Master in Biomedical Omics (BO)

The Master Program in Biomedical Omics belongs to Class LM-9, Master Programs in Veterinary Pharmaceutical and Medical Biotechnology. The Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology (DIPO) of the University of Milan is the academic institution responsible for the Master Program in Biomedical Omics.

General and specific learning objectives The advent of technologies that allow the global analysis of biological phenomena (“omics”) has revolutionized the study of human diseases and opened new perspectives in the field of research, diagnosis and therapy, tracing the path for Precision or Personalized Medicine. The central element of Precision Medicine is in fact the quantitative description of biological or clinical phenotypes by high definition omics (genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiomics, digital imaging, radiomics and radiogenomics). The Master Program in Biomedical Omics aims at providing students with a broad understanding of omics disciplines applied to medicine and first-hand practical experience with different omics techniques. Key competences of graduates include the ability to design experiments, manage the work flow, analyze and interpret omics data, and create applications for future developments in omics approaches.

Expected learning outcomes Knowledge and understanding Graduates in Biomedical Omics will have theoretical knowledge and practical experience in omics disciplines applied to the clinics. Key competences will include the ability to design experiments, manage work flow, analyze and interpret data and devise new strategies for further development of omics approaches. The courses and training activities will provide specific skills in omics disciplines and in the computational approaches that are necessary for the interpretation of results. Graduates will also be familiar with the legal, ethical and decision-making aspects related to the handling of sensitive data.

Applying knowledge and understanding A key objective of the Master's Degree course in Biomedical Omics is to provide graduates with the full capacity to apply the theoretical knowledge they receive. To achieve this goal, a relevant amount of time will be devoted to practical training and to the experimental thesis deriving from a research project that can be conducted in a national or international, academic or industrial laboratory.

Graduates in Biomedical Omics will be able to pursue careers as Technologists in Biomedical Omics:

Tasks: Coordination and execution of omics techniques in routine diagnostics or clinical research within hospital laboratories.

Skills: i) understanding of the clinical demand underlying the required analyses; ii) execution of omics analyses; iii) interpretation of results; iv) introduction of technological upgrades in the clinical laboratory and development of technology upgrades to adapt standard protocols to local needs.

Employment opportunities: diagnostic laboratories in hospitals and clinical research laboratories.

Graduates will also have the possibility to work in basic research laboratories, in biotechnological development institutes, or to continue their academic training by enrolling in doctoral programs or second-level masters programs, both in Italy and abroad.

The University of Milan is a public teaching and research university, which - with 8 faculties and 2 schools and a teaching staff of more than 2000 professors - is distinguished by its wide variety of disciplinary fields. A leading institute in Italy and Europe for scientific productivity, the University of Milan is the largest university in the region, with approximately 64,000 students; it is also an important resource for the socio-economic context of which it is a part. Milan is, in fact, the capital of Lombardy, one of the most dynamic and international regions in the European Union, a leader in the national economy that stands at the Italian forefront of research and development investments and commitment to technological innovation.

The University of Milan also possesses a remarkable artistic and cultural heritage that includes important historic buildings, inherited and acquired collections, archives, botanical gardens and the old Brera Observatory commissioned by Maria Teresa of Austria. The University’s departments are housed in important historic edifices in the center of Milan and in modern buildings in the area known as Città Studi (the City of Studies). Among the palazzos that house the University’s facilities are the old Ca' Granda (the big house) – a monumental complex from the 15th-century in the heart of the historical city centre - the 18th-century Palazzo Greppi designed by Giuseppe Piermarini – who built the Scala Theatre in Milan – and the 17th-century Sant’Alessandro College commissioned by the Arcimboldi family. The book collection , which is one of the richest in the region, is preserved in 47 libraries, while the APICE Centre collects rare and valuable book stocks and archives. The University also has a Choir and its own Orchestra, which actively contributes to the cultural life of the city and receives international acknowledgments on an increasingly frequent basis.