First-year Ph.D. students are required to take general courses (English language, computer science, security, online bibliographic research) offered by the University and advanced Ph.D. courses. Teaching activities within the Ph.D. in "Food and Human Health" include a number of mandated initiatives in English (project presentation, journal club, data club and annual workshop) that are subject to evaluation. During the project presentation, doctoral students present their research project, and within the year they hold two workshops, one aimed at illustrating a topic of current interest (journal club, 18 hours) and one on their own research activity (data club, 18 hours).

It is planned to participate in annual workshops devoted to the research activity of doctoral students:

"Workshop on the Developments in the Italian PhD Research on Food Science, Technology and Biotechnology" within which it is required to present a poster on the research project in year I, research results in year II and an oral communication during year III (16 hours per year);
"Annual national meeting for PhD students" organized by the "Association of Cell and Differentiation Biology," with final review by referees.

During Year I, doctoral students are also required to take the advanced research course of "Experimental and Modeling Methodologies" with a multidisciplinary character (18 hours), "Needs, Recommendations and Criteria for Healthy Nutrition" (8 hours) and "Research Ethics" (8 hours). All these activities will be evaluated by a special committee that will make a judgment.

During Year II, doctoral students are required to take courses offered by the University (exploitation of research results, intellectual property, effective communication) and to attend the advanced research course of "A Systems Approach to Obesity Prevention" (14 hours) and the course of "Assessment of Nutritional Characteristics of Foods" (8 hours). They are also required, similarly to those in the first year, to take part in all educational activities, such as journal club (18 hours) data club (18 hours) workshops (16 hours).

Third-year doctoral students are offered general courses (intellectual property, research management, learning about research and funding systems, job search) and an advanced research course of "Metabolism of Metals" (10 hours). They must also teach two journal club seminars (18 hours) and data club (18 hours), attend the annual workshop (16 hours).

Students are also required to take specialized seminars throughout the three-year period (20 hours per year).

First year:

EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGIES AND MODELLING (cross-curricular course)
Number of hours: 18; SSDs: AGR/02, VET/04, MED/01
Educational Objectives: The course aims to illustrate some of the statistical-experimental and modeling methodologies used in scientific research, with particular reference to studies in food and medicine.
Course Content: The course presents some statistical-experimental and some simulation-based modeling approaches for dynamic systems. The first part will be devoted to a recall of the basic concepts of statistical methodology: data synthesis, hypothesis testing, confidence interval and correlation (Prof. M. Isola: 4h). In a later part, study designs in the medical field will be covered; in particular, methodological and statistical aspects related to experimental design in the clinical setting will be addressed (Prof. M. Isola: 3h). Experimental plans and related statistical analysis techniques (ANOVA) will then be declined in other areas, with particular regard to experimentation in agricultural and food production (prof. P. Ceccon: 4h). The systems simulation approach with models will be addressed by employing the hydraulic analogy of System Dynamics, with related software platforms for model development. Sensitivity analysis, calibration and validation techniques and some case studies will be briefly explained (Prof. F. Danuso: 5h). Modeling will also be covered for its applications in food and in particular "safety" aspects employing predictive microbiology for risk management (Prof. M. Stecchini: 2h).
Teaching methods: lecture and exercises
Methods of verifying learning: tests on the topics covered

FABRICATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CRITERIA FOR A HEALTHY DIET (Nutrition and Human Nutrition: module 1)
Number of hours: 8; SSD: MED/49
Educational Objectives: The course aims to introduce the concepts of nutrient requirements and recommendations according to the Reference Intake Levels of Nutrients and Energy (LARN, 4th revision) for the Italian population at various stages of life.
Course Content: This course will present the concepts of nutrient requirements and recommendations according to the Reference Intake Levels for Nutrients and Energy (LARN, 4th revision) for the Italian population. The first part will focus on recommendations for the adult, and then describe those in the various stages of life (developmental age and the elderly) and in particular physiological states (gestation and lactation) with the aim of providing the basis for the design and development of specially formulated foods for various population groups (Prof. N. Pellegrini).
Teaching methods: lecture
Methods of verifying learning: tests on the topics covered

