PhD Course in Organs and Tissues Transplantation and Cellular Therapies

The PhD program brings together experts from the Faculty whose expertise is closely related to the objectives of the PhD program, which aims to train researchers in the field of cell, tissue and organ transplantation. Specifically, the following scientific disciplines are involved Histology (BIO/17); Veterinary Surgery (VET/09); Endocrinology (MED/13); Anesthesiology (MED/41); Cardiac Surgery (MED/23); Nephrology (MED/14); Pathological Anatomy (MED/08); Hematology (MED/15); Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (MED/19); Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacology (VET/08); Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology (VET/01).

The specialties involved, from both experimental and applied perspectives, ensure a comprehensive training of the doctoral student, ranging from molecular biology and the study of organ damage to the therapeutic application of cell, organ and tissue transplantation and its pre- and post-implantation management. The three-year training program is designed to provide the theoretical and practical foundations of biotechnology as applied to human, animal, and artificial organ and cell transplantation. In addition, training is provided in the laboratory techniques necessary for the isolation of cells from tissues and organs, their cultivation, characterization with biomarkers and by genomic, proteomic and metabolic studies, as well as techniques aimed at obtaining artificial tissues and organs. The Ph.D. students will be involved in the research activities of the Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area and those of the departments competing for the Ph.D. degree. The research activity will also be characterized by its translational basis, thanks in part to the presence of the Veterinary Group, which will allow the creation of experimental animal models in compliance with animal welfare and related legislation. 

It is expected that the experience gained by the doctoral students during the doctoral program will provide them with knowledge and skills that will ensure an important practical as well as cultural impact in the field of organ transplantation and in the field of cell therapies. This will allow them to be placed, depending on their area of specialization, in public institutions, especially in the areas of anesthesia, surgery and therapy, in public and private research institutions (biobanks, cell companies, centers and companies where experimental transplantation procedures are practiced, hospitals and transplant centers), as well as in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.