n.

Course Name

Number
of hours

Distribution throughout the PhD program

Course Description

1.

NEUROANATOMY

10

First Year

Students will acquire basic information about the development of the central and peripheral nervous system necessary to understand the pathophysiology of nervous system diseases from a cellular and molecular perspective and to design experimental plans on cellular and tissue models.

NEUROSCIENCE

Francesco Cappello

2.

INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS

6

First Year

The course aims to provide basic knowledge related to Information and Communication Technology for the processing and analysis of medical data. It begins with an introduction to computer systems, followed by an overview of the structure and organization of both medical information systems and clinical decision support systems.

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Giovanni Cicceri

3.

NEUROPHYSIOLOGY AND NEUROPHARMACOLOGY

15

First Year

The educational objectives of the course are to provide students with theoretical and practical tools for:
i) understanding and recognizing basic and higher neurophysiological functions;
ii) acquiring practical skills related to laboratory techniques and neuroscience investigations;
iii) identifying the etiopathological pathways involved in neurological disorders;
iv) understanding the composition, properties, and actions of drugs used in the treatment of major neurological disorders.

NEUROSCIENCE

Giuditta Gambino, Carla Cannizzaro

4.

HUMAN ANATOMY

20

First Year
Second Year

Students will be able to:

• Acquire basic knowledge of the human body to recognize an organ and identify its function and position.
• Understand the technical foundations of Human Anatomy studies and its modern applications in the biomedical field.

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Fabio Bucchieri

5.

ELECTRONIC MICROSCOPY

8

Second Year

The course will provide in-depth knowledge of the principles governing optical and electron microscopy, sample preparation, and the various operational modes available in the most modern instruments. Case studies will be presented, and practical sessions are included.

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Fabio Bucchieri

6.

EXTRACELLULAR
VESCICLES

10

Second Year

The course will provide students with an overview of extracellular vesicles, their functions, their subtypes, the methods used to isolate and characterize them, and the main pathological alterations in which their etiopathogenetic role has been identified.

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Marianna Lauricella

7.

INNOVATION IN
HEALTHCARE:
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
AND BIODESIGN

8

Second Year

This teaching focuses on 'needs-based innovation,' which has emerged in recent years as an alternative strategy for the development of medical products, particularly in the domain of biomedical technology (medical devices and diagnostics), placing a deep understanding of clinical needs at the starting point of the invention process

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Stefania Raimondo

8.

TARGETING EPIGENETIC
MODULATORS IN CANCER
AND
NEURODEGENERATION

6

Second Year

The teaching will provide PhD students with an in-depth theoretical and practical understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms (such as DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, post-translational modifications of histone tails, and nucleosome positioning) that regulate chromatin structure and gene expression levels without altering the primary DNA sequence, and how these influence carcinogenesis and neurodegenerative diseases

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Sonia Emanuele

9.

DATA SCIENCE AND BIG
DATA ANALYTICS

10

Second Year

This teaching offers the students of our PhD program the opportunity to acquire the necessary knowledge related not only to data analysis but also to their management, from an analytical, computational, and infrastructural perspective, so that they will be able to generate value from data management and analysis

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Francesco Prinzi

10.

NEUROSCIENCE OF
HEARING AND BALANCE

10

Third Year

The course aims to provide an overview of the main neuroplastic phenomena resulting from auditory deprivation in both childhood and adulthood. A particular focus will be on the consequences of the loss of vestibular function. The phenomena of reorganization in the balance system and the adaptation mechanisms implemented by the central nervous system to reduce vertigo symptoms will be described. Finally, the neuroplasticity phenomena that enable the achievement of static and dynamic compensation will be discussed

NEUROSCIENCE

Francesco Martines, Pietro Salvago

11.

MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY
AND
IMMUNOMORPHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES

16

First Year

The objective of this course is to train PhD students in Biomedicine, Neuroscience, and Advanced Diagnostics on morphological and immuno-morphological techniques useful for studying the structural organization of tissues in the human body and laboratory animals (e.g., mice, rats). Regarding morphological techniques, the main histochemical stains (Hematoxylin and Eosin, Masson's Trichrome) will be performed on tissue samples and then observed under an optical microscope, allowing the students, first and foremost, to properly use the instrument and recognize different tissue types and their organization within an organ. Among the immuno-morphological techniques, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence will be performed on tissue samples, followed by the observation of the preparations under both optical and confocal microscopes

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Francesca Rappa, Rosario Barone

12.

LABORATORY
TECHNIQUES IN
MAMMALIAN CELL
BIOLOGY

10

First Year

The objective of this course is to teach PhD students the basic skills necessary to maintain and preserve cell cultures and the main molecular biology techniques. The lectures will cover the following topics: i) Control of cellular metabolism and growth through signaling pathways; Interactions between cells and their environments: general principles of signaling and cellular signal transduction; ii) Regulation of cell survival and proliferation in mammalian cells; iii) Main techniques for studying molecular biology (cell lysates, protein extraction, RNA extraction, isolation of extracellular vesicles); iv) Presentation of the cell cultures used in our laboratory and their characteristics.
The practical experiences will be as follows: 1) Good cell culture practices, including safety procedures, control of structures, equipment, and reagents; 2) Qualitative characteristics of mammalian cell cultures: counting and cell analysis; 3) Cryopreservation testing, cell banking, sterility, and microbial contamination; 4) Maintenance and manipulation of primary and immortalized cell lines under various experimental conditions; 5) Assessing the viability and proliferation of cells cultured under different experimental conditions using the MTT cell proliferation assay; 6) Western blot analysis; 7) RT-PCR analysis; 8) Ultracentrifugation and characterization of extracellular vesicles.

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

13.

FLOW CYTOMETRY AND ITS APPLICATION IN RESEARCH

10

First Year

The course aims to achieve the following objectives: i) knowledge of the principles underlying flow cytometry and the instrumentation; ii) reference points and guidelines for performing cytometric measurements; iii) learning the basic techniques; iv) in-depth exploration of some commonly used applications for studies in the biological and diagnostic fields; v) reading and interpretation of the results obtained. Attendance and participation in the training activities (lectures and laboratory sessions) will enable students to acquire the necessary knowledge to address the different types and approaches that apply cytometric measurements in the biological field (evaluation of cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis) and diagnostic field (immunodeficiencies and oncohematological diseases). The teaching includes 5 hours of lectures delivered through multimedia presentations and presentation of cytometric files, and 5 hours of laboratory attendance.

BIOMEDICINE,ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE

14.

PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE

8

Second Year

Knowledge in Psychophysiology and Cognitive Neuroscience are closely dependent on the methodologies used to explore human brain functions. NIBS techniques (Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation) temporarily interfere with the underlying cortical areas, allowing for direct activation or modulation. Specifically, TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) interferes with brain networks through electric currents induced by a strong magnetic pulse, while tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) induces a weak electric current sufficient to increase or decrease cortical excitability. fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) can detect the BOLD signal, which is correlated with brain hemodynamic changes during a specific task. Embodied artificial intelligence in humanoid robots represents an intriguing new way of simulating the physiological functions of our brain, also modeling active perception and predictive coding. The course will cover the basics of these new technologies and the most up-to-date protocols, and will also illustrate the main clinical and therapeutic applications of NIBS (NIBS in clinical settings). Practical activities will be included to practice data management and analysis.

BIOMEDICINE, ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS AND NEUROSCIENCE