The PhD in Applied Clinical Research will provide the basic principles of clinical and applied research with the direct involvement of research institutions, public and private research hospitals, regulatory bodies, pharmaceutical companies and stakeholders.
The programme will equip students with general, transversal and specific competencies, and train professionals who are able to design, conduct and critically evaluate independent and for-profit clinical research projects.
Applications for the academic year 2026/2027 are open
The Programme
The PhD programme in Applied Clinical Research is targeted at graduates with a degree in medicine interested in acquiring knowledge and developing skills in the field of clinical research.
The PhD programme will equip students with general, transversal and specific competencies, and train professionals who are able to design, conduct and critically evaluate independent and for-profit clinical research projects.
This PhD course aims to train “generators” of high quality, innovative clinical trials, able to take into account the economic sustainability and ethical aspects of research as well as the real applicability of the results as a means to improving the health conditions and quality of life of patients.
The involvement of cross-disciplinary expertise (medical, methodological, economic, ethical), and experts from different backgrounds (clinical-preclinical, industrial, economic, regulatory/decisional), underscores the interdisciplinary aspect that will characterize the doctoral programme in Clinical Research at Humanitas University.
Specifically, the doctoral student will:
- acquire the necessary tools for the identification and critical review of available evidence
- understand the regulation of clinical research
- acquire the tools to identify the correct type of study to be carried out according to the objectives and strengths/weaknesses of different types of clinical trials
- understand epidemiology and statistics for proper clinical study design
- understand economic principles underlying the economic sustainability of a clinical trial
- understand the basis of open science
At the end of the course, the doctoral students will have:
- learned the correct research methodology to be used for the specific objective: retrospective, observational or interventional, cross-sectional, prospective (from phase 1, including first-in-human studies, to phase 4 post-marketing) RTCs
- mastered the principles underlying the design, execution, and management of profit and nonprofit clinical research
- mastered the biostatistical foundations required for clinical trial design
- mastered the biostatistical foundations required for data analysis and proper interpretation of a clinical trial
- learned the economic foundations required for determining the sustainability of profit and nonprofit clinical research
- learned the regulatory and ethical principles of clinical research
- learned the principles of team working
- learned the basic principles of competitive grant writing
- mastered the basic principles of writing and submitting abstracts as well as manuscripts
- mastered the most effective ways of presenting clinical research findings to a lay audience (stakeholders)
- designed and conducted a clinical research project
- designed, written and submitted a research project to a national or international competitive call
- learned the basics in the area of open science
Career Opportunities
The expected employment outlets are managerial or high-profile careers in academia in biomedical disciplines and within public and private research organizations, public health, and the pharmaceutical or biomedical industry.
Specifically, the main areas of employment include:
- clinical research facilities (IRCCS, university hospitals);
- public and private research institutions operating in the biomedical field;
- ASLs and hospital companies, in areas dedicated to health monitoring and planning;
- Pharmaceutical companies (Clinical Development; Medical Affair Branch; Clinical Scientist; Manager Regulatory Operations) and Biotech pharmaceuticals;
- Clinical trial ethics committees.
PhD Coordinator: Prof. Andrea Lania
Places available
5 places
5 The number of available places and/or scholarships may increase in the event that external funding becomes available by the deadline set for the completion of the call application procedure.
Language
English
Duration
3 years
Beginning of the academic year
1st December 2026
Application deadline
26th June 2026
Contacts
For further information you can contact phd@hunimed.eu
Didactic Activities
Module 1: Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Module 2: Research Ethics
Module 3: Advanced Statistics
Module 4: Principles and Practice of Clinical Studies
Module 5: Conducting a clinical trial
Module 6: Interpretation and dissemination of results
Module 7: Translational and correlational studies applied to phase 1-2 clinical trials
Module 8: Digital Medicine and Clinical Studies
Module 9: Regulatory Aspects
Module 10: Participation in Competitive Grants
The PhD programme includes the writing of a clinical research protocol as a thesis project under the supervision of a tutor and faculty members of the doctoral program. The thesis project is a structured activity involving the design and implementation of a research project aimed at the practical application of the knowledge acquired.