ETHICS OF RESEARCH (cross-curricular course)
Number of hours: 8; SSD: MED/43,
Educational Objectives: Based on the assumption that ethics is intrinsic to science and the scientific method, the course aims to make people think about the scientific community and its main product, scientific publication, by presenting virtuous examples of research activities, analyzing the role of errors, and dealing with the fraud of dishonest researchers.
Course content: Human experimentation and informed consent; animal experimentation; genetic medicine; regenerative and stem medicine; environmental ethics and GMOs; vaccine ethics; scientific community and publications; scientific fraud (Prof. L. Desinan).
Teaching methods: frontal lecture
Means of verifying learning: evaluation of a paper that each doctoral student will develop by delving into one of the topics covered in class

Second year:

A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO OBESITY PREVENTION.
Number of hours: 14; SSDs: AGR/15, CHIM/10, MED/03, MED/05, MED/25
Educational Objectives: The course aims to present the problem of obesity, its causes and how to limit it through an interdisciplinary systemic approach.
Course content: In the first part of the course, the chemical composition of fats, their metabolism and caloric intake are explained with special emphasis on the structure of triacylglycerols, as well as the possibility of obtaining triacylglycerols carrying particular fatty acids (short- and medium-chain) or modified (hydrogenated, interesterified, transesterified fats) (Prof. P. Lucci, 4h). Various technological solutions for the preparation and processing of low-lipid and lipid-modified foods are also presented (Prof. M. Anese, 4h). Next, the genetic predisposition to obesity is discussed, outlining the study methodologies used today. Animal models of disease are also presented. Dysfunctions and pathologies associated with obesity are explained in the course (Prof. G. Damante, Prof. F. Curcio, 4h). Finally, the problem of obesity is also analyzed from the perspective of psychology and eating disorders (Prof. M. Balestrieri, 2h).
Teaching methods: frontal lecture
Methods of verifying learning: tests on the topics covered

EVALUATION OF NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FOODS (Nutrition and Human Nutrition: module 2)
Number of hours: 8; SSD: MED/49
Educational Objectives: The course aims to illustrate what the nutritional characteristics of foods are and how these can be measured.
Course content: During the first part of the course, the concept of nutritional quality of foods and how this can be measured will be briefly introduced. In the second part, the main methods, explaining their characteristics, advantages and limitations, that are used to assess the nutritional characteristics of foods (protein quality, glycemic index and load, atherogenicity indices) will be presented. Mention will also be made of the satiating characteristics of foods, what it is affected by and how it can be measured. (Prof. N. Pellegrini).
Teaching methods: frontal lecture
Methods of verifying learning: tests on the topics covered

Third year:

METABOLISM OF METALS
Number of hours: 10; SSDs: CHEM/03, BIO/10, MED/05,
Educational Objectives: The course aims to elucidate the role that metals play in metabolic reactions.
Course content: In the first part of the course, the chemistry of metals is explained with emphasis on transition metals and the structure and properties of metalloproteins (hemoglobin, iron-sulfur proteins, cytochrome c, cytochrome P450, carbonic anhydrase, carboxypeptidase, alcoholdehydrogenase, vitamin B12) (Prof. W. Baratta, 4h). Metabolic pathways involving metals are presented in the course and in particular the functions and metabolism (enzymatic reactions, transport, storage) of iron and magnesium (Prof. G. Lippe, 4h). Health effects (well-being and toxicity) and the main pathological pictures of metal deficiency or excess intake are outlined. Finally, the problem of the dosage of metals and their compounds is discussed (Dr. A. Colatutto, 2h).
Teaching methods: frontal lecture
Verification of learning methods: oral test

Reasearch topics:

Innovative technological strategies to ensure the safety and extend the shelf-life of foods;
Diagnosis and study of biodiversity of food-borne strains and their technological aptitudes;
Prevention and reduction of microbial contamination;
Development of methods and tools to define the safety of food and/or processes; Development of bioactive molecules;
Nutrigenomics, metabolomics, diet and health;
Health properties of functional products;
Strategies and delivery systems of functional ingredients and applications;
Oncology and nutrition;
Mitochondrial functions and dietary interventions;
Nutritional interventions in the treatment of eating disorders;
Genetics, epigenetics and risk factors;
Tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells and organ transplantation;
Immunomodulation and immunosuppression;
Micronutrients and organ health;
Eating disorders;
Cellular senescence, prevention of oxidative damage, and nanotechnology;
Statistical approaches to the study of health and nutrition.