PhD Program

The PhD Program  in Sciences and Technology for the Environment and Health,  offers a wide range of research activities aimed at providing students with knowledge and scientific methodologies necessary for the integrated study in the technological-environmental research with implications and applications in the study of the territory, the environment and health, biomedicine, bio-health and environmental protection.

As of 1 January 2019, cycles XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII and XXXIV are active. To obtain a comprehensive background, PhD students are encouraged to attend advanced courses, seminars, and other educational activities held by experts from different areas.

The graduate program  is highly interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and based on a balanced distribution of activities in the various sectors spannig from biology to geology.  Main research topics are indeed  the interactions between environment and living organisms, at the phenotypic and molecular level, in physiological and pathological conditions including cancer and the analysis of the environment and the territory at various levels of complexity.

Another aspect is that related to the safety of the territory, a non-secondary aspect in what can be considered the well-being of the population in particular with regard to geological hazards and pollution problems, also through the application of sensors and specifically that of biosensor type.

Since the XXXIII cycle, three scholarships have been active, funded under the PON RI FSE-FESR 2014-2020 "Innovative PhDs with Industrial characterization year 2017". These projects involve important national companies and excellent foreign research centers. The three ongoing projects are:

1.         characterization of tumor heterogeneity using single-cell sequencing and network analysis technologies;

2.         development of advanced label-free biosensors implemented on optical fibers for the detection of HER2 antigen in biological fluids;

3.         sweet light: production of  sweeteners in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using optogenetic techniques.

For the XXXIV cycle there are three scholarships funded under the POR CAMPANIA FSE 2014-2020 "Research Doctorates with Industrial characterization year 2018”. These projects involve important national companies and excellent foreign research centers. The three ongoing projects are:

1.         Development and applications of biosensor mosses of pollution from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons;

2.         Production of sustainable functional feeds: effects on animal welfare, nutraceutical quality of production and consumer health;

3.         Innovative systems for integrated monitoring of risk linear infrastructures: remote sensing experimentation and low-cost sensors.

Also for the XXXIV cycle there is a scholarship funded under the PON RI FSE-FESR 2014-2020 "Innovative Industrial Characterization Doctorates year 2018” whose ongoing project  is:

1.         Functional interaction of adipokines-hepatokines in dysmetabs: cellular models, biomarkers and endocrine factors.

Admission

Applications for PhD positions are open to students of all age and nationality who obtained a second level degree (Master’s Degree level) which gives access to PhD studies.

The University of Sannio selects prospective PhD students through annual open competitions which involve entrance examinations. All information on admission requirements, examinations, PhD programmes, number of positions with or without scholarships are outlined in an official notice called "Call for applications" (Bando di concorso). The call is generally issued around  July of each year. Courses start the following November. For full information, see the Admission section on the Research page of University of Sannio call announcement. Most available positions are supported by scholarships (annual scholarship amounts to around 13,600 €for a total of 3 years). The italian PhD programs allows up to 18 month of the entire PhD course abroad. During this time the scholarship value is increased by 50%. for year. Each PhD student’s research and didactic activity will be supervised by a tutor assigned by the graduate school  committee.

It is only possible to submit an application to PhD Programmes in reply to a Call for applications. Please, follow carefully the instructions for application in the announcement and contact: servizi.postlaurea@unisannio.it

Study programm

The PhD program in Sciences and Technology for the Environment and Health  offers several courses given by professors from both the Department and other national and international Universities. The PhD program also offers numerous seminars from italian and foreign researchers.

Journal Club activities are organized by the coordinator of the Programm.. At the end of each year, every student presents in English a brief summary of his/her research activity to the tutor and to the PhD school board for approval.

Original research results should be presented in the PhD thesis at the end of the third year and, after receiving a positive evaluation by the graduate school  committee, discussed in front of a Committee composed by Italian and foreign experts on the thesis topic. The thesis has to be written in English.

Facilities at the Department include: Electron and confocal microscopy; Spectroscopy; Ultracentrifuges; Cell culture facilities; flow cytometry facility (FacsCanto and FacsCalibur); Gene Expression Analysis, Proteome Facility; GAS Chromatography, Cluster of High Performance Computers for scientific calculus and bioinformatic analysis of Next Generation Sequencing and protein analyses and dedicated software