promotes a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to research and teaching. The program is highly attractive for additional resources, as demonstrated by the fact that more than two-thirds of the PhD scholarships are funded by external entities.

Research areas

The research programs that characterize this doctoral course are dedicated to the following areas:

- Pediatric oncology: the mission of this area is to improve diagnostics and identify new mechanisms of tumourigenesis and new therapeutic targets; develop innovative strategies for pediatric cancer, through 3D and in vivo tumor modeling and gene therapy

- Predictive Medicine: Metabolomics is a new research field that promises to contribute significantly to the characterization of various disease phenotypes and to the identification of personal metabolic characteristics that can predict response to therapies. The aim of this area is to develop metabolic fingerprints useful for distinguishing between different disease phenotypes and for predicting the efficacy and/or toxicity of a drug

- Regenerative medicine: the main objective is the development of a series of in vitro and in vivo models to study the application of extracellular vesicles as a therapeutic tool in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

- Genetic and rare diseases: the objective of this research area is the study of the biological basis of the genetically heterogeneous conditions of neurodevelopment, metabolic and mitochondrial diseases

The program also includes a specific program dedicated to health epidemiology and organization
The Program is supported by the presence of many research groups recognized as national and international leaders in their fields, fostering the possibility for the Ph.D. student to establish cross-border collaborations.

Students can find the Department's laboratories the right place to develop their research plans. The laboratories are located within the Pediatric Research Institute (IRP), a large facility (over 17,500 m2) equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and technologies and a stimulating environment where the Ph.D. students can learn from more experienced researchers and develop their own skills.
The Course also makes use of the presence in the same Department of the Divisions of Pediatric and Gynecological Surgery and Human Reproduction which have their own research area, including regenerative medicine, assisted reproduction medicine and prenatal diagnosis.

Professional profile

Insertion into academic roles, both in research and teaching, is only one of the possible career prospects, which also include positions in the managerial ranks of the National Health Service as well as in the biomedical industry. Existing international collaborations offer concrete employment opportunities at some of the most prestigious research institutions in Europe and beyond.

There are also prospects for employment in national and international governmental and non-governmental organizations (e.g., WHO, ISS, AIFA, Doctors with Africa–CUAMM, etc.). In the short term, PhD candidates may find opportunities as research fellows, holders of research grants, or principal investigators of research projects dedicated to early-career scientists, thus creating solid foundations for an academic career at this University as well as at other academic institutions.

The recent introduction of “two-year research contracts” and the creation of research technologist positions, both fixed-term and permanent, represent additional qualified career opportunities for PhD graduates from this program.

  Curriculum

• ONCOHEMATOLOGY, MEDICAL GENETICS, RARE DISEASES AND PREDICTIVE MEDICINE
• HEALTHCARE PLANNING SCIENCES

  Other information

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