PhD Programme in Molecular and Experimental Medicine (MEM)
The Programme
The MEM PhD Programme provides training in various fields of life sciences and molecular medicine offering a stimulating environment with access to state-of-the-art technology and clinical case lists for translational studies.
Two different curricula are available, candidates are required to specify their curriculum preferences when applying.
- The MEM Curriculum provides for the research activities to develop along, yet not remain limited to, the following main areas, including: oncological immunopathology, molecular cardiometabolics, genetics, neurosciences. An overall vision of regenerative and precision medicine is the theme running throughout the programme. The curriculum provides specific training for enabling technologies, such as imaging, flow cytometry, genomics and bioinformatics.
- The MEM-Clinical Curriculum aims to combine basic or clinical experimental research activities with clinical practice involving patient enrolment and assessment in specific trials. The course provides for ordinary clinical practice in the hospital under the supervision of a doctor (up to a maximum of 20 hours per week) and experimental laboratory activities, which include but are not limited to cellular and molecular biology, information technology, immunology and the use of preclinical models. Candidates will be directly responsible for research projects approved by their clinical supervisor and/or laboratory head.
For both curricula, the PhD will be conducted in a stimulating environment involving the organisation of Journal Clubs and seminars given by national and international speakers, participation in congresses, informal meetings between different disciplines, as well as encouraging researchers to work independently and collaborate with groups abroad. Liaising with tutors and non-Italian discussants further develops the international dimension.
Career Opportunities
The PhD program aims to train experts in clinical and industrial research, preparing them to take up careers in biotech companies, translational research, in clinical or academic fields worldwide. Thanks to a “translational” approach, professionals will quickly transfer new knowledge from basic sciences to bio-medicine with the aim of creating new and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
| PhD Coordinator: Prof. Maria Rescigno | |
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| Places available
8 places The number of available places and/or scholarships may increase in the event that external funding becomes available by the deadline set for the completion of the call application procedure. |
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| Language
English |
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| Duration
3 years |
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| Beginning of teaching activities
1st December 2023 |
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| Application deadline 11th July 2023 |
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| Regolamento PhD MEM |
| CONTACTS |
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| For further information you can contact phd@hunimed.eu |
Didactic Activities
The PhD course in Molecular and Experimental is articulated into three main types of didactic activities:
Research activities
Every student is assigned a research topic under the supervision of a Supervisor; the research activity in the laboratory is a full-time activity
Mandatory frontal activities
Linguistics, Informatics, Research management and funding, Intellectual property are the main topics
- Mandatory courses
| Course name | Year | Professor | CFU |
| Scientific Methods | I | Rosella Visintin | 1,5 |
| Science Ethics | II + III | Mattia Andreoletti | 1 |
| Flow cytometry | at least once in three years | – | 1,5 |
| Image analysis | at least once in three years | – | 1,5 |
| Microscopy | at least once in three years | – | 1,5 |
| Scientific Writing | II | Miriam Alcalay | 1,5 |
| Bioinformatics | II | Simone Puccio | 1 |
| Biostatistics – basic | I | Daniele Piovani | 2,5 |
- Seminar series (Journal Club on a specific topic between the speaker and the PhD students followed by a public seminar on the same topic)
Elective activities
Seminars and courses, offered by the Humanitas University and Humanitas Research Labs, which the PhD students can freely join according to their research field and interests.
Admission Requirements
MEM Curriculum
Applicants wishing to enrol on the PhD course in Molecular and Experimental Medicine, MEM Curriculum must either have a “laurea magistrale” awarded in accordance with D.M. 270/2004 or equivalent qualification awarded by a foreign university (usually referred to as a Master’s Degree), in one of the subjects listed in the official Call for Applicants.
Applicants who are waiting to be awarded the required qualification at the date of submission can also take part in the selection process providing they have passed all of the Degree course exams at the time of the online application and are awarded the qualification before the beginning of the academic activities. In the event these applicants pass the selection process, their enrolment on the PhD course is conditional upon providing proof that the qualification is awarded.
MEM-Clinical Curriculum
Applicants wishing to enrol on the PhD Course in Molecular and Experimental Medicine, MEM-Clinical Curriculum must:
- be enrolled on the Medical Register
- already possess a specialist medical qualification
Alternatively, applications will also be taken from doctors in specialist training who will enrol in the final year in a School of Specialisation at Humanitas University.
Fees and Scholarships
PhD students are required to pay an annual fee for access and attendance, set at €250,00 for the academic year 2023/2024, including the regional tax and stamp duty.
Detailed information about each topic’s scholarship or equivalent contract can be found in the research topics table below, by clicking on each topic ID.
| Fondazione Dompé |
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| Fondazione Dompé funds 4 full scholarships for EU students.
Discover our talents founded by Fondazione Dompé, listen to Silvia Penati’s testimonial |
How to Apply
- Registration or access with your LOGINMIUR credentials
- Application form submission
- Payment of the application contribution
The application form must be completed in all its parts, on penalty of exclusion. In particular, applicants must submit all of the following documents in PDF format:
- Curriculum vitae
- Motivation letter
- Copy of a valid ID or passport (for Non-EU citizens)
- Diploma Supplement
- Copy of the receipt of payment of € 30,00
Additionally, applicants may indicate name and contacts of maximum two referees, preferably chosen among those who have had a supervising role of the candidates. The referees will be directly contacted by Humanitas University and asked to complete a brief letter of reference, which should be sent by 14th July.