The PhD student is expected to:
- participate in clinical research activities under the supervision of the mentor
- write a proposal for national and international competitive grant
- design a clinical study
- write at least 1 clinical paper as first author
BIP – Blended Intensive Program
Among elective activities, PhD students enrolled to the second and third year have the opportunity to join the BIP (Blended Intensive Program) in Research Ethics and Integrity, organized with the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.
The course is composed of online classes plus an in-person part hosted on RCSI campus in Dublin for one week.
All costs related to registration, flight and accommodation for the in-person are covered by Humanitas University.
Admission Requirements
Applicants wishing to apply for the PhD course in clinical research must have:
- an Italian degree in Medicine and Surgery or equivalent qualification awarded by a foreign university
- the license to practice as a doctor
- a medical residency programme (concluded on ongoing)
Applicants who have not yet graduated at the date of application may still take part in the selection process providing they have passed all of their degree programme exams at the time of the online application, and will have been awarded the qualification before the beginning of the academic activities. Should these applicants pass the selection process, their enrolment on the PhD course is conditional upon providing proof that the qualification has been awarded.
Fees and Scholarships
PhD students are required to pay an annual fee for access and attendance, set at €250,00 for the academic year 2026/2027, including the regional tax and stamp duty.
Detailed information about each topic’s scholarship or equivalent contract can be found in the research topics table below, by clicking on each topic ID.
How to Apply
- Registration or access with your LOGINMIUR credentials
- Application form submission
- Payment of the application contribution
The application form must be completed in all its parts, on penalty of exclusion. In particular, applicants must submit all of the following documents in PDF format:
- Curriculum vitae
- Copy of a valid ID or passport (for Non-EU citizens)
- Diploma Supplement
- Copy of the receipt of payment of € 30,00
Additionally, applicants may indicate name and contacts of maximum two referees, preferably chosen among those who have had a supervising role of the candidates. The referees will be directly contacted by Humanitas University and asked to complete a brief letter of reference, which should be sent by 26th June 2026, h 4:00 PM.
Further details about the application procedure will be reported in the official call for applicants.
Admission Process
Admission to the PhD Programme is based on a public selection process consisting of:
- the comparative evaluation of titles and qualifications
- an interview carried out in English by an appointed Committee
The aim of the selection process is to assess the knowledge, competencies and aptitude of the applicants for clinical research as well as their motivation for undertaking the PhD programme.
A good knowledge of English is required and will be tested during the interview.
Academic Board
PhD coordinator: Professor Andrea Lania
Research Topics a.y. 2026/2027
| TOPIC ID | RESEARCH AREA | SUPERVISOR | PROJECT TITLE |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLI 1 | Medical | Pietro Emiliano Doneddu | Precision Medicine in Inflammatory Neuropathies: Antibody and Biomarker Discovery, Validation, and Digital Remote Monitoring |
| CLI 2 | Surgical | Valeriano Vinci | Biomaterials in Plastic Surgery: Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Temporary Bioactive Spacer for Post-Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction |
| CLI 3 | Medical | Alberto Puccini | The NORMA study: ctDNA-based perioperative management in locally advanced Gastroesophageal cancers |
| CLI 5 | Medical | Stefano Aliberti | Building a European Clinical Care Network for Bronchiectasis: centre classification, quality of care, and disease activity assessment within the EMBARC framework |
