Course
Neurosciences
School
Medicina Molecolare
University
Napoli Federico II
web-page
www.unina.it
Course Coordinator & Office of Graduate Studies
name
Prof
Lucio
Annunziato
email
lannunzi@unina.it
phone
0039-081-7463318
fax
0039-081-7463323
Students' Office
email
pannacio@unina.it
phone
0039-081-7463325
fax
0039-081-7463323
Thematic Areas
The course aims at giving to the students a background in Cellular and Molecular Neuropharmacology, Brain Imaging, Molecular Psychiatry, Neurology and Hearing Disorders, and Neurotoxicology, Neurogenetics and Neuroendocrinology Reproductive.Research PhD programs of three years of PhD course are the followings:
1.To study the molecular mechanisms involvement in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson, ALS
2.To study the molecular mechanisms and the involvement in cerebral ischemia in vitro and in vivo models
3.To study innovative imaging diagnostic techniques for neurological and psychiatric disorders
4.To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying schizophrenia
5.To study the molecular mechanisms of rare hereditary movement disorders and neuromuscular diseases
6.To investigate the molecular mechanisms of hereditary hearing loss syndromes
7.Transduction mechanisms involved in the neurotoxicity caused by environmental pollutants and abuse drugs
8.To study the transduction mechanisms responsible for the different vulnerability of neuronal populations to anoxia/reoxygenation damage
9.To study the role of mitochondria in neuronal damage during anoxia/reoxygenation.
10.To Study the transcriptional mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene expression of the three isoforms of sodium calcium exchanger
11.Role of different VDCC in the regulation of the expression and activity of ORAI1 channel involved in ER stress
Selection & Admission
Ideal candidates should preferably be young graduates with an excellent education track, a strong commitment to develop as independent investigators and good knowledge of the English language. Candidates must submit a complete CV, a short description of their research
activities, a statement describing their broad research interests and two reference letters by academic referees. Participants will be evaluated accordingly to their CV including and to a written and spoken examination. The Official language of the course is English. The course has a three years duration and is preferentially devoted to students interested in basic Neuroscience having a degree in one of the following disciplines: Medical degree, Degree in Biotechnology,Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Biological sciences.
Students' Monitoring
Progress in the thesis work is carefully monitored to ensure a productive scientific and professional outcome by the end of the Program. Each student is assigned a supervisor, who should have a broad expertise in the area of research, in which the student is involved. The PhD students will report their progress yearly in a public seminar attended by peers and supervisor.
Training & Education
Students will be provided the opportunity to tailor programs specifically to individual needs and the flexibility to pursue training in their own particular interest area. The Courses should be held in one week time and contain formal lectures by staff members and invited guests, as well as interactive tutorial activities in the journal club form. There will be the opportunity to spend up to 6-12 mouth of the three years of the course in European or USA laboratories to perform a research work related to the topic of PhD thesis. This will be discussed on a individual basis accordingly to the needs of the laboratory. The PhD students will discuss their research activities in international and national congress and they will publish the research data on impacted international journals
Doctoral Thesis
The major goal of the Program is the submission of a written doctoral thesis, which is evaluated by several expert readers and then presented in a public lecture attended by a Committee composed by three external members. A successful thesis defense is required to obtain the title of Doctor of research in Neuroscience, a degree issued by the University Federico II of Naples.High quality of the experimental work should be testified by submission of manuscript/s related to the doctoral thesis. The PhD dissertation should allow the examiners to determine whether the candidate has met the above requirements.
Fellowships
Students entering the program will be granted a three year institutional fellowship. One year extensions of the fellowship will be provided by the host laboratory. the gross yearly amount of the fellowships provided to the students for this program is 18,000 Euros.
Accommodation
Students are encourage to visit the students office to gather information about agreements and
availability for rental apartments and rooms. Short term accommodation is provided in two residential
buildings owned by the University for foreign students. Long term accommodation is not granted by the University.