The PhD Program

The PhD Program covers all aspects of the Translational Medicine (TM) Cycle. The program helps students become critical consumers of medical research papers, collect primary data on health issues through observation and inquiry, and conduct biomedical research. Participants will explore clinical research design — including systematic reviews, patient registries, and clinical trials — by developing an extended project in study groups led by experienced TM Centre faculty members.

Target Audience

• Individuals holding a Master's degree (MSc) in a two-cycle higher education program, as well as students in the final year of medical, dental, pharmaceutical, or other Master's programs who expect to obtain their diploma within six months.
• Good English communication skills are recommended (minimum B2 level – details here).

Please note that this program is specifically designed for international students. Tuition fees apply.

Outcomes of the Training

• Understand the concept of healthcare delivery science as part of the translational medicine cycle.
• Gain practical knowledge in establishing patient registries, initiating clinical trials, and conducting systematic reviews with meta-analyses.
• Critically evaluate clinical research studies using a systematic approach.
• Acquire the essential skills and mindset required for translational research.
• Expand an international professional network of translational researchers.
• Earn a PhD degree supported by high-level scientific achievements.
• Develop presentation, debating, language, and organizational skills.

Training Programme

The innovation of the Translational Medicine Training Programme lies, among other things, in the fact that PhD students are supported not only by their supervisors but also by an interdisciplinary expert team: scientific-methodology advisors, biostatisticians, IT specialists and ethics-approval experts assist their research.

The structure of the programme is precisely planned yet flexible enough to fit students’ lives — even when living in another city or country. The main teaching formats are:

• E-learning – theoretical knowledge accessible from anywhere, at your own pace
• Workshops – hands-on application of what has been learned
• Group and project meetings – expert-led research feedback and development
• Seminar Lecture – inspiring talks, often delivered by world-renowned, Nobel-laureate speakers
• Progress Report – regular presentation opportunities that strengthen scientific communication and presentation skills

 
This complex and supportive environment ensures that students become part of a genuine research community already during their training.

Year I – Foundation Year in Research

The first year of the PhD programme lays the foundation for a scientific career. Students take part in four compulsory Progress Reports designed to document research, enhance scientific thinking and communication, and provide continuous feedback.

• 4 Progress Reports (I–IV): presentation of the research plan, first results and methodological progress
• E-learning modules: acquiring the theoretical background of translational medicine
• Practical workshops: deepening theoretical knowledge through exercises
• Group and project meetings: structured professional dialogue among students, supervisors, methodology advisors and biostatisticians

By the end of the year, students should have laid solid foundations for their research and mastered the essential methodological and ethical principles of translational medicine on which the following years build.

Year II – Preparation for the Complex Exam

The second year focuses on the Complex Exam, which closes the first phase of the PhD. Alongside deepening their research, students pay special attention to systematising their theoretical knowledge and further developing their methodological skills.

Group and project meetings are held less frequently but remain regular; any missing e-learning modules and workshops from Year I can be made up, and participation in the Seminar Lecture series is compulsory.

Two compulsory Progress Reports:
V. Progress Report – presentation of results achieved so far;
VI. Progress Report = Complex Exam – written and oral parts before an international committee.

Years III–IV – PhD Degree Phase

The second phase of the PhD — the research and dissertation phase — starts after the successful Complex Exam. Its focus is on writing the doctoral dissertation and preparing for the degree defence.

Students deepen their research, finalise their results and actively work on the thesis while receiving targeted support from their supervisors and the professional community.

Two key milestones:
VII. Progress Report – internal defence (presentation of the draft dissertation), and
VIII. Progress Report – public defence (presentation of the final thesis).

Writing the doctoral dissertation is not only a scientific task — it is the path that shapes a student into an independent scientist.