Biomolecular and Health Sciences
PHD

The Ph.D. in Biomolecular and Health Sciences aims to provide the cognitive, critical and methodological tools for the acquisition of the necessary skills to carry out basic, applied, translational research activities of a high level in the biomolecular and biotechnological sector, which include applications and spin-offs in the field of health, in accordance with Horizon Europe. With a view to a fruitful integration between basic and applied research, lines of research are proposed that offer, although in their specificity, a wide range of interdisciplinary insights that guarantee a solid preparation with skills pertaining to SSD BIO (area 05), MED and M-EDF (area 06) in accordance with the new definitions of the GSD (Ministerial Decree no. 639 of 02-05-2024). The core theme of the Ph.D. in Biomolecular and Health Sciences aggregates content from different ERC areas, in terms of disciplines (Life Science, all areas LS1 to LS9) and methodologies (Physical Sciences and Engineering, PE1_14, PE4_2, PE4_11, PE4_12, PE5_6, PE5_11, PE5_14, PE5_18, PE6_12, PE6_13), providing cross-cutting and interdisciplinary competencies as proposed in the course objectives. All these skills are aimed at training professionals capable of independently conducting research activities and contributing to health care processes of prevention, diagnosis and treatment, with potential development of strategies and solutions.

The tutor, assisted by one or more co-tutors, has the task of guiding and assisting the doctoral student in the formulation of the study plan and is the main responsible and referent to the Board of Teachers of the activities carried out and the progress of his/her research. The Board of Lecturers acquires the annual report prepared by the doctoral student on the activities carried out approved by the mentor, including the credits acquired from attending teaching activities and passing the final examinations when required by the course, for the admission of the doctoral student to the following year or to the final examination.

Starting from the 39th cycle, the Academic Board of the PhD Programme BHS, in accordance with the guidelines of the Quality Assurance of the AVA3 Research Doctorate Courses approved in the Quality Control meeting of 25/10/2023, has established the figure of the Vice-Coordinator ( Teachers' College 01/15/2024) and of the Board (Teachers' College 02/13/2024) made up of, in addition to the Coordinator and Vice-Coordinator, the full professors of the Teachers' College. Furthermore, specific Commissions have been appointed for the continuous improvement of the Doctoral Course such as: Management Teaching Commission, Events & Hospitality Commission, Address Commission, Quality Commission and Joint Professors-PhD Students Commission (Teachers' Board 02/13/2024).
In addition, an Advisory Committee/Board of Advisors has been established and approved by the Department of Biomolecular Sciences Council as reported in the minutes of 11.05.2023. The functions of this committee are to provide support and guidance in the planning of the various educational activities, continuous discussion on the innovation of the pathway, and evaluations about the quality of the research carried out by the PhD students and the success of the postdoctoral placement.

Ph.D. students will pursue research pertaining to their doctoral project under the close supervision of a tutor, and if necessary, a co-tutor, both of whom will be deeply involved in the project.

Students will be able to use the equipment at the following laboratories and centers at the University of Urbino and affiliated facilities: the biochemical and molecular analyses laboratory; the cell biology and cell culture laboratory;  the optical and fluorescence microscopy laboratory; the confocal microscopy laboratory; the transmission, scanning and environmental scanning electron microscopy laboratory; the flow cytometry laboratory; the electrophysiological and calcium imaging laboratory; the mass spectrometry laboratory; the human performance laboratory; laboratories of functional rehabilitation facilities; the Gymnasium gym; enclosures for laboratory animals.

Students will have full access to the materials found in the scientific libraries of the University that boast more than 30,000 subscriptions, and approximately 37,000 scientific monographs, access to databanks (ACM, Environment Complete, Pub-med, Sportdiscus full text, Scopus, WoS, JStor, SciFinder, Scholar, PsychInfo and Psycharticles. Journal packages include Elsevier, Wiley, Springer, Emerald, Oxford University Press, American Chemical Society, American Society of Microbiology, Annual Reviews, Cell Press, Royal Society of Chemistry).

