Introduction

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The PhD Program in Science of Drug and Bioactive Substances (SDBS) is based within the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Pisa. The Department deals with drug research throughout its path, from design to synthesis, development, formulation and evaluation of pharmacological and molecular drug activity.

Primary goals of the PhD course in SDBS are the training of new researchers in the field of drugs and bioactive substances through excellent educational and research paths and the creation of collaboration networks with research centres and academies at national and international level.

The peculiarity of this PhD course is the strong multidisciplinarity that offers different and complementary skills, such as organic chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, phytochemistry, technology, pharmacology, biochemistry and molecular biology. Different disciplines and methodologies, both in reference to the Italian CUN areas (03 and 05) and specific ERC areas (Life Science, Physical Science and Engineering) are represented in the PhD Course. The multidisciplinary approach and expertise sharing in different, but complementary, research fields represent the most important challenges of the research carried out within our PhD course. This is the horizon towards we are moving and in which growth and development of the course are placed. 

The main research lines developed within the PhD Course are aimed at identifying new molecules for therapeutic activity, developing diagnostics, and understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathology.
The general research areas developed can be summarized:

• research of drugs through rational design, synthesis or extraction of active molecules from natural sources;
• understanding of the biochemical, physiological and pharmacological mechanisms of action of these molecules;
• research about formulations of medicinal specialties;
• research about the impact that bioactive substances have on man and the environment.

The highly interdisciplinary content of the research carried out in the in the Department of Pharmacy and therefore in the PhD Course makes fruitful collaborations among researchers from the various scientific disciplines, as well as with national and international research groups. In line with this, doctoral students are strongly encouraged to carry out part of their research project at highly qualified foreign institutions.

In addition, the Doctoral Course, in order to ensure a complete and correct interdisciplinary training aimed at growing students towards autonomous and aware research, provides highly qualified training activities, including:

• Cycles of monographic lessons held by PhD inner and external teachers (i.e. pharmaceutical companies);
• Seminars held by national and international teachers of high scientific level;
• Participation in national and international schools addressed to doctoral students, summer and/or winter schools;
• Organization of thematic workshops.

The title of SDBS PhD opens important employment scenarios mainly in the world of pharmaceuticals, health products, nutraceuticals, as well as in multidisciplinary healthy activities.

Titled PhD could enter in several applied fields such as: design, research and development, biological analysis, qualitative/quantitative analysis of substances, both at Italian and foreign public research entities. The title PhD could undertake an academic career, both in chemical-pharmaceutical, biotechnological, food, cosmetic and health products companies.