Courses of XL cycle
| Course | Hours | CV | Years targeted by the course | Course description | Final test |
| Technical English I | 20 | CB PH TM | 1st year | Lecturer: Prof. Davide Mazzi. 1. An introduction to Scientific English as ESP (English for Specific Purposes) General features: syntax, lexis, terminology, and morphological peculiarities. 2. Scientific Discourse: one discourse, several genres. An operative definition of ‘genre: a closer look at scientific / academic genres. Narrowing the field: abstracts and research articles (RA). Methodological premises: aims, materials and methods of the course. 3. The abstract as a genre. Generic properties: definition, discourse community involved, communicative purpose, structure, style and intended audience. Two main typologies: informative and indicative abstracts. Tense issues: when to use the present, when to use the past. Active and passive voice. Evaluative lexis: – Collocation: conceptualization and examples; – Reporting verbs; – Stylistic remarks: personal pronouns, abbreviations, incomplete sentences, symbols, formality; – How to write an abstract: practical suggestions. 4. The research article (RA) as a genre Generic properties: definition, discourse community involved, communicative purpose, structure, style and intended audience. A focus on RA introductions: – The CARS (Create a Research Space) model; – A study of rhetorical moves (Establishing a territory; Establishing a niche; Occupying the niche); – A study of steps (e.g., Claiming centrality; Indicating a gap; Outlining purposes); – Linguistic tools of moves and steps: connectives, tense usage, reporting verbs, deixis – The study of collocations and grammar in scientific discourse: applications of the software AntConc 3.2.1w | yes |
| Technical English II | 20 | CB PH TM | 2nd year | Lecturer: Prof. Davide Mazzi. 1. More on research articles. The section on ‘Methodology’: linguistic tools (the passive voice in the past, NPstacking) The macro-section ‘Results, Discussion and Conclusion’: linguistic tools. Rhetorical resources across RA sections: – Hedging and authorial comment; – Definition; – That-nominalizations; – Stylistic remarks: the use of progressive forms, second person and imperatives. 2. Research presentations as a genre. Generic properties: definition, discourse community involved, communicative purpose, structure, style and intended audience. Organisational strategies for an effective presentation: preparation, visual supports, performance, and speaker-audience interaction. A real example of research presentation (Dubois 1981). 3. Ph.D. dissertations as a genre. Generic properties: definition, discourse community involved, communicative purpose, structure, style and intended audience. Rhetorical and linguistic features across sections. 4. Ph.D. defences as a genre. Generic properties: definition, discourse community involved, communicative purpose, structure, style and intended audience. Informality, cross-textual references, the role of humour. | yes |
| How and where to submit a winning grant application | 21 | CB PH TM | 1st year | Lecturers: Dr. Chiara Gabbi, Humanitas Medical Care; Dr. Nadja Sändig; Dr. Alessandra Minetti, UNIMORE. Module outline: Where to submit and to acquire the capacity to prepare a successful grant application in the biomedical field, by submitting a clear and comprehensive research project. Writing competitive grant proposals is in fact nowadays a fundamental task for scientists. Funded research projects are crucial to ensure scientific excellence, professional growth, as well as meritocracy. This course is a comprehensive, hands-on, interactive overview of the fundamental concepts of grant writing. Lectures will cover the complete grant development process from researching funding sources to developing, submitting and reviewing grant proposals. The overall goal of this course is to enable each participant to develop a competitive application, step-by-step. | yes |
| Communicate science | 16 | CB PH TM | 1st year | Lecturer: Dr. Chiara Gabbi, Humanitas Medical Care. Module outline: to successfully communicate and disseminate scientific results and concepts in professional and non-professional communities and contexts, both with oral communications and in wiring, and through other ways (media and social networks). | yes |
| Research Methodology in the Biomedical Field – Residential ‘Spring’ School | 50 | CB PH TM | all years | Coordinated by Prof. Marco Vinceti, Prof. Lauren Wise (Boston University) and Prof. Dario Consonni (University of Milan) at Abbazia Matildica di Marola di Carpineti, Reggio Emilia. Course program: Principles of causation: causal inference, directed acyclic graphs, relation between variables (bias, confounding, effect modification). Principles of statistical inference. Sample size and power calculation. Practical exercise on calculating power and sample size for experimental study. Choice of adequate statistical test. Overview of epidemiological study designs: Basics of experimental studies. Theoretical exercise on types of experimental studies and types of clinical trials. Statistical analysis in experimental design: Basics of correlation – use and misuse. Regression – basic principles: Linear regression and multiple linear regression. Practical exercise with statistical software. Logistic regression – basic concepts: Single and multiple logistic regression. Logistic regression – variable selection and model building. Logistic regression – statistical adjustment – interaction and confounding. Regression – diagnostics. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Repeated measures analysis. Basic concepts of time-to-event data. Testing for equivalency of time distributions (comparing survival curves). Regression models for time-to-event data (Cox regression). Systematic reviews and meta-analysis: principles, methods, network meta-analysis, dose-response meta-analysis, risk of bias analysis. Principles to write a scientific paper and to review a scientific manuscript. | yes |
| Management of bibliometric profiles and research quality | 6 | CB PH TM | 1st year | Learning module organizer: Prof. Marco Vinceti. Lecturers: Simona Assirelli, Enrica Baldelli, Nicola De Bellis. Outline: Overview of VQR, ASN and bibliometric data handling and assessment, use of bibliographic databases and resources. | no |
| Ethical management and submission of research protocols | 6 | CB PH TM | 1st year | Lecturers: Dr. Erica Molinari, Data Protection Officer of the Health Authorities of Modena and Reggio Emilia; Prof. Vittorio Colomba, Data Protection Officer UNIMORE; Dr. Corrado Confalonieri, officer of the Northern Emilia-Romagna Ethics Committee. Outline: How to handle personal health data in an ethical and legally correct way; how to prepare and present a correct and successful research protocol to an Ethics Committee. | no |
| Artificial Intelligence in the Biomedical Field | 5 | CB PH TM | 1st year | Learning module coordinator: Prof. Marco Vinceti. Lecturers: Prof. Rita Cucchiara (DIEF UniMORE), Dr. Ermanno Cavalli (Senior Data Officer – European Food Safety Authority), Prof. Jonathan Mapelli (UNIMORE), Dr. Giulia Besutti (UNIMORE), Dr. Erica Balboni (UNIMORE). Course outline: Artificial Intelligence for Health: today and tomorrow challenges in the biomedical fields, including how to use for systematic literature searches, virtual brain modeling, neuroimaging and radiodiagnostic innovative procedures. | no |
| Statistical software for the analysis of biomedical data | 18 | CB PH TM | 1st year | Learning module coordinators: Prof. Marco Vinceti, Prof. Tommaso Filippini. Outline: Introduction to the use of up-to-date statistical software for biomedical data analysis, using bivariate and multivariable models to produce and merge datasets, compute differences between means and risk ratios, test statistical imprecision, produce high-quality graphs. | yes |
| Open data, open science, transformative contracts | 5 | CB PH TM | 1st year | How to share and disseminate scientific results, publications, and raw data in an open and transparent way within the scientific community and outside it. | no |
| Biomedical research ethics | 20 | CB PH TM | all years | Learning module coordinator: Prof. Rossana Cecchi. The course will present and share the main ethical principles for research involving human subjects and animals, to be conducted in accordance with the basic ethical principles: autonomy (respect for person / subject / animal), beneficence, non-maleficence i.e. do no harm, and justice. Particular attention will be given to the self-determination principle of the participants, informed consent, privacy and insurance duties. The course will also help the doctoral students to implement these principles in practice. Basic principles about how to avoid and counteract any disparities in biomedical science research and promote equity will also be addressed. | yes |
| Software for reference management and meta-analyses | 20 | CB PH TM | all years | Learning module coordinators: Prof. Marco Vinceti, Prof. Tommaso Filippini. Outline: Introduction to the use of reference manager software Endnote and Zotero, and Ryyan for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. | yes |
| Advanced methodologies and technologies for neurophysiological research | 12 | TM | 1st year | Learning module coordinator: Prof. Fausta Lui. Outline: PhD Students will be introduced to specific advanced methodologies and technologies utilized for research activities in neurophysiology and neuroscience. | no |
For admission into the subsequent year, each doctoral student must simultaneously meet the following requirements (April 18, 2023 and April 18, 2024 Faculty Meeting):
a) attendance of 75% of the mandatory training activities;
b) completion of one or more abstracts or full-length publications as the first author by the doctoral student in the current year;
c) a report on the activities carried out during the year, co-signed by the supervisor, integrated with the PhD student’s IRIS page, complete with ORCID
d) screenshot of the “green light” from the esse3 page certifying the completion of the questionnaire on the satisfaction level regarding the scientific and educational activities of the PhD program.