| CLI 6 | Medical | Stefano Aliberti | Building an Integrated Framework for Bronchiectasis Exacerbations: phenotyping, endotyping, standard operating procedures, and individualized antibiotic duration |
| CLI 7 | Service | Ciro Franzese | PRISTINE trial: PRoton beam therapy In Seminoma – Toxicity INvestigation and Evaluation of outcome |
| CLI 8 | Medical | Paolo Andrea Zucali | Association of pathological thymopoiesis in thymomas with autoimmunity |
| CLI 10 | Surgical | Paolo Emanuele Levi Setti | Beyond the Surface: Metagenomic-Driven Profiling of the Endometrial Microbial Environment via Embryo Transfer Catheters (VIMET-CAT Study) |
| CLI 11 | Medical | Francesco Amati | Advanced Imaging and Multimodal Biomarkers for Predicting Disease Progression and Guiding Precision Medicine in Interstitial Lung Diseases |
| CLI 13 | Service | Holger Schunemann | Bridging the Evidence-to-Policy Gap: Optimizing Knowledge Mobilization and Communication with health policy makers through Plain Language Recommendations and Evidence-to-Decision Frameworks |
| CLI 14 | Surgical | Mattia Loppini | Antibiotic resistance and Staphylococci periprosthetic joint infections: deciphering the interaction between bacterial quorum sensing and immune response |
| CLI 16 | Medical | Alessio Aghemo | META-TWIN: Development of a Digital Twin Platform for Precision Medicine in Cardiovascular-Renal-Hepatic-Metabolic Syndrome |
| CLI 18 | Medical | Paolo Bossi | A roadmap to increase survival in oral cavity cancers: clinical trials to predict and intercept the malignant transformation of oral potentially malignant disorders and to treat oral cavity cancers |
| CLI 19 | Medical | Antonio Voza | High-Flow Nasal Cannula versus Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Naive Pneumonia: A Randomized Controlled Trial with Multimodal Assessment in the Emergency Department |
| CLI 20 | Surgical | Mattia Loppini | Toward Personalised Implant Positioning in Total Hip Arthroplasty: The Role of Spinopelvic Dynamics in Optimising Outcomes |
| CLI 21 | Medical | Alessandro Armuzzi | Diving into the Gut-Bone Axis: Microbiota-Bisphosphonate Interplay in Human Osteporosis and How It Is Affected By Chronic Intestinal Inflammation |
| CLI 22 | Surgical | Angelo Porreca | Patient-Specific 3D Modeling to Guide Nerve-Sparing and Reduce Positive Surgical Margins in Radical Prostatectomy |
| CLI 23 | Surgical | Alessandro Zerbi | Personalizing Therapeutic Pathways 2.0: A Prospective, Real-Life Observational Study on the Application of Innovative Biological Profiling Techniques in Surgically Treatable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma |
| CLI 24 | Surgical | Carlo Castoro | A multidimensional diagnostic framework for the prediction of risk in early esophageal adenocarcinoma |
| CLI 25 | Medical | Walter Vena | Decoding male reproductive dysfunction in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): a prospective, case-control study |
Research Topics a.y. 2025/2026
| TOPIC ID | RESEARCH AREA | SUPERVISOR | PROJECT TITLE |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLI 1 | Medical | Domenica Lorusso Maurizio D’Incalci | Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers of response and resistance to immunotherapy in endometrial cancer: molecular and immune features across MMR-proficient (pMMR) and -deficient (dMMR) subtypes, from fertility-sparing early-stage disease to the recurrent setting |
| CLI 2 | Medical | Cesare Hassan | Development of AI-Driven Electrosurgical Currents for Dual Environment Endoscopy: ex vivo testing on organoid models and preliminary pilot study |
| CLI 3 | Medical | Cesare Hassan | Real time recognition and Enhancement of Vessels and Endoscopic Anatomical Layers during Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (REVEAL-ESD project) |
| CLI 6 | Surgical | Paolo Emanuele Levi-Setti | New technical and scientific findings in couple’s infertility |
| CLI 7 | Medical | Letterio Salvatore Politi Simona Marcheselli | PHOTON-PIONEER Study: Photon-counting CT InvestigatiON for high-risk Elements of carotid plaques and Evaluation of stroke Risk |
| CLI 8 | Surgical | Mattia Loppini | Development and validation of AI algorithms to improve the pre-operative assessment of the patient candidate for hip and knee arthroplasty and to define the type and duration of the post-operative course |
