International PhD in “Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics”
Palermo, Italy
Learning type(s): In Person
Language(s): English, Italian
Duration: 3 years
Degrees available: PhD
Domains: Circuit Dynamics and Oscillations, Cognition and Neural Network, Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience, Motivation, Emotion and Behaviour, Motor Systems, Neurodegenerative Disorders and Pathological Aging, Neurogenesis and Development, Neurons and Glia: Intrinsic Properties, Cell Biology and Cell Types, Other Brain Diseases, Ischemia, Stroke, Injury, Psychiatric and Cognitive Disorders, Sensory Systems, Synaptic Integration, Excitability and Plasticity
Subdomains: Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Anatomy, Animal behaviour, Animal studies, Association cortex, Ataxias, Brain-machine interface, Cell excitability, Cell types, CNS autoimmune diseases, Data analysis and software tools, Electrophysiology, Epilepsy, Gene expression and regulation, Human studies, Huntington's disease, Imaging methods, Intracellular dynamics, Ion channels, Ischemia, Learning and memory, Mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, Metabolism, Mitochondria, Molecular and genetic techniques, Molecular signals and their receptors, Motor control, Motor control centers, Motor neuron diseases, Motor neurons and muscle, Multisensory integration, Neurogenesis and gliogenesis, Neuroimmunology, Neurotransmitters and their receptors, Pain, Parkinson's disease, Peripheral nerve diseases, Psychiatric disorders, Regulation of food intake, nutrient and liquid homeostasis and body weight, Social cognition and behavior, Stress and the brain, Synaptic plasticity, Synaptic transmission, Tactile/somatosensory system, Transporters, Vision
School Programme Description
The PhD Program in “Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics” (BiND) at the University of Palermo offers a rigorous and international research environment, with interdisciplinary training across three curricula: Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics. The program prepares students to address complex scientific challenges at the interface of basic science, clinical research and technological innovation.
A hallmark of the program is its long-standing partnership with the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB, USA). This collaboration provides PhD students with outstanding opportunities to carry out extended research stays abroad—18 months for international-track students—culminating in the awarding of dual degrees from the University of Palermo and UTMB.
The Neuroscience curriculum focuses on diverse research areas, fostering both experimental and theoretical approaches. Research spans from cellular and molecular neuroscience to systems-level investigations of brain function and dysfunction, computational modeling, neuroimaging, and neuroinformatics. Key topics include cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, neurodegenerative diseases, and the cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying neural excitability and plasticity. This broad training enables students to engage with some of the most pressing questions in contemporary neuroscience, supported by state-of-the-art methodologies and a multidisciplinary research environment. PhD students attend a wide range of academic courses offered annually in specific subfields of neuroscience, ensuring a well-rounded and in-depth formation by the end of the three-year program. Students benefit from individualized mentoring, access to international networks, and collaborative projects with top-tier researchers.
All educational activities are held in English. The program combines structured coursework, research rotations and independent thesis work. Annual evaluations ensure steady progress, and international mobility is a core requirement, with all students spending at least six months abroad.
By the end of the program, graduates emerge as highly trained researchers equipped with the scientific expertise, technical competencies, and global perspective necessary to drive innovation and excellence in neuroscience and biomedical science worldwide.
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