Welcome Message from the PhD Coordinator Prof. Lino Nobili:
"It is a real pleasure to welcome all our new PhD students.
This program is designed to foster your scientific training and to nurture your passion for research. By choosing to embark on a PhD, you have already demonstrated a solid foundation and interest in scientific work. Our role—as your supervisors and as the academic board—is to support you throughout this journey and to help you develop your individual research project.
We are also committed to offering a well-structured training program aimed at deepening your knowledge in the field of Neuroscience and promoting your scientific growth."
Program Overview
The PhD in Neuroscience aims to train highly qualified researchers in the field of Neuroscience. It encompasses various areas of expertise and research fields, all sharing a focus on both clinical and basic experimental research. The primary goal is to advance our understanding of nervous system function, the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, and, as a final potential outcome, the treatment of such conditions.
Given the complexity of the discipline, three distinct training curricula have been established, sharing common elements but tailored to different research areas:
Educational Objectives
The PhD program in Neuroscience aims to train highly qualified researchers with a focus on clinical neuroscience, motor-sports science, or basic science, depending on the chosen curriculum.
At the end of the three-year program, PhD graduates will be integrated into a collaborative research network and will be able to independently tackle fundamental or clinical research challenges using the most appropriate methodologies.
Career Prospects
Graduates of the PhD program can pursue various professional paths, including:
- Academic careers
- The National Health Service
- The pharmaceutical industry
- Public and private research institutions, both nationally and internationally
Collaborations
The PhD in Neuroscience benefits from a strong and ongoing collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), which has dedicated an entire curriculum to Neuroscience and Neurotechnology. IIT provides scholarships and hosts PhD students in its laboratories to conduct research projects. The institute offers state-of-the-art facilities and an internationally oriented environment, ensuring a multidisciplinary and multicultural exchange of knowledge.
Additionally, the program maintains close partnerships with two IRCCS research hospitals in Genoa:
• IRCCS Policlinico San Martino
• G. Gaslini Institute
The program also collaborates with Italian hospital institutions and private entities through agreements enabling the activation and funding of Executive PhDs with a strong industrial focus.
Teaching atctivity and Credit Requirements
The Neuroscience PhD program has chosen to concentrate its training efforts through the Summer School, consisting of two annual sessions. Each session includes five days dedicated to cross-disciplinary topics relevant to all three curricula, as well as more specific sessions focused on individual research areas. English is the official language of the PhD program.
Key areas covered include:
- Neurological disorders
- Motor activity
- Psychiatry
- Pharmaceutical sciences
- Soft skills training (e.g., scientific writing, statistics, research methodologies)
The program features lectures and seminars from distinguished national and international neuroscience experts. Additionally, throughout the year, students can attend university-level seminars, symposia, and lectures, as well as participate in national and international congresses and courses.
To obtain the PhD degree, students must earn at least 180 ECTS credits over the three-year program through:
• Research activities under the supervision of a mentor
• Participation in the PhD Summer School
• Attendance of advanced courses, seminars, and national/international conferences
• Research periods abroad and/or in industry
• Publication of scientific articles
Admission to the PhD Program
Admission to the PhD in Neuroscience is subject to a competitive selection process, typically announced in spring and published on the official webpage.
At the end of each year, PhD students must submit an annual report on their research activities and progress, written in English, which will be evaluated by the Academic Board.
In the third year, students must submit and defend their PhD thesis in order to qualify for the final examination.
The PhD program is governed by regulations available on the dedicated webpage.