The Ph.D. program in Life Course Research fosters the study of life courses and the significant events that shape them from a holistic and transdisciplinary perspective. The program establishes an alliance among scholars from the biomedical, psychological, and socio-demographic fields. ​The PhD program in Life Course Research will train a new generation of highly skilled scholars relying on an evidence-based approach, with a strong emphasis on quantitative methods and data analysis.

How did such an amazing variety of living things evolve on Earth? What makes these bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals? How do living things differ from non-living things? Part of these questions forms the foundation of biology and life sciences. A research thesis in this area of study should provide answers to these questions.

The International PhD Program in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI) combines expertise from many disciplines in the agro-environmental field aimed at training researchers, enabling them to carry out qualified scientific activities in the field of plant and animal production, considering also aspects of eco-sustainability, climate change and recovery of polluted and degraded areas in order to restore their agricultural cultivation capabilities.

This program aims to coordinate advanced learning activities PhD in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Productions, fostering scientific and cultural development through advanced research. It leverages existing collaborations with industry and leading national and international research institutions to develop new partnerships and promotes internationalization by involving foreign scholars and students in research and training activities.

International PhD in Food Engineering and Biotechnology The purpose of this International PhD programme is to train a new generation of globally renowned researchers to apply approaches of engineering and biotechnology to food processing by giving them the opportunities to transfer and exchange knowledge with national and international research centers and industries.

The Ph.D. in Agrobiosciences is a three-year program that aims at educating highly competent researchers with an interdisciplinary background who will be able to face research frontiers in plant sciences. The program is structured in two curricula: i) Genomics and crop production and ii) Agriculture and environment, offering training in frontier topics of plant sciences, including molecular biology, plant genomics- cs and biotechnology, and environmental and agronomic sciences.

The PhD Programme in Agrobiodiversity is a four-year residential Course. It aims at the enhancement of human resource capacities in the utilisation and management of genetic variation in agricultural and natural systems, to improve the sustainability of agricultural systems and the conservation of genetic resources for the well-being of present and future generations.

This PhD programme aims at providing talented and motivated students with in-depth research skills that will allow them to tackle relevant agricultural and environmental problems in mountain areas. Students will have the chance to join a range of training opportunities, seminars and conferences and to work under the guidance of supervisors within international research teams.

The Molecular and Cellular Biology programme aims to train experts in biomolecular sciences and biotechnology, promoting a molecular approach to studying complex biological problems. It fosters collaboration between research institutes, schools, and companies while emphasizing internationalization. A key aspect involves students' direct involvement in experimental research, fostering scientific and organizational independence.

The Ph.D. Program in Bio Robotics is an innovative, cross-sectoral, and interdisciplinary three-year course of advanced studies and supervised research, established at Sant 'Anna School of Advanced Studies in 2012. It enrolls 100+ students, on average 30 students or more per year, and thus is among the largest doctoral schools in robotics and biomedical engineering worldwide.

Our planet is experiencing a decline in its non-renewable resources and is exposed to risks deriving from climate change. The agricultural sector must supply food, non-food products, ecosystemic services and energy, whilst guaranteeing safety and food sovereignty. Agriculture, Environment and Bioenergy is therefore essential to develop advanced training courses in order to achieve efficiency and sustainability in the agricultural sector and its various territorial contexts, taking into account the various elements of the production system and their organisation in agro-ecosystems.

Within the Ph.D. course in Mathematics in Natural, Social, and Life Sciences a priority has been established on mathematical modeling, both towards the traditional areas of application, such as Physics or Engineering, and towards emerging issues in Biology and Social Sciences.

Area: Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biotechnology

The Ph.D. program in Molecular Biomedicine aims to provide higher education to young University graduates in biomedical – and scientific in general – disciplines, to prepare them for a career in basic, clinical or translational research in the field of molecular medicine, with specific reference to the areas of molecular oncology, pathophysiology, molecular genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, regenerative medicine, and pharmacology.