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Course objectives

The PhD Course of Pharmacological sciences aims to educate Pharmacologists to become Principal Investigators in research teams for the study of innovative drugs, capable of detecting adverse reactions, to operate as toxicologists, experts in pharmacovigilance anddrug utilization. With the purpose to fulfil novel needs of the healthcare system as well as the academic and industrial worlds.

knowledge will be developed integrating the pharmacological, toxicological and epidemiological fields, to address all aspects characterizing the new drugs discovery, personalized therapy, prevention and management of toxicological risk.

In the Acamedic Board, instructors belonging to the field of Pharmacology predominate along with professionals in the area of Clinical Medicine. The teaching staff is also composed of professors and researchers coming from public and private Italian and/or foreign institutions.

Educational activities

- First year

Teaching activities are prevalent in the first year, where several key courses are recommended:

Information Literacy in Pharmacological Sciences;

Bio-Statistics;
Academic English for PhD Students.

In the second year, attendance at a specialized course in “Advanced Pharmacology” is recommended.

- Second year

The course, consists of five modules:

1. Pharmacokinetics
2. Clinical Biochemistry
3. Methods of Molecular Pharmacology
4. Applied Aspects of Clinical Research Methodology
5. Neuropharmacology

Additionally, a short course on scientific writing ("How to write a scientific article") will be available.

A research presentation day in which second-year PhD students can share their experiences with colleagues from other medical PhD programs will be held, fostering interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity between fields.

- Third year

The third year is dedicated to completing research activities and writing the thesis, with the recommendation of a period of training abroad (typically of 6 months). Additionally, a short course on techniques for reviewing scientific articles (How to review a scientific article) is provided.

- Other proposed activities include:

First year: Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Courses in Fundamental Sciences
Third year: The course of “Communicating Science Effectively”, that aims at teaching techniques for scientific communication and dissemination

The PhD program in Pharmacological Sciences organizes an annual Summer School (Summer retreat), a two-day scientific exchange and presentation of research activities by PhD students from all three years.
To improve teaching and communication skills, PhD students are encouraged to participate in tutoring and supplementary teaching activities (up to 40 hours/year) and science dissemination (Third Mission, up to 5 hours).
For admission to the final exam, students must acquire at least 15 credits (CFU), including 3 CFU from attending seminars (mandatory 3 seminars/year, 1 CFU each), organized within the PhD program or by other PhDs to foster interdisciplinarity.
To acquire CFU, PhD students must attend at least 75% of the scheduled hours for each activity.

Additionally, participation in at least one national or international conference with a presentation of research results is strongly encouraged during the three-year period.

Research areas

Degenerative diseases of the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system: underlying mechanisms, including genetic bases, and potential therapeutic interventions;
Treatment of cardiovascular diseases and differences in pharmacological response related to aging and gender;
Pain therapy, intensive care, and hyperbaric medicine;
Pharmacological study of compounds with antitumor activity and mechanisms of resistance;
Role of the autonomic nervous system in bronchial function and in the development of new pharmacological agents;
Pharmacological molecular targets in the immune system;
Pharmacological modulation of chronic inflammatory diseases;
Metabolomic and lipidomic studies applied to the identification of new pharmacological targets;
Study of medicinal plants and related natural compounds as potential pharmacological agents;
Pharmacokinetic studies of drugs, including in relation to liver diseases;
Personalization of therapy through pheno/genotyping and therapeutic drug monitoring, and development of diagnostic screening tests;
Pharmacological and environmental toxicology, including the presence of xenobiotics in urban water cycles;
Development of new eco-friendly, species-selective pesticides;
Pharmacovigilance and drug utilization studies: use and safety of biosimilars and antibacterial drugs in hospital settings;
Occupational exposure assessment to crystalline silica.

Professional profile

- The PhD Course provides qualified training in pharmacological and toxicological fields;

- The interdisciplinary nature of the course and the research topics allow career opportunities in Italian healthcare sector (ULSS, hospitals, pharmacovigilance centers), in pharmaceutical industry, research centers, universities, government institutions in Italy and abroad;

The intense training activity allowed our young PhDs to fully enter the work world mainly in basic and applied scientific research field, clinical pharmacology, preventive medicine, epidemiology and risk management.

It’s expected that Pharmacological Sciences PhDs will occupy the following roles:
Postdoctoral Researcher in Italian and foreign universities; Pharmacovigilance experts; Scholarship holders in various universities; Managers in drug manufacturers; Research fellows in various universities; University professors.

  Other information

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