PhD in Neuroscience in Italy
PhD in Translational Medicine – Università della Calabria
Website: PhD in Translational Medicine – UniCal
Description:
- This is a three-year doctoral programme in Translational Medicine offered by the Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Calabria
- The programme includes curricula such as:
- Molecular Bases of Diseases and Innovative Therapeutic Applications
- Molecular Design
PhD Programme in Biomedical Sciences & Translational Medicine – Università di Brescia
Website: Biomedical Sciences & Translational Medicine – UniBS
Description:
- A three-year doctoral programme targeting graduates from various backgrounds who wish to engage in advanced experimental research in preclinical or clinical biomedical fields.
- Educational objectives include: providing interdisciplinary training in biomedical sciences; promoting integration among basic, clinical, and applied research; promoting the ability to independently manage research projects, write scientific manuscripts, and effectively communicate research findings in both national and international specialised contexts and in popular contexts; training researchers able to prepare research projects in response to competitive calls for proposals.
- The programme includes curricula such as:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology and Microbiology
- Oncology and Immunology
PhD Program in Neuroscience – Università di Cagliari
Website: PhD Program in Neuroscience – UniCa
Description:
- Students must accumulate a set number of credits (e.g., 48 ECTS) during the three years via courses, seminars, conference participation, and research presentations.
- Research areas include neurophysiology, neurochemical anatomy, neurobiology, neuropharmacology, behavioural neuroscience, neuropathology, and the development of diagnostic tools and molecules for the nervous system.
PhD in Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience – Università di Camerino
Website: Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience – UniCam
Description:
- This national doctoral programme involves a network of institutions (24 universities and research institutes) and is focused on both theoretical and applied neuroscience, including brain modelling, neurotechnology, computational and systems neuroscience.
- The curriculum includes tracks such as Computational and System Neuroscience; Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience; Neuroscience and Humanities; Preclinical, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience.
Tuscan PhD in Neurosciences – Università degli Studi di Firenze
Website: Tuscan PhD in Neurosciences – University of Florence
Description:
- The program aims to provide a solid theoretical and experimental foundation in the main fields of neuroscience (from neurobiology to neuropsychology, from neurology to psychiatry, from pharmacology to neuroradiology) by integrating basic, preclinical, and clinical research approaches. The acquisition of skills in managing scientific projects, seeking funding, and leveraging research findings is an integral part of the program.
PhD in Neuroscience – Università di Padova
Website: PhD in Neuroscience – University of Padua
Description:
- A multidisciplinary three-year doctoral programme taught in English that aims to train researchers in the neurosciences, with focus areas including Methods; Cognitive, Behavioural and Emotional Neuroscience (development included); Cellular and System Neuroscience; Clinical and Translational Neuroscience; Computational Neuroscience and models.
PhD in Cognitive, Computational and Social Neurosciences – IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca
Website: PhD Programme in Cognitive, Computational and Social Neurosciences (CCSN) – IMT Lucca
Description:
- This is a three-year doctoral programme integrating basic training in neuroscience and experimental psychology with the study of mental activities and cognitive functions across the psychophysiological, neurobiological, neuropsychological, psycholinguistic, computational, social, philosophical, logical, ethical, and educational fields.
PhD in Neuroscience, Psychological and Psychiatric Sciences, and Movement Sciences – University of Verona
Website: PhD Programme in Neuroscience, Psychological and Psychiatric Sciences, and Movement Sciences – University of Verona
Description:
- The PhD Course focuses on a highly integrated approach to the topic of “Brain, Mind and Body” and is characterised by excellence in research and education. The course is divided into the following subject areas: i) Neuroscience and neurological pathology (neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, neuroscience, developmental neurobiology, brain imaging, neurological pathophysiology, neurology, neuropathology, clinical neurophysiology, neurorehabilitation, experimental neurosurgery); ii) Psychological and psychiatric sciences (epidemiology, genetics, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, analysis of predictors for the outcome of mental disorders; addiction to substances of abuse, neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, experimental, social and clinical psychology); iii) Movement sciences (determinants of motor performance, physiology of aging; models for the promotion of exercise aimed at lifestyle modification).
