Translational Neurosciences and Neurotechnologies

Presentazione del corso

The PhD Program in Translational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, lasting three years, is open to Italian and international graduates holding a degree equivalent to a master’s degree. The research program is structured around four main thematic areas:

1. Neurophysiology of Communication and Neurotechnology – Study of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying communication and the development of advanced technologies for neural interfacing, brain stimulation, and sensory-motor rehabilitation.

2. Preclinical Neuroscience – Experimental investigations using animal and cellular models to understand the neurobiological basis of nervous system diseases and develop new therapeutic approaches.

3. Clinical Neuroscience – Applied research in neurology, psychiatry, neurovascular surgery, neuro-rehabilitation, and otorhinolaryngology, focusing on the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of nervous system disorders.

4. Data Analysis and Modeling – Development of advanced tools for analyzing neuroscientific data, including machine learning methodologies, artificial intelligence, and computational modeling of brain processes.

The PhD program integrates these areas through a multidisciplinary and translational approach, combining fundamental research with clinical applications. Collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) ensures a research environment that promotes technology transfer.

Doctoral students are supervised by a primary advisor and possibly a co-supervisor to define an Individual Training Plan (ITP) tailored to their skills and interests.

The training includes research activities, scientific article publication, conference participation, tutoring, and third mission initiatives, aimed at fostering dialogue between academia and society. The PhD program also provides financial support through research budgets, university grants, and supervisor funding.

Admission is based on a selection process, and progression to subsequent years depends on the evaluation of scientific progress. The final dissertation, written in English, undergoes peer review and is defended before a committee of experts.

Coordinator

Prof. Alessandro D'Ausilio

Academic Board

Unife

Other University

Other institution

Educational Objectives

The doctoral program aims to equip candidates with advanced, including methodological, skills in the fields of translational neuroscience and neurotechnologies.

The educational plan involves conducting an individual research program, supervised by an advisor, which is approved by the Academic Board and pertains to one of the disciplinary areas covered by the PhD program.

The research and training activities within the PhD program are conventionally quantified at a total of 1,500 hours per year. Doctoral candidates are required to present the progress of their research annually to the Academic Board. The individual research program culminates in the preparation of a dissertation.

The dissertation, written in English, must contribute to the advancement of knowledge or methodologies in the chosen field of study. The Academic Board annually evaluates each candidate’s training and research activities to determine their admission to the subsequent year and to the thesis evaluation phase.

The educational plan also includes didactic and training activities designed to support research and provide tools to shape the professional identity of future PhDs, as well as complementary activities to research.

These complementary activities include cross-disciplinary training such as, for example, the enhancement of language and IT skills, training in research management and intellectual property valorization, and an understanding of European and international research systems, with particular reference to career opportunities for PhD graduates. Teaching and training activities involve a total of approximately 250 to 450 hours during the course of the doctorate. The recognition of CFU is carried out by the Academic Board, which authorizes the attendance of courses and evaluates their results.

The training program of the Ph.D. in Translational Neuroscience and Neurotechnology is organized with careful attention to balancing the foundational and advanced training needs of each student. Specifically, the highly varied composition of students selected for this program in each cycle reflects the intrinsically multidisciplinary nature of neuroscience and neurotechnology disciplines (medicine, psychology, motor sciences, rehabilitation sciences, biology, engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science).

Additionally, the program includes students with different levels of expertise in their specific scientific research domain (e.g., recent graduates or those who have already obtained a medical specialization). In this sense, the training plan is individually tailored based on prior education, academic seniority, and specific research projects. The plan aims to accurately and continuously assess the level of general and specific skills of each student by offering diverse training opportunities.

Complementary training is provided directly by IUSS. Basic skills, supplementing the student’s previous education, benefit from the wide range of courses already offered by the University of Ferrara. Advanced general skills, such as those related to methodological-statistical knowledge, are integrated through courses offered by Ph.D. faculty or through certified online courses from international institutions (e.g., MOOC.org, Coursera, Udacity). Finally, specific research training is carried out through daily laboratory activities planned by each doctoral supervisor.

The educational objective is therefore to personalize the best training plan for each student based on their educational background, inclinations, and research program while maintaining the interdisciplinary nature of this Ph.D. program.

Finally, Ph.D. students, with authorization from the Academic Board, may attend seminars and schools (Summer/Winter Schools, etc.) organized outside the Ph.D. program.

These activities do not count towards fulfilling the formal training obligations and must not interfere with activities organized by the Ph.D. Ph.D. students authorized for stays abroad exceeding 20 days are required to complete their training obligations by providing documentation of the activities attended at the host institution.

The Ph.D. program encourages and supports, also with its own funds, participation in conferences as presenting speakers.

Research topics

Neurophysiology of Communication and Neurotechnologies

A01 Improving performance and biocompatibility of electrode arrays for brain-computer interfaces

A02 Functional investigation of innovative neural interfaces

A03 Investigation of sensorimotor functions in animal models

A04 Machine learning applications to multimodal brain signals

A05 Human neurophysiology of speech and sensorimotor communication

A06 Cortical recordings in human patients during awake Neurosurgery.

