PhD Degree Program in Pharmacological Sciences
Contacts:
Michele Morari, Pharmacological Sciences PhD Course Head - Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova. Via Marzolo, 5- 35131 Padova, Italy
e-mail: michele.morari@unipd.it
Daniela Strafella, PhD secretary, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo, 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
e-mail: phd.scienzefarmacologiche@unipd.it
Results of the evaluation of the qualifications
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Oral examination List
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Results of oral examination
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Call for admission to the PhD Courses 2025/26
Deadline August 26, 2025 - 1 pm (CEST)
Call for the assignement of further PhD places
C.V. Template
Pharmacological Sciences PhD program aims to promote, organize, and manage activities related to PhD-level training projects, including interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary ones, fundamental part of the third-level educational offer at University of Padova.
In line with the principles and guidelines shared at European level and with University of Padova Strategic Project, the Course allows to design and implement research and innovation programs, to conduct critical analyses and synthesis of ideas and processes, contribute to the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals identified by the United Nations General Assembly, the goals indicated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and their declinations in European policies as well as the creation of the European Research and Higher Education Area, keeping in mind related Standards and Guidelines for quality assurance.
PhD course provides the necessary skills to carry out highly qualified research activities at universities, public bodies or private entities, also for the purposes of access to careers in public administrations and the integration of highly innovative professional paths.
Pharmacology Sciences PhD course provides the necessary skills to carry out highly qualified research activities at universities, public or private entities, access to careers in public administrations and integration of highly innovative professional paths.
Expected career and professional opportunities:
- The PhD Course provides qualified training in pharmacological and toxicological fields;
- The interdisciplinary nature of the course and the research topics allow career opportunities in Italian healthcare sector (ULSS, hospitals, pharmacovigilance centers), in pharmaceutical industry, research centers, universities, government institutions in Italy and abroad;
- The intense training activity allowed our young PhDs to fully enter the work world mainly in basic and applied scientific research field, clinical pharmacology, preventive medicine, epidemiology and risk management.
It’s expected that Pharmacological Sciences PhDs will occupy the following roles:
Postdoctoral Researcher in Italian and foreign universities; Pharmacovigilance experts; Scholarship holders in various universities; Managers in drug manufacturers; Research fellows in various universities; University professors.
Course objectives:
- The Course aim is to train capable Pharmacologists to assume Principal Investigators role in research teams for experimental study of innovative drugs and capable of detecting adverse reactions; to operate as toxicologists, experts in pharmacovigilance and drug utilization.
Pharmaceutical professionals will be trained, capable of responding to the new healthcare needs, academic and industrial world.
- Integrated knowledge will be developed in the pharmacological, toxicological and epidemiological fields to face all aspects characterizing the new drugs discovery, personalized therapy, prevention and management of toxicological risk.
- Scientific-disciplinary sector of Pharmacology prevails in the teaching Staff with a significant participation of Clinical Medicine area professors. The teaching staff is also composed of professors and researchers from public and private institutions, both Italian and foreign, external to
the University of Padova.
Planned Teaching activities:
Teaching activities are prevalent in the first year, where several foundational courses are recommended: "Information Literacy in Pharmacological Sciences"; "Bio-Statistics", and "Academic English for PhD Students”.
In the second year, attendance at a specialized course in "Advanced Pharmacology" is recommended, consisting of 5 modules:
1. Pharmacokinetics
2. Clinical Biochemistry
3. Molecular Pharmacology Methods
4. Applied Aspects of Clinical Research Methodology
5. Neuropharmacology
Additionally, a short course on scientific writing ("How to write a scientific article") and a research presentation day are included, where second-year PhD students can share their experiences with colleagues from other medical PhD programs, fostering interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity.
The third year is primarily dedicated to completing research activities, a period of specialization abroad (typically 6 months), and writing the thesis. Additionally, a short course on learning techniques for reviewing scientific articles ("How to review a scientific article") is provided.
Other proposed activities include:
- First year: Winter school or Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Course in Basic Sciences
- Third year: Course on learning techniques for scientific communication and dissemination ("Communicating Science Effectively")
The PhD Course in Pharmacological Sciences organizes an annual Summer School (Summer retreat), a two-day scientific exchange and presentation of research activities by PhD students from all three years.
To improve teaching and communication skills, PhD students are encouraged to participate in tutoring and supplementary teaching activities (up to 40 hours/year) and science dissemination (Third Mission, up to 5 hours).
For admission to the final exam, students must acquire at least 15 credits (CFU), including 3 CFU from attending seminars (mandatory 3 seminars/year, 1 CFU each), organized within the PhD program or by other PhDs to foster interdisciplinarity.
To acquire CFU, PhD students must attend at least 75% of the scheduled hours for each activity.
Additionally, participation in at least one national or international conference with a presentation of research results is recommended during the three-year period
PhD Pharmacological Sciences Course aims to promote, organize and manage activities related to PhD level interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary training projects.
Students will choose a research project as proposed by members of the teaching staff involved in the Course and they will be supervised by an experienced tutor, with the possibility to add an external tutor.
The PhD programme offers interdisciplinary seminars, and additional training in presentation seminars and workshops ithus preparing doctoral candidates for work in international and multidisciplinary environments.
At the end of three years, students are required to present the PhD thesis describing their experimental work, it will be assessed by experts commission. The final dissertation will confer the title of Research Doctor, or Doctor Europaeus if special conditions are met (thesis written in English, research work in another European country for a minimum of 3 months and dissertation at international examination panel).
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The course hosts the Project CO-Fund 2019 in its 38th series:
Training the next generation Talents UNIPhD Programme - Pharmacological Sciences
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