PhD in Neural and Cognitive Sciences

The Ph.D. program in Neural and Cognitive Sciences (NCS) provides advanced research training focused on the interdisciplinary study of the central and peripheral nervous systems, the mind/brain system, cognition, and on applications in clinical, social, ergonomic, and sports contexts.

The students will develop competencies in: cellular neurophysiology; neurogenesis; clinical neuroscience; neuroengineering; psycholinguistics; perception, action, and attention; memory and executive control; thinking, judgment, and decision making; sports psychology; typical and atypical development; personality; social psychology; community psychology; comparative psychology. At the end of the course, the students will be able to formulate an independent project; to coordinate data collection integrating methods of biological and psychological sciences; to evaluate results; to propose technological innovations for clinical and rehabilitation purposes; to operate in multidisciplinary teams in public and private institutions.

Taking into account students’ CV, the Ph.D. board defines individual programs, including a component focused on interdisciplinary knowledge and a component on specific advanced research abilities. Formal learning opportunities will include lectures; journal club; seminars; scientific reporting; stages in foreign institutions; participation in national and international meetings; summer schools for young researchers.

Lines of research

Neurobiology, neurogenesis, and cellular neurophysiology Clinical Neurosciences Neuroengineering Perception, action, and attention Memory, language, and executive control Thinking, judgment and decision making Comparative psychology Cognitive neuroscience Typical and atypical development Personality and social psychology Sport psychology

Founded in 1924 , the University of Trieste is a medium-sized university with a student population of approximately 16,000. It offers a wide range of degree programmes at bachelor, master and doctoral level, as well as short vocational masters, advanced masters and specialisation programmes, most of which are in the medical area. Some degree programmes are taught in English .

The university currently has 10 departments: Economic , Business, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences ; Engineering and Architecture ; Humanities; Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies ; Mathematics and Geosciences ; Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences ; Life Sciences ; Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences ; Physics; Political and Social Sciences .

The university participates in many research projects at national and international level. It is also involved in various student and staff exchange programmes with universities in the EU and collaborates with several universities from Eastern Europe and other non-EU countries.

The International Mobility at the University of Trieste

Universities are crossroads of knowledge.

Following the Lisbon strategy, which emphasizes the creation of a more competitive and dynamic knowledge-based society, international mobility and internationalisation of the universities may represent a strategic tool for a social, cultural and economic development of a country. They can be considered as a challenge and an opportunity for the involved Higher Institutions to enlarge and enrich their range of the courses offered.

The internationalisation of its system, which has been started by the University of Trieste since long, is perfectly in line with these points and lies also in the strategic position and historical international vocation of the city of Trieste.

The University of Trieste is actively involved in different Programmes at a European level (LLP Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Alpe Adria, Bovec Summer School) and within wider European (Tempus) and international frameworks (ISEP Programme, International Mobility Grant Programme, Marco Polo Project).