General
information
The
DOCTORATE in GENETICS, ONCOLOGY and CLINICAL MEDICINE (GenOMeC)
at the
University of Siena trains students to
carry out
research
in Medical Genetics, Oncological
Genetics, and Oncological Surgery over a three year program.
The aim of this
Doctoral
School
is to train researchers that will be able to plan and develop
competitive research proposals.
After the
Doctoral
School they
may follow an academic career in an Italian or a foreign
University, or may work in research-oriented public or private
institutions.
The
main
aim of
medical
research
is to define the molecular basis of diseases and to translate the
scientific knowledge in concrete applications for diagnosis,
prevention and treatment of diseases.
The PhD student will
acquire theoretical and practical knowledge on the latest molecular
techniques such as “array-CGH”, “next generation sequencing” and
“genetic reprogramming” that allows to obtain iPS (indiced
Pluripotent Stem cells) from adult human fibroblasts and to
differentiate them into neurones or other cellular types
(educational training in Medical Genetics). A specific educational
training focused on pharmacogenomics is aimed to the identification
of a personalized therapy for each individual (educational training
in Pharmacogenetics and clinical pharmacology). Particular attention
will be given to the molecular basis and therapeutic strategies of
cancer. The PhD student will be able to: i) carry out
clinical-epidemiological-observational studies of thoracic and
intestinal cancers (educational training in Surgical oncology), of
melanomas and oncohemophaties (educational training in Hematological
oncology and dermatological oncology); ii) choose the appropriate
molecular methods to identify new targets for the design of targeted
therapies and new diagnostic, prognostic and predictive markers for
therapy response (educational training in Oncological Genetics). One
educational training, focused on Clinical Immunology, will train
researchers capable of developing research projects concerning rare
diseases including immune idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,
emphysema-alpha-1-antitrypsin deficit and rare autoimmune and
autoinflammatory rheumatic diseases. This educational training will
also train researches with pre-clinical and clinical expertise to
develop new targeted therapeutic agents and new strategies for
cancer immunotherapy.
Students will be
attending only one of the above mentioned courses, at the end of
which they will obtain the PhD title in Oncology and Genetics.
Starting
from the first year, students
will
develop their own research, under the direction of a supervisor
chosen among the Faculty Board of the Doctoral
School.
Laboratory spaces
available for students are located at 1st floor 3rd block
(Laboratory of Medical Genetics with 20 workstations) and at ground
floor educational block (Laboratory of Biomedical Technologies and
Experimental Oncology with 18 workstations) of Policlinico S Maria
alle Scotte, viale Bracci 2, Siena and inside Toscana Life Sciences
(TLS) Foundation, via Torre Fiorentina 1 (ITT Core Research
Laboratory, Signal Transduction Unit).
Detailed laboratory description
PhD students
will spend from 70% to 90% of their time in laboratory using the
current techniques of molecular genetics and cell biology. Students,
with MD degree, can use about 20% of their time in the clinical
activity being in contact with patients for whom research project
will be designed. The remaining 10% of the time will be devoted to
lessons and seminars held by Faculty Board or foreign professors
(see below “seminars” for those already held). Students are
encouraged to undertake periods of research in foreign academic
institutions, as long as it helps them make progress in their
research; for this purpose, they will receive financial support from
the University of Siena (see below).
Every
year, students present the state of their research in a public
seminar. Based on this seminar and on reaching at least
60
credits, it is decided on the admission to the following year.
Credits can be obtained as follows:
-
Annual
presentation (Presentation
max 5; Content max 5; Questions +/- 1; Final test max 4)
-
Publication on international journal (30
credits if first author,
10
credits if co-author)
-
Abstract of meetings (6
credits for international congress,
3
for national congress)
-
Laboratory
/ Clinical activity during the year (max 20
credits per year)
-
Active
participation to
progress reports,
seminars and lessons (1
credit each)
- National stages (1 credit/week)
- International stages (2 credits/week)
- Patent (5 credits)
-
Collaboration to teaching activity (max 4 credits for each course
for which the PhD student is appointed "collaboratore alla
didattica")
The PhD
is awarded after discussion of an original scientific work. This
must
be written in English.
For
further information:
All
internal decisions about the doctorate are taken by the Faculty
Board (Collegio dei Docenti), whose coordinator is prof. Alessandra
Renieri.
Queries
on matters under the competence of the Collegio and requests for
further information can be addressed to
doctorate.genomec@dbm.unisi.it.
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