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(cycle XL) Technologies and Science for Human Health (PhD course) - (ciclo XL) Dottorato in Tecnologie e Scienze per la Salute dell'Uomo 

PhD course description and objective

Aim of the PhD Course is to train highly qualified researchers in the field of Technologies and Sciences applied to Human Health. The course will provide the students with open-mindedness, methodological rigor and attitude in performing multidisciplinary research. This will be achieved through an intense training on experimental research topics related to Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology and Medicine, all aimed at developing knowledge applicable to human health. The research activities as well as the courses are carried out, by Board’s research groups with proven scientific skills in synergy. The research and the teaching activities are performed within a dense network of national and international collaborations in academia and with companies and research institutions. 

The possible research activities, dealing with human health, range from basic research in the field of nanosciences, biology, biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences and medicine to applied research in the industrial, food, environmental, medical diagnostic and therapeutic fields. PhD students will acquire project and implementation skills through activities on innovative research projects and will be guided in the organization and management of experimental scientific research. During the PhD courses a minimum period of six months of research activity abroad will be planned. The high specialized training will be aimed at developing critical sense, specific experimental skills and the ability to self-manage research in a multidisciplinary and international context. Significant support in terms of instrumentation and laboratories is provided by the Board’s University Departments and by the ATeN Center of the University of Palermo (a research and development infrastructure in Europe in the sector of Biotechnology applied to human health which offers facilities in different fields ranging from the synthesis of materials to in vivo tests / Ministerial Decree No. 1082 of 09.10.2021 - PNIR 2021 -2027). 

To promote internationalization and the quality of research, the program requires PhD students to spend a research and training period abroad for at least 6 months (possibly at different locations). The end-of-year seminar activities are conducted in English, and the thesis must be written in English. 

 

Moreover, the following programs are available (optional): 

• Dual Degree PhD Program: in collaboration with the “Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences”, University of Copenhagen, for eligible research projects with topics related to biophysics and pharmaceutical sciences. 

 

• Co-supervised PhD Program: in collaboration with the PhD Medical School of Universidad Abierta Interamericana (Buenos Aires, Rosario, Argentina) for eligible research projects with topics related to medical and biomedical sciences. 

 

Main Research topics

• Molecular Biophysics;  
• Medical Physics; 
• Theranostics; Materials and Nanotechnology for Human Health;  
• Biotechnologies applied to Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals;  
• Study of Oncogenesis Mechanisms;  
• In Vivo Models of Toxicology and Pathologies and their Use in Preclinical Assays of Active Molecules;  
• Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics;  
• Development and Validation of Systems and Technologies in the Prosthetic Field;  
• Study of Genomic Instability Mechanisms and their Impact on Human Health;  
• Development and Study of Tissue Engineering Devices for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Use. 

 

Administration

A 6 months’ research period abroad is required during the PhD program. In order to receive the expected 50% fellowship increase, the PhD board approval should be required in advance.

Missions and refunds: the rules of STEBICEF department have to be strictly followed ( https://www.unipa.it/dipartimenti/stebicef )

contact: missioni.stebicef@unipa.it

Rules and regulations 

 

Doctor Europaeus

University may grant the certification of "Doctor Europaeus," in addition to the title and the national value of its Doctoral Programme on a proposal of the Academic Board in respect to individual requests from one or more graduate students, provided the following four conditions:

(a) positive assessment of the thesis given by at least two professors from two European universities different from each other and from the university where the thesis is discussed;

(b) at least one member of the final examination commission must belong to a different university in a European country respect to that where the thesis is discussed and of those of the professors referred to in point (a);

(c) discussion of a part of the thesis in one of the official languages of the European Union different from that of the country where the thesis is discussed;

(d) performance of the research presented in the thesis during a stay of at least 3 months even not continuous in a European country different from the one where the candidate is registered.

Verified the compliance with all the requirements, the certification issue of Doctor Europaeus occurs simultaneously with that of Doctor of Research.

https://www.unipa.it/didattica/dottorati/dottorato-internazionale/doctor-europaeus/