Further details about the application procedure will be reported in the official call for applicants.
Admission Process
Admission to the PhD Programme is based on a public selection process consisting of:
- the comparative evaluation of the titles and qualifications and
- an interview carried out in English by a Committee composed of a maximum of seven members.
The aim of the selection process is to assess the knowledge, competencies and aptitude of the applicants for scientific research as well as their motivation for undertaking the PhD programme.
Prior to the interview, applicants may be asked to take a multiple choice test, aimed at assessing the applicant’s specific knowledge in the fields of the research projects of the Campus.
A good knowledge of English is required and will be tested during the interview.
Should reasons justify it, the test and interview can be conducted via video-conference. Those who intend to conduct the interview via video-conference or request special assistance should specify this on the application form.
Research Topics
| Topic ID | Curriculum | Supervisor | Lab Name | Project Title |
| MEM1 | Standard | Lugli | Lab of Translational Immunology | Immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment mediated by regulatory T cells |
| MEM2 | Standard | Chiarito Bongiovanni |
Cardiovascular department | Role of platelet heterogeneity and platelet-leukocyte interactions in coronary syndrome |
| MEM3 | Standard | Di Tommaso | Hepatobiliary Immunopathology Lab | Identification of therapeutic targets using HCC derived organoid augmented with TME components |
| MEM5 | Standard | Carlo-Stella | Lymphoma Translational Research Lab | Single-cell analysis to identify signatures of response to immunotherapy in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma |
| MEM6 | Standard | Bonecchi | Chemokine biology | Rewiring granulopoiesis to promote differentiation of antitumoral neutrophils |
| MEM7 | Standard | Matteoli | Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Pathology – IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital | Role of the immune system in neuronal functions |
| MEM8 | Standard | Matteoli Folci |
Pharmacology and Brain Pathology Lab | Investigating the role of Oligophrenin-1 SUMOylation in the etiology and treatment of X-Linked Intellectual Disability |
| MEM9 | Standard | Lovisa Vetrano |
Plasticity, Fibrosis and Cancer Lab. | Role of epithelial plasticity in cancer initiation. |
| MEM10 | Standard | Menna Fossati |
Pharmacology and brain pathology | Role of Pentraxin 3 in prenatal inflammation on foetal neurodevelopment |
| MEM11 | Standard | Vetrano Armuzzi |
Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Immunopathology | The use of Artificial intelligence for addressing the role of Lipids in the Pathogenesis of Fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease |
| MEM12 | Standard | Rescigno Brescia |
Mucosal Immunology | Testing the selectivity and therapeutic potential of biological treatments targeting different TSLP (Thymic stromal lymphopoietin) isoforms |
| MEM13 | Standard | Bonecchi | Chemokine biology | Role of chemokine receptors in neutrophil differentiation and effector activities in tumor microenvironment |
| MEM14 | Standard | Di Mitri | Tumor microenvironment Unit | Dissecting the role of innate immunity in pathology |
| MEM15 | Standard | Condorelli | Molecular Cardiology | The link between metabolism and heart failure |
| MEM16 | Standard | Greco | Circadian Metabolism Lab | Heart-to-liver cross-talk in heart failure |
| MEM17 | Standard | Greco | Circadian Metabolism Lab | Molecular mechanisms underlying circadian disruption in heart failure |
| MEM18 | Standard | Lodato | – | Identifying how cortical neuronal diversity influences early spontaneous activity (before birth), and the molecular features and functional role of developing neurons. |
| MEM19 | Standard | Lodato | – | Multiple model systems to test new RNA drugs to treat genetic diseases impacting the central nervous system, by exploiting novel strategies that allow an in-depth characterization of their pharmacodynamic profile and pharmacokinetics. |
| MEM20 | Standard | Rescigno | Postbiotica | Functional role of Postbiotics in gut-brain axis dysfunctions |
| MEM21 | Standard | Passoni Matteoli |
Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Pathology | Cancer neuroscience: translational opportunities for glioblastoma |
| MEM22 | Standard | Di Mitri | Tumor microenvironment Unit | Unravelling the role of the innate immune response in resistance to anti-cancer therapies |
| MEM23 | Standard | Kallikourdis | Adaptive Immunity Laboratory | Deciphering the triangular axis of immune, cardiac and pregnancy-related disease via multi-omics analysis, as a path to improved personalized therapy |
| MEM24 | Standard | Rescigno | Mucosal Immunology and Microbiota Unit | Nutrition, Endometriosis, and Immunity: Investigating Molecular Interactions |
| MEM25 | Standard | Fossati | Cell Biology of the Synapse Lab | Investigation of genetic determinants of Angelman syndrome pathophysiology in human neurons |
| MEM26 | Standard | Condorelli | Molecular Cardiology | Genome editing approach for the therapy of LMNA-dependent inherited cardiomyopathy |