PhD Programme in Medicine and Translational Surgery
The general aim of the Doctoral Course in Translational Medicine and Surgery is to provide PhD students with a thorough theoretical and practical preparation in translational research.
Translational research aims to transfer the results of basic research into useful clinical applications. It can be defined as all research activities which include:
- basic scientific studies defining the biological effects of treatments in humans;
- investigations in humans that delineate the biology of the disorder and provide the scientific foundation for the development or improvement of new therapies;
- pre-clinical or animal model studies conducted with the aim of improving clinical therapies;
- studies aimed at allowing an adequate development of a product for clinical use according to the various phases of the registration process.
Translational research has been identified as one of the fundamental strategic objectives in the biomedical research field of the European Union in the H2020 program, where the emphasis is placed precisely on the importance of transforming fundamental discoveries into clinical applications.
Disease mechanisms are studied in their molecular, anatomical and functional components looking for mechanisms common to different expressions of wide spread disorders such as cardiovascular, endocrine-metabolic, infectious and disorders of aging, such as inflammation, oxidative stress , endothelial dysfunction, autoimmunity.
The disease mechanisms mentioned above also come into play in the main pathologies of surgical interest, therefore an innovative approach to the surgical problems of daily clinical practice requires the use of a translational surgical research approach.
Training program:
The training course is divided into 3 years.
The first year is dedicated to basic didactic activities according to a specific program of lessons which includes frontal lessons and seminar cycles held by internal and external teachers of the Doctoral faculty alongside an intensive specific laboratory activity.
To these courses others are added on topics common to all the Doctoral courses of the University of Perugia.
The second year provides for an intense research and laboratory activity, supported by a continuous updating of the topics of interest through didactic activities, literature study and participation in national and international conferences in which doctoral students are encouraged to present their research results.
The third year includes, in addition to research and continuous updating, the preparation of the final experimental thesis.
At the end of each year, doctoral students are required to submit an annual report on the activities carried out and a plan for the following year.
During the three years, it is compulsory for each PhD student to spend a minimum period of 3 months and a maximum of 18 months at a University or private laboratory abroad or at least in an Italian location different from the actual working site.