PhD in Neurosciences and Neurotechnologies – University of Genoa
Website: Neurosciences and Neurotechnologies – UniGE
Description:
- The programme is part of the broader PhD in Neurosciences and aims to train researchers with strong interdisciplinary skills in both fundamental neuroscience and applied neurotechnologies.
- Research topics include normal and pathological brain function (such as channelopathies and synaptopathies), neural interfaces (neuroelectronic and opto-neural), blood–brain barrier pathophysiology, mechanisms of neuronal plasticity and their epigenetic regulation, neurodevelopment and related disorders, neuronal regeneration and reprogramming, genetics and epigenetics of cognitive behaviour, neurobiology of non-coding RNAs, optical approaches to neural function, and neuromodulation within cortical and subcortical circuits.
PhD Program in Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics – Università degli Studi di Palermo
Website: PhD Program “Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics”
Description:
- The PhD Program in Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND) is a three-year doctoral programme taught in English (and Italian) which integrates the study of biological, neurological and diagnostic sciences through three curricula.
- The programme includes curricula such as:
- Biomedicine Curriculum: Provides students with technical and scientific skills in biological sciences, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, and clinical research targeting disease-related changes in cell differentiation, tissue homeostasis and organ remodelling.
- Neuroscience Curriculum: Covers a broad range of topics, including neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, cellular and molecular neuroscience, computational neuroscience, developmental and cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging and neuroinformatics.
- Advanced Diagnostics Curriculum: Focuses on cutting-edge diagnostic technologies such as machine learning/AI, big data analytics, advanced imaging, biomarker discovery, digitisation of labs and networked infrastructures. There is a particular overlap with neuroimaging techniques in connection with the Neuroscience curriculum.
PhD in Neuroscience – Università degli Studi di Torino
Website: PhD in Neuroscience – UniTO
Description:
- The PhD in Neuroscience is a three-year doctoral programme based in Turin, designed to train researchers capable of conducting independent, high-quality neuroscience research. The programme emphasises both fundamental scientific principles and applied translational/clinical research, providing students with conceptual knowledge and methodological tools to address the complexity of the nervous system across its facets.
- The programme covers broad neuroscience domains, focusing on the nervous system’s complexity and bridging basic science with translational/clinical outcomes.
PhD in Neuroscience – Università degli Studi di Parma
Website: PhD in Neuroscience – UniPr
Description:
- The PhD in Neuroscience offers a three-year doctoral program that prepares researchers with a global, interdisciplinary perspective on neuroscience and behavioural sciences. The training is multidisciplinary and aims to provide a high degree of specialisation across branches such as molecular neurobiology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and behavioural biology.
- The curriculum covers core themes of neuroscience, including molecular and cellular processes, system neurophysiology, cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, and the interface between behaviour, cognition and neural systems.
PhD in Neural and Cognitive Sciences – Università degli Studi di Trieste
Website: PhD Programme in Neural and Cognitive Sciences – UniTS
Description:
- The PhD is a three-year doctoral programme. The programme is designed to train researchers in the interdisciplinary investigation of the nervous system (central and peripheral), the mind/brain system, cognitive functions, and their applications in clinical, social, ergonomic and sports contexts.
- The programme covers broad research themes including but not limited to: neurobiology, neurogenesis and cellular neurophysiology; clinical neurosciences; perception, action and attention; memory, language and executive control; thinking, judgment and decision-making; comparative psychology; typical and atypical development; personality and social psychology; and sport psychology.
PhD in Translational Neurosciences and Neurotechnologies – Università degli Studi di Ferrara
Website: PhD Translational Neurosciences & Neurotechnologies – UNIFE
Description:
- The programme is designed to train researchers with strong interdisciplinary and technological skills, capable of operating at the interface of neuroscience, engineering, and clinical applications.
- The programme identifies four strategic thematic areas:
- Neurophysiology of Communication and Neurotechnologies: including brain-machine interfaces, neural interfaces, machine learning applied to multimodal brain and speech signals.
- Preclinical Neurosciences: experimental investigations in animal and cellular models targeting nervous-system disorders, biomarker identification, molecular and pharmacological interventions.
