The major objective of this Course is to give students solid theoretical and practical skills of both basic and clinical relevant neurobiology, including the biology and physiology of neurons, their modulation through pharmcological treatments and their pathogenic alterations. In particular, through an interdisciplinar program, fellows will acquire expertise in neurochemistry, neurophysiology, neuropsycopharmacology, genomics, proteomics, cellular and molecular biology and animal behavior.
In general the Course is part of the School in Biological and Medical Science of the University of Insubria. More specifically, this Course endorses co-tutoring agreements with national and international Institutions, represented by the Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute (Milan, Italy) and the School of Medical Sciences of the University of Aberdeen (Scotland UK).

Ideal candidates should preferably be young graduates in Biological, Medical or Pharmaceutical sciences with an excellent education track and a strong commitment to become independent investigators. Prior publications or communications to scientific meetings, with a demonstrated active involvement in the work, are highly appreciated. Candidates should submit a complete CV and include any useful publication (graduation thesis, printed or submitted manuscripts, conference abstracts) and possibly reference letters by previous/actual mentors.
All the applicants will be invited for an oral exam in Busto Arsizio (Un. of Insubria). The members of the Committee will assess motivation and commitment for scientific research, basic knowledge of neurobiology and/or cellular and molecular biology and a good knowledge of the English language.
Admitted students will be assigned to a specific lab trying to find the best possible match between the candidates and the participating investigators.

The scientific activity of each student will be constantly followed by her/his mentor. At the end of each year, students have to submit to the Supervisors of the Course a progress report indicating the sustained research; the approval of the submitted report is mandatory for the access to the next year. At the end of the second year and the third year, PhD fellows have to present their scientific progress through a public seminar attended by the supervisors of the Course and peers. All the seminars will be in English.

During a three year program, all the students will attend a course of bioinformatics, one of statistics and one of English. Each year the Course will organize a 1-2 days thematic workshop held by invited guests that has to be attended by all the students registered to the Course. Furthermore, students have to attend the yearly progress reports of their colleagues and a cycle of journal clubs presented by the PhD fellows. In each journal club, attended by any peer and the supervisors, one student presents a selected article and another fellow is particularly involved in debating the data. All student are highly encouraged to attend external seminars and national and international meetings.

The Program ends with a written doctoral thesis which is evaluated in details by one expert reader, member of the final graduation Commission. The thesis will be presented in an English spoken public lecture attended and evaluated by the nominated final Commission. The Commission includes at least four members covering the diverse scientific areas presented by the graduating fellows.

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