Animal physiology, immunology and developmental biology

The aim of the program is to prepare top specialists in specific scientific fields developed within the Department of Animal Physiology and Immunology at the Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University. Graduates are prepared for further scientific careers at workplaces of basic or applied research at the international level, but also for possible employment in companies with a research background, in medical facilities and as professional lecturers.

The program focuses on the research formation of students in the rapidly developing fields of physiology, immunology and developmental biology. Students are trained to conduct research in the areas ranging from cellular to organ level to models of whole animal organisms from cells to humans. Modern molecular biology techniques and state-of-the-art imaging techniques are applied. The program covers research topics ranging from veterinary through biomedical applications to general basic research issues. In particular, the most represented topic is the research of cellular signaling, which is crucial for understanding the processes controlling embryonic development, tissue differentiation and regeneration, as well as processes of carcinogenesis or immune regulation. The program integrates methodological approaches of molecular biology, molecular embryology and cell biology with morphological and behavioral approaches.

The course is designed to motivate prospective students through checkpoints. A greater number of methodologically oriented courses, internships, and openness to contacts with biotechnology companies ensure interconnection with the practice of modern biological research. Emphasis is placed on using English as a basic tool for scientific work.

Students are motivated by the high professional quality of research in an open and friendly environment. The performance of individual students is appreciated both financially and, for example, through participation in prestigious international conferences.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• Independently and creatively plan and implement scientific and research activities and manage methodologies and models in the areas of animal physiology, immunology, and developmental animal biology
• To write and prepare a critical scientific text in the form of scientific articles in the field of animal physiology, immunology, and developmental biology
• To present and defend the results of own research at the international scientific forum in the fields of physiology, immunology, and developmental biology
• To understand and be able to use broader professional and theoretical knowledge in the areas of physiology, immunology and developmental biology of animals
• To know and critically evaluate the latest knowledge and scientific development in the areas of animal physiology, immunology, and developmental biology
• To understand and master fluent professional communication in English
• Use the experience gained during international cooperation
• Transfer knowledge and experience through the teaching experience
• Use the gained experience, such as project planning and management, communication and collaboration, etc.

The program is designed to be comparable with high-quality foreign universities programmes and graduates work well at top research institutes, whether from academic or non-academic institutions. The director of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Key Manager of Roche Diagnostics, Postdoc at the Karolinska Institutet or the director of the embryological laboratory are examples of positions where our graduates found employment and refer for the program. Graduates of the doctoral study program are therefore entitled to carry out independent scientific and research activities in the field of basic and applied research, but they are also employed in management positions thanks to their language and managerial competencies. In a broader sense, they are prepared to carry out all activities related to scientific work; to deal with conceptual issues, scientific-organizational activities and teaching.

The program includes compulsory student practice at potential employers as a tool for establishing links with future employers.

In accordance with international practice, the preferred form of dissertation is a collection of articles or manuscripts with an introductory article that logically links the individual articles and places them in the context of contemporary knowledge. In this introductory article, the only author, which is a doctoral student, must prove his / her professional overview and orientation in the given field. The dissertation in this form usually contains three, but at least two articles or manuscripts of the author's articles. The best form is to submit the whole work in English.

Formal requirements for the work structure are given on the program website. The dissertation must be based on it's own and original scientific results and a necessary condition for its acceptance is that its most important results are published or accepted for publication. The minimum requirements are met if the doctoral candidate is the first author of one work published in a journal of the first two quartiles of periodicals of the relevant focus (according to the Journal Citation Reports). Another article of the same quality (at least one) can be arbitrarily co-authored. If the doctoral dissertation articles are written with co-authors, the doctoral candidate in the dissertation must clearly define his / her specific contribution in each of them (not only the percentage). In cases of shared authoring, the Commission will apply generally stricter standards for the quality of publications. The work will be judged by 2 opponents, and usually one of the opponents is an expert from a respected foreign institution.