Environmental Health Sciences

Educational objectives: The Doctorate in Environmental and Health Sciences aims to train young scientists capable of meeting the demand for experts in the field of human health promotion and environmental health, in a holistic vision of both humans and the environment they live in. The educational program is designed to enhance critical evaluation skills and develop the scientific autonomy of doctoral students. It includes both highly qualified teaching courses and experimental research activities, which are essential for their future career development. Additionally, the course offers the opportunity to conduct studies and research in collaboration with international institutions, allowing doctoral students to further expand their knowledge and gain internationally recognized training. The students will be trained to acquire interdisciplinary skills that will enable them to understand, utilize, and develop innovative solutions in the promotion of human health, disease prevention starting from environmental protection, biodiversity, ecosystems, and the services they provide. In this context, knowledge will be deepened regarding the ways in which environmental alterations, including those related to ongoing climate changes, can impact the state of environmental quality, the biosphere, and human health. The educational program includes the study of molecular mechanisms that regulate the pathophysiology of major chronic diseases and aging, as well as the identification of specific biomarkers for exposure assessment, with the aim of developing innovative strategies to improve human health and environmental quality. Another aspect is the study and research on the use of natural substances and phytochemicals capable of improving quality of life and exerting a protective preventive action against diseases, contributing to the maintenance of health even in the elderly population. Attention is also dedicated to the study of geochemical compositions of magmas and gas emissions (mainly CO2 and CH4) to assess the risks to human health from natural and anthropogenic events. The course aims to expand knowledge of advanced and state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies for the study of:

a) chemical and microbiological pollutants in the environment and their impact on human health and living organisms;

b) natural and anthropogenic environmental factors that pose a risk to human health and ecosystems;

c) strategies to counter the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem services;

d) methodologies for environmental protection and conservation of plant species of interest;

e) methodologies for environmental protection and restoration;

f) physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms underlying the development of pollutant-related pathologies;

g) relevant biomarkers or intracellular pathways in various physio-pathological contexts;

h) nutraceutical compounds and biomolecules derived from plant or animal organisms;

i) sustainability and safety of food production;

l) function and biological activities of phytochemicals and their role in the prevention and control of aging and diseases;

m) petrographic and geochemical characterization of natural and anthropogenic geological materials for the study of associated risks from natural events.

Educational program:

The educational path of the Doctorate Course includes frontal teaching activities, courses, and seminars on specific topics conducted by members of the Faculty or qualified experts from national or international institutions or companies. Frontal teaching activities will mainly take place during the first two years of the course, allowing the doctoral student to focus more on research activities during the third year. The educational activities also include participation in specialized schools and interdisciplinary seminars organized between related doctoral courses. Additionally, transversal training activities are provided to enhance linguistic skills, management and protection of intellectual property, dissemination and communication of research results, etc. The research activities will be planned with one or more tutors from the Doctoral Board and will involve the development of a project, which will constitute the experimental activity of the course. Doctoral students will be encouraged to continuously deepen and update their knowledge, particularly in the research area of their thesis. Research activities are conducted in laboratories equipped with modern instrumentation and will be integrated with training periods in foreign laboratories for a minimum mandatory duration of 2 months and a maximum of 12 months. There is also the possibility to further develop research activities in companies with research and development centers. Every year, doctoral students present their research work to the Faculty, reporting on their educational activities for periodic evaluation of their learning progress. At the end of the doctoral program, the student must conduct a seminar highlighting the main research activities carried out, documenting the educational path and participation in events for disseminating and communicating the achieved results.

Research topics:

• Studies on preclinical models of the biological effects of new compounds or derivatives/extracts from plants and animals, including the perspective of reusing agricultural or farming/aquaculture waste material. These models will be used to study events at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels using morpho-functional approaches.

• Studies on relevant biomarkers or intracellular pathways in various physio-pathological contexts, such as physiological changes related to aging and high-impact diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, new infectious diseases, and inflammatory pathologies, considering, whenever possible, gender-related differences.

• Studies on the protective and/or therapeutic effects of pharmacological combinations with natural compounds on physiological or pathological models.

• In vitro studies for the biological characterization of new materials, including bioplastics and green polymers, for the preparation of medical devices and/or sensors for monitoring morphological and physiological parameters related to environmental factors.

• Study of the presence of organic and inorganic contaminants in biotic and abiotic samples.

• Development of innovative methodologies for determining contaminants in environmental matrices.

• Development of innovative technologies for assessing environmental quality and environmental restoration.

• Study of biological diversity and ecosystem services, with particular reference to transitional ecosystems.

• Study of ecotoxicological effects of contaminants using vertebrate models in nature and in the laboratory.

• Study of the response of agronomically relevant plants to environmental variations attributable to global climate change.

• Development of new products for application in the marine environment and agriculture aimed at preventing environmental pollution and the entry of pollutants into the food chain.

• Petrographic and geochemical study of soils and interstitial waters.

• Development of innovative methodologies for food safety and traceability.

• Study of the diffusion of natural contaminants induced by climate extremes, alteration of natural regeneration cycles, and overexploitation of geo-resources (water, soil, and mineral resources).

• Development and comparison of acellular, cellular, and tissue methods for the study and characterization of processes and mechanisms involved in the toxicity of anthropogenic pollutants, including their chemical characterization, with the aim of reducing and preventing risks to human health.