- Clinical Neurosciences: translational and applied research in neurology, psychiatry, neurovascular surgery, neuro-rehabilitation, etc.
- Data Analysis and Modelling: advanced methods for neuroimaging, signal processing, computational modelling, machine learning in neuroscience.
- The programme emphasises technology transfer, cutting-edge neurotechnologies, and high-technological content in neuroscience research.
PhD in Cognitive and Brain Sciences – Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, Università degli Studi di Trento
Website: PhD in Cognitive and Brain Sciences – UniTrento
Description:
- The PhD is a four-year doctoral programme delivered in English. It trains students for high-level research in both basic and applied mind/brain sciences, adopting a strongly interdisciplinary environment. Core training spans cognitive neuroscience, experimental psychology (including animal cognition, perception, attention, memory, language), computer science, linguistics and neurobiology.
- Topics include: animal cognition, numerical cognition, dementia and cognitive decline, language, neuroimaging & brain connectivity, neurodevelopmental disorders, perception & attention, and conceptual representations and vision.
PhD in Neurosciences – “Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences” Curriculum – Università degli Studi di Genova
Website: PhD in Neurosciences – Curriculum “Neuroscienze Cliniche e Sperimentali”
Description:
- This doctoral programme offers the “Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences” curriculum.
- Research themes include: neurology (multiple sclerosis and immune-mediated diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system), degenerative diseases of the CNS, epilepsy, sleep disorders, cerebrovascular diseases, extrapyramidal disorders and Parkinson’s disease.
PhD in Neurosciences – Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS), Pisa
Website: PhD in Neurosciences – SNS
Description:
- This doctoral programme is aimed at training young scientists to pursue competitive research on the neural basis of brain functions, in an integrated and cross-disciplinary manner, “from the molecular and cellular levels up to the level of higher cognitive functions”.
- Key research themes include: neural development, stem-cell biology, synaptic and neural plasticity, ageing and age-related pathologies, neurodegenerative, psychiatric and neurological diseases; as well as advanced imaging and “omics” technologies in neuroscience.
- The teaching activity is delivered in English, with courses and seminars designed to broaden students’ backgrounds and deepen specific aspects of their thesis project, balancing “wet” biology with quantitative/computational topics.
PhD in Behavioural Neurosciences – Sapienza University of Rome
Website: PhD in Behavioural Neurosciences – Sapienza University of Rome
Description:
- The PhD in Behavioural Neurosciences at Sapienza University of Rome is a three-year doctoral programme that provides advanced interdisciplinary training in the study of the biological bases of behaviour and cognition. It combines expertise in neuroscience, psychology, and physiology to investigate how neural mechanisms generate and regulate complex behaviours in humans and animals.
- Research topics span neurophysiology of behaviour, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, neuroendocrinology, neuropharmacology, and computational modeling of neural and behavioural processes.
PhD in Neurosciences – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Website: PhD in Neurosciences – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Description:
- The PhD in Neurosciences at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan campus) is a multidisciplinary doctoral programme that aims to train researchers to understand the molecular, cellular, system, and cognitive mechanisms underlying brain function, both in health and disease.
- The programme’s training objectives focus on providing advanced methodological and conceptual knowledge in neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, molecular and cellular neuroscience, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience. Students are encouraged to engage in interdisciplinary approaches that combine experimental, clinical, and computational methods.
- The PhD curriculum emphasises both basic and translational neuroscience, promoting the integration of fundamental discoveries into clinical applications in neurology, psychiatry, and neurorehabilitation.
PhD in Neuroscience – University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
Website: PhD in Neuroscience – University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
Description:
- The PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” is a three-year doctoral programme designed to train young researchers in advanced neuroscience through an interdisciplinary approach integrating molecular, cellular, systems, and clinical perspectives.
- The programme aims to develop a deep understanding of the structure and function of the nervous system, with a focus on the mechanisms underlying neurodevelopment, neuroplasticity, neurodegeneration, and neural pathophysiology.
- Research activities cover a broad range of topics, including neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, neuroimmunology, cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, and neuroimaging techniques.