| CLI 9 | Surgical | Elizaveta Kon Federico Della Rocca | Custom-made 3D-printed bone scaffolds for acetabular bone defects in revision total hip arthroplasty |
| CLI 13 | Surgical | Carlo Castoro | Advancing the Role of Radiological Imaging in the Early Detection and Staging of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Diagnostic Accuracy, Quantification, and Prognostic Value |
Research Topics a.y. 2024/2025
| TOPIC ID | RESEARCH AREA | SUPERVISOR | PROJECT TITLE |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLI 3 | Medical | Alessandro Armuzzi | Predictive value of intestinal ultrasound in Crohn’s disease patients treated with advanced therapies |
| CLI 4 | Medical | Cesare Hassan | Organ Saving Strategy for Endoscopic Resection of early colorectal cancer driVen by AI. (OSSERVA project) |
| CLI 5 | Surgical | Paolo Emanuele Levi-Setti | New technical and scientific findings in couple infertility. |
| CLI 6 | Medical | Condorelli | ECHO-Diastolic Dysfunction (Echo-DiD) |
| CLI 7 | Medical | Condorelli Giuseppe Ferrante | RISK-IT |
| CLI 8 | Medical | Gianluigi Condorelli Marco Francone | Malignant Mitral vAlve prolapse and disjunction by cardiac maGnetIC resonance [MAGIC] |
| CLI 9 | Surgical | Paolo Bossi Giuseppe Mercante | Molecular characterization of adverse prognostic features in Head and Neck Cancers across different organs and histologies: from diagnosis to targeted therapies |
| CLI 10 | Medical | Michele Bartoletti | Clinical applications of Innovative diagnostics for antimicrobial stewardship |
| CLI 11 | Surgical | Alessandro Zerbi Roberto Rusconi | Prevention and treatment of surgical site infections in patients undergoing pancreatic resection: a tailored translational approach |
| CLI 12 | Surgical | Valeriano Vinci | Mechanically-activated autologous fat grafting for clinical use |
| CLI 13 | Services | Marco Francone | Advanced MRI techniques for the characterization of neuroendocrine neoplasms: identifying imaging signatures for pancreatic, siNETs, prostate NETs, head and neck and soft tissues NETs |
| CLI 14 | Services | Marco Francone | The imaging signature of viral-related cancers of the head and neck: quantitative imaging analysis and correlation with molecular and genetic expression |
| CLI 16 | Medical | Maurizio Cecconi Antonio Messina | Hemodynamic Response to the end-expiratory occlusion test to titrate fluid challenge in operating room. |
| CLI 20 | Services | Maurizio Cecconi Massimiliano Greco | Improving ventilation outcomes through machine learning analysis of high granularity data (I-VENT study) |
| CLI 22 | Services | Marta Scorsetti | Advanced Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy to Proton Beam for Personalized Treatment Strategies. |
| CLI 24 | Medical | Antonio Costanzo | The Role of Innovative Therapies as Disease-Modifying in Inflammatory Skin Diseases: Identification of Minimal Disease Activity Parameters and Long-term Remission |
| CLI 25 | Surgical | Corrado Tinterri Salvatore Piscuoglio | Uncover Molecular Mechanisms of Trastuzumab Resistance in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer |
| CLI 26 | Services | Letterio Politi | Advanced Neuroimaging in brain tumors – ANTHEM (AdvaNced Technologies for Human-centrED Medicine) |
| CLI 28 | Medical | Paolo Bossi | Simultaneous care in recurrent and/or metastatic Head and Neck cancer: The SupCare study |
| CLI 30 | Medical | Paolo Andrea Zucali | The role of autoantibodies to predict autoimmunity in patients with Thymic Epithelial Tumors (TETs). |
| CLI 31 | Medical | Enrico Heffler | Real-life effectiveness of biological drugs for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: from single outcomes to clinical remission |
| CLI 33 | Surgical | Federico Pessina | Separation Surgery with adjuvant Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SRS/SBRT) versus Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) in the treatment of high grade Spine Metastatic Epidural Compression: a phase 2 study |
| CLI 34 | Surgical | Civilini | Aortic stiffness: exploring the clinical impact of an emerging marker of cardiovascular disease |
