The PhD Programme in Molecular Genetics, Biotechnology, and Experimental Medicine (GMBMS) is part of the third level of training offered by the medical department of the University of Brescia.
Admission is reserved for graduates with a master's degree or a single-cycle degree from UniBS or other Italian and international universities. The wide variety of admitted degree programs reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the PhD Programme, which addresses research topics encompassed across the three main curricula and is open to contributions from a variety of fields, including those outside the biomedical field.
The PhD Programme is closely linked to the evolution of scientific research and is constantly updated. A key role is played by the dialogue with local stakeholders, launched in 2024, which allows for the identification of research topics of common interest and facilitates the integration of PhDs into the workforce. To support orientation, a week dedicated to medical PhDs is also organized annually, with activities aimed at both incoming and outgoing students.
In 2025, the PhD Board of Professors established an Advisory Board with advisory and monitoring functions, composed of highly qualified experts from academic, international, and professional fields. The input provided has contributed to the updating of the curriculum, with particular attention to emerging topics such as artificial intelligence, the legal and economic aspects of research (patents and startups), the involvement of PhD students in scientific planning, and the development of transversal skills.
The Board of Professors also includes partners from foreign academic institutions, strengthening the internationalization of the PhD Programme and fostering scientific collaborations.
The PhD Programme includes three curricula:
MOLECULAR GENETICS APPLIED TO MEDICAL SCIENCES
In general, the curriculum in Molecular Genetics Applied to Medical Sciences focuses on the following areas of study:
- next-generation sequencing (NGS);
- RNA sequencing for Mendelian and complex diseases;
- comparative and functional genomics;
- epitranscriptomics;
- RNA editing; non-coding RNAs and epigenomics in the human genome;
- the use of animal models for the characterization of genes involved in the onset of genetic diseases;
- the use of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for therapeutic approaches in rare genetic disorders.
BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The curriculum in Biotechnology for Health and the Environment addresses the following research topics:
- food safety, nutraceuticals, and nutrigenomics;
- environmental factors in tumor development;
- soft tissue tumors;
- genes and proteins involved in iron homeostasis in neurodegenerative diseases;
- glycoconjugate metabolism;
- protein transport in different cellular systems and animal models;
- spectroscopy of proteins and biologically active molecules;
- cartilage and bone tissue regeneration in animal models.
MEDICAL-FORENSIC SCIENCES
The curriculum in Forensic Medical Sciences encompasses research on:
- forensic pathology;
- forensic genetics and toxicology.
These studies are conducted using state-of-the-art methodologies, including NGS, mass spectrometry, and short tandem repeat (STR) analysis on the X chromosome.