PhD Programme in Molecular and Experimental Medicine (MEM)

The Programme

The MEM PhD Programme provides training in various fields of life sciences and molecular medicine offering a stimulating environment with access to state-of-the-art technology and clinical case lists for translational studies.

Two different curricula are available, candidates are required to specify their curriculum preferences when applying.

• The MEM Curriculum provides for the research activities to develop along, yet not remain limited to, the following main areas, including: oncological immunopathology, molecular cardiometabolics, genetics, neurosciences. An overall vision of regenerative and precision medicine is the theme running throughout the programme. The curriculum provides specific training for enabling technologies, such as imaging, flow cytometry, genomics and bioinformatics.
• The MEM-Clinical Curriculum aims to combine basic or clinical experimental research activities with clinical practice involving patient enrolment and assessment in specific trials. The course provides for ordinary clinical practice in the hospital under the supervision of a doctor (up to a maximum of 20 hours per week) and experimental laboratory activities, which include but are not limited to cellular and molecular biology, information technology, immunology and the use of preclinical models. Candidates will be directly responsible for research projects approved by their clinical supervisor and/or laboratory head.

For both curricula, the PhD will be conducted in a stimulating environment involving the organisation of Journal Clubs and seminars given by national and international speakers, participation in congresses, informal meetings between different disciplines, as well as encouraging researchers to work independently and collaborate with groups abroad. Liaising with tutors and non-Italian discussants further develops the international dimension.

Career Opportunities

The PhD program aims to train experts in clinical and industrial research, preparing them to take up careers in biotech companies, translational research, in clinical or academic fields worldwide. Thanks to a “translational” approach, professionals will quickly transfer new knowledge from basic sciences to bio-medicine with the aim of creating new and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Didactic Activities

The PhD course in Molecular and Experimental is articulated into three main types of didactic activities:

Research activities

Every student is assigned a research topic under the supervision of a Supervisor; the research activity in the laboratory is a full-time activity

Mandatory frontal activities

Linguistics, Informatics, Research management and funding, Intellectual property are the main topics

• Mandatory courses

• Seminar series (Journal Club on a specific topic between the speaker and the PhD students followed by a public seminar on the same topic)

Elective activities

Seminars and courses, offered by the Humanitas University and Humanitas Research Labs, which the PhD students can freely join according to their research field and interests.

BIP – Blended Intensive Program

Among elective activities, PhD students enrolled to the second and third year have the opportunity to join the BIP (Blended Intensive Program) in Reserch Ethics and Integrity, organized with the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.

The course is composed of online classes plus an in-person part hosted on RCSI campus in Dublin for one week.

All costs related to registration, flight and accommodation for the in-person are covered by Humanitas University.

Admission Requirements

MEM Curriculum

Fees and Scholarships

PhD students are required to pay an annual fee for access and attendance, set at €250,00 for the academic year 2024/2025, including the regional tax and stamp duty.

Detailed information about each topic’s scholarship or equivalent contract can be found in the research topics table below, by clicking on each topic ID.

How to Apply