A07 Hardware and software development for innovative exploration of brain signals

Preclinical Neurosciences

B01 Innovative treatments for epilepsy

B02 Identification and validation of novel pharmacological targets for Parkinson disease

B03 Pharmacology of peptidergic systems

B04 Role of ligands and receptors of the TNF family in CNS physiology and pathology

B05 Identification of novel pharmacological targets for stroke

B06 Biomarkers of brain ischemia and reperfusion

B07 Small GTPases in cellular signaling

B08 Molecular genetics of familial neurodegeneration

B09 Neurobiology of Parkinson´s disease

Clinical Neurosciences

C01 Lifestyle and early life risk factors for adult and pediatric multiple sclerosis

C02 Descriptive epidemiology, environmental and genetic factors in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

C03 Epidemiology and genetics of hereditary spastic paraparesis

C04 Improving adherence to disease modifying treatments in multiple sclerosis

C05 Burden-of-disease studies of brain disorders

C06 Epidemiology of stroke

C07 Clinical studies and risk factors of juvenile stroke

C08 Revascularization therapy in acute ischemic stroke

C08 Biomarkers for disease activity, axonal damage and immunological effects of therapies in demyelinating pathologies of the Central and Peripheral Nervous System

C10 Assessment and models of brain circulation

C11 Cerebral venous return in relation to brain perfusion and CSF flow

C12 The contribution of the heart brain axis to neurovascular and neurodegenerative diseases

C13 Cerebral lymphatic and venous drainage

C14 Adipose derived stem cells

C15 Innovative treatments in motor recovery after brain injury by electromechanical-assisted training (robotic devices) for walking and arm functioning

C16 New strategies available for patients with neurological diseases: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

C17 Study of the process of neural plasticity by identifying clinical and circulating biomarkers that may aid in monitoring efficacy of rehabilitation and functional recovery

C18 Clinical Neurophysiology: new technologies and approaches

C19 Neuroscientific approach to severe psychiatric illness

C20 Demoralization and depression in medical disorders: psycho-neurobiological implications

C21 Psycho-neurobiological aspects of personality disorders

Data Analysis and Modeling

D01 Advanced machine learning techniques for gene regulatory networks analysis

D02 Latest generation neuroimaging techniques for brain mapping and diseases

D03 Real-time data acquisition and modeling of physiological signals

Training program

The doctoral program has identified the following strategic themes:

A) Neurophysiology of Communication and Neurotechnologies

B) Preclinical Neuroscience

C) Clinical Neuroscience (neurology, psychiatry, neurovascular surgery, neuro-rehabilitation, otorhinolaryngology)

D) Data Analysis and Modeling

The doctoral program will provide adequate training in fundamental disciplines (e.g., physiology, neurology, epidemiology, statistics, genetics, nanoscience, electrochemistry, neuroinformatics, signal analysis) to complement individual educational paths.

This integration will take place during the first year of the doctoral program by attending courses offered by the University of Ferrara. Additionally, throughout the duration of the doctorate, students will engage in applied training activities within their specific laboratories.

These activities will include participation in seminar series and short courses, the preparation of reports, the presentation of personal research activities, and journal club presentations.

Research opportunities within institutions that are part of the collaborative network of the Doctoral School Committee will also be available during the program.

All doctoral students are required to submit a written report at the end of each year and to publicly discuss their research results in the presence of the Doctoral School Committee and other doctoral candidates.

The preparation of the final doctoral thesis will be overseen by the Doctoral School Committee, which will involve a group of independent scientists for its review.

All doctoral candidates are strongly encouraged to publish the results of their research in the best and most authoritative international scientific journals.

Internationalization and Public Engagement

The PhD program in Translational Neuroscience and Neurotechnologies is a joint initiative between the University of Ferrara and the Italian Institute of Technology Foundation, where technology transfer is a primary mission.

The program aims to train scholars capable of conducting highly qualified biomedical and bioengineering research, both in public and private sectors, at national and international levels.

It provides the necessary skills to carry out research in the field of neuroscience with a high technological content, focusing on translational/clinical, electrophysiological, nanobiotechnological, and pharmacological areas. Innovative strategies for managing and rehabilitating nervous system disorders and for designing brain-machine interfaces—particularly in restoring interaction and communication functions, multimodal speech recognition, and understanding brain mechanisms involved in interindividual communication—represent cutting-edge topics with significant practical applications.

By the end of the doctoral program, students are expected not only to master research techniques but also to be trained to think about the potential transfer of skills and ideas to the productive sector, creating a new generation of multidisciplinary and forward-thinking researchers.

Career opportunities after graduation are available within institutions both nationally and internationally, including universities, public or private research centers, bioengineering companies, pharmaceutical, biomedical, and biotechnological firms, and national healthcare institutes.

Graduates focusing on nervous system disorders, with specific skills in organizing and conducting clinical studies on new therapeutic and diagnostic systems, may find prominent positions in developing clinical research programs.

Finally, particular attention will be given to the third mission of the program: raising awareness and encouraging young professionals to pursue the creation of innovative startups.

Operational and Scientific Facilities

Equipment and Laboratories

The program has access to fully equipped laboratories staffed with dedicated personnel from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).

Activities supported include studies on animal models, primary cell cultures, immunohistochemistry and histology, nanotechnology/materials science, system and cellular neurophysiology, and image analysis. Additionally, IIT offers equipment and expertise in electronic and mechanical prototyping of biomedical devices and advanced signal analysis.

For clinical disciplines, doctoral candidates have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including neurology and clinical neurophysiology outpatient clinics, otorhinolaryngology clinics, psychiatric clinics, and neurorehabilitation centers.

Library Resources

Full access to the University’s library system.

E-resources

Full access to the University’s databases.
Full access to software licensed by the University for its staff.
Comprehensive IT resources, including IIT and UNIFE servers.