Ph. D. students will have access to the equipment in all participating departments, workstations, laboratory spaces, software and university network infrastructure.

Students in the Ph.D. program may apply for tutoring positions and may be asked to provide a maximum of 40 hours of teaching assistance.

Teaching activities take into account the research scope of the relevant areas and are functional to the various types of applied research envisaged in the doctoral course. The teaching activity includes compulsory multidisciplinary and transversal teachings in the different disciplines, and optional teachings of 10 hours divided into modules that offer flexibility of choice within the overall offer according to the specific interests of each doctoral student. The total commitment will be in terms of: i) frontal teaching activities; ii) teaching activities carried out within laboratories or research infrastructures; iii) individual study; iv) research and preparation of the final paper. All involve the acquisition of 180 CFU over the three-year period of which: i) 60 CFU for structured/seminar educational activities on connotative and characterizing themes. The teaching is mainly delivered in English by members of the teaching board, faculty members belonging to international institutions and invited speakers; ii) 60 CFUs attributable to research activities; iii) 60 CFU for the final examination divided into 45 for thesis preparation and 15 for the discussion of the final paper. The Plan of Studies presents an interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary path with activities involving language (scientific English), computer science and statistics refinement, knowledge of European and international research management systems, exploitation and dissemination of results, intellectual property, and fundamental principles of ethics. Ph.D. students may also.

Contributing to the educational offerings are transversal activities including statistics, computer science, knowledge and management of research systems, and exploitation of the results obtained through intellectual property protection. The doctoral course also places among its educational objectives the acquisition of the ability to work in a team while valuing individual work. These skills will be developed through paths of research activities that include the comparison and discussion of the models and experimental designs used in one's project and the scientific results obtained with the course faculty and among peers. To this end, days are organized each year dedicated to sharing and discussing the results of each doctoral student's research work. The involvement of speakers from foreign research institutions, participation in round tables, workshops, conferences, summer/winter schools abroad of doctoral students and the organization of international scientific events characterize the advanced educational level of the doctoral course and its openness to the international level. In order to promote mobility abroad, the Teachers' Board has made available an additional mobility fund to incentivize and financially support doctoral students who carry out research periods at foreign research institutions of appropriate scientific and cultural level in countries with high cost of living.

The interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary insights and the lines of research proposed by the Doctorate in Biomolecular and Health Sciences guarantee a solid preparation with specific skills on topics related to SSD BIO (area 05), MED and M-EDF (area 06). The research activity, carried out in the technological infrastructure of the Department of Biomolecular Sciences with the support of the reference professors and supplemented by periods of activity in centers of excellence afferent to foreign universities and research institutes, allows for the foreseeable employment and professional outlets in the following areas: universities; public and private research institutions; pharmaceutical, chemical and nutraceutical companies; food industry; public and private chemical-clinical analysis laboratories; hospitals and health companies; biobanks; museums; schools; gyms and rehabilitation centers.

It is interesting to note that the 2022 AlmaLaurea survey on the employment status of research doctors one year after obtaining the research doctorate title, the overall employment rate is equal to 90.9%; this value is in line with what was found in last year's survey of 2021 research doctors, but an increase of 1.9 percentage points compared to the 2019 survey. The employment levels of research doctors are decidedly higher than those registered among second level graduates, highlighting that post-graduate training represents added value and protection against unemployment. The latest AlmaLaurea survey (AlmaLaurea, 2023), carried out in 2022, finds an employment rate for second level graduates, one year after graduation, of 77.1%, i.e. 13.8 percentage points in less than what was observed among research doctors. The same survey also shows that graduates need a longer time to approach the employment levels of research doctors: in fact, it is only five years after graduation that second level graduates reach an employment rate equal to at 88.7%, a value close to that found for PhDs one year after graduation (source: AlmaLaurea – Profile of PhDs 2022. Report 2023)