School of Neuroimmune Pharmacology Years 1, 2, and 3: Neuroimmunopharmacology lies at the intersection of pharmacology, immunology, and neuroscience, thus characterized by a high degree of inter- and transdisciplinarity and offering original therapeutic approaches based on knowledge of the complex relationships between the nervous and immune systems. The primary objective of this discipline is the identification of new pharmacotherapeutic targets and the repositioning of existing drugs for other indications through a characterization of their neuroimmunological effects. Neuroimmunopharmacology is a relatively young scientific discipline, but one experiencing rapid and vibrant growth. In 1993, the Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology (SNIP - https://s-nip.org/) was founded, in 2006 the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology (Springer-Nature, https://link.springer.com/journal/11481) began publication, and in 2008 the first edition of Neuroimmune Pharmacology (JNIP, Springer) was published, followed in 2016 by a second updated and expanded edition (https://amzn.to/2OmZniT). This discipline is not limited to the study of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the nervous system (for example, multiple sclerosis and peripheral neuropathies, classic areas of interest in neuroimmunology), but also encompasses neurodegenerative processes such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, stress-related disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and, in general, all conditions in which peripheral and central inflammatory processes involve and/or are influenced by the nervous system. The School is an integral part of the teaching and training activities of the Doctoral Program. Thanks also to the collaboration of its sponsoring scientific societies, the School is promoted internationally.

School on Methodology, Ethics and Integrity in Biomedical Research

I, II, and III years: This School was created within the PhD program in Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities, and incorporates the doctoral programs that have merged into it, namely the program in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and the program in Medicine and Human Sciences. Consistent with the program's stated objectives ("to provide the methodological skills to design and conduct experimental and clinical research from a global and systemic perspective that also leads to in-depth reflection on the ethical and deontological aspects related to basic and applied experimental research in clinical practice and in pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy"), the faculty who created this highly innovative and interdisciplinary program now intend to develop an additional tool, integrated into the postgraduate curriculum, useful for pursuing the goal of promoting a culture of scientific integrity in biomedicine. The University of Insubria stands out nationally for its specific attention to these highly topical and globally relevant issues, which are still largely absent from the political and strategic debate of Italian scientific research. Our university has adopted a Code of Ethics that—like no other Italian university to our knowledge—deeply addresses issues such as conflict of interest and integrity in scientific research. In this regard, and for the purposes of this School project, the experience of the seminar series on the Code of Ethics, promoted and organized by the working group that drafted the Code (which included some of the proponents of this School), is extremely significant. The seminar series has enjoyed considerable success and attention, thanks in part to the publication of the full videos online.

Annual Science Day First, second, and third year: 

Biomedical research is among the crucial factors for the progress and well-being of modern societies, and the profession of biomedical research is among the most intellectually exciting. In recent decades, however, pursuing a research career in biomedicine has become increasingly difficult, primarily due to increased competition and declining funding. The pressure of intense competition for funding and securing stable employment in academic institutions are among the major factors driving researchers to compromise their professional integrity by adopting questionable research practices, even committing acts of scientific misconduct.

VIRT2UE, Training program for research integrity

Modules

1. The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity
2. Introduction to research integrity - a module that introduces the basic principles of research integrity and asks you to apply the European Code of Conduct to your own context.
3. Introduction of Virtue Ethics to Research Integrity - a module that introduces the relevance of virtue ethics to research integrity and asks you to reflect about research integrity issues.
4. Virtue ethics applied under current research conditions - a module that addresses more systemic issues, like performative pressures in research, and relates these to virtue ethics and the individual experience of the researcher. 

The PhD Program in Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities aims to meet the training needs of young researchers by providing comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the fundamental principles, methodologies, and practices of preclinical and clinical experimental research in biomedicine.

The annual scientific day, now in its eighth year (https://tinyurl.com/y8vuyxag), is a consolidated event of great educational value for doctoral students who thus learn the fundamentals of communication and discussion in scientific conferences