Biomedicine

The Doctoral Program in Biomedicine aims to provide multidisciplinary training to university graduates with degrees in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, Physics, Medicine, Dentistry, Chemistry, Veterinary and Engineering in the field of biomedical research. Its particular emphasis is on understanding the molecular mechanisms which cause diseases, as well as on developing optimum strategies for their treatment and cure.

The specific objectives of the program are:

• To provide a doctoral program which integrates molecular and cell research to be applied to the understanding, prevention and/or treatment of human disease.
• To produce biomedical scientists with the ability to act as a link between basic and clinical research.
• To train scientists in the area of university/business interaction (R+D management and research foundations).
• To train scientists who wish to work as teachers in the biomedical field
• To facilitate and promote translational research.

The doctoral studies, which correspond to the third cycle of the official university education for obtaining PhD degree, consist of the development of a set of activities necessary for the achievement of the competences and skills related to research scientific quality that ends with the preparation and defense of the doctoral thesis.

Doctoral studies will be carried out in a laboratory linked to one of the PhD Program Research Areas: Bioinformatics; Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer; Biomedical Engineering, Physiology and Pathophysiology, Immunology, Metabolism, Signaling and Associated Pathologies; Neurosciences.

This phase aims to develop skills and aptitudes in biomedical research, enabling the student to:

• understand the value and limitations of the scientific approach
• act in accordance with scientific methodology when defining problems, formulating hypotheses, choosing appropriate strategies and experimental methodologies, obtaining, evaluating and interpreting results, and reaching conclusions
• locate, obtain, organize and interpret biomedical information in databases and other sources
• communicate results using the resources at his/her disposal, with an awareness of the limitations of such resources
• work as part of a group, and interact with scientific colleagues
• maintain an ethical approach, socially and scientifically

The duration of doctoral studies, full time, is 3 YEARS. If a fourth year needed, you must apply for the extension, which is granted automatically. If a fifth year is needed, you must request for the extension and the Academic Committee will decide whether this extension is granted.

The duration of doctoral studies, part time, is 5 YEARS. If two years more are needed, you must apply for the extension, which is granted automatically. If an eighth year is needed, you must request for the extension and the Academic Committee will decide whether this extension is granted.

FOLLOW-UP OF THE THESIS (Supervisory Committee)

BIOINFORMATICS

MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY OF CANCER

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

IMMUNOLOGY

METABOLISM, SIGNALING AND ASSOCIATED PATHOLOGIES

NEUROSCIENCES

PHYSOLOGY AND PHYSIOPATHOLOGY

ACCES REQUIREMENTS:

STUDIES COMPLETED IN SPAIN

STUDIES COMPLETED ABROAD

For the admission, the student must meet the previous access requirements and have acquired the appropriate training to start the PhD.

PROCEDURE:

1.- Previous to the admission process

2.-Admission process

3.- Acces

Send an email to doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu with the following information:

- Full name, NIF/NIE/passport of the student

- Graduate degree or equivalent (indicate University and number of ECTS credits)

- Name of the Official Master's degree or equivalent, date of completion, University where it was studied and number of ECTS credits (min. 60)

- Name of the supervisor and tutor (*)

- Name of the UB department or Institution (external to UB) where the Thesis will be developed

- Research area: check Research areas in the drop-down INVESTIGATORS

(*) The Supervisor must be an investigator LINKED to the Doctorate Program (see lines of research and researchers linked to the PhD Program in the drop-down INVESTIGATORS). In case the supervisor has NOT previously supervised a Thesis in the Program, the following DOCUMENT must be sent (attach it to the email). The Academic Committee of the Program will assess whether the researcher meets the requirements to supervise a Thesis in the Program.

(*) If the supervisor is a NOVEL RESEARCHER (has not previously supervised a Thesis), a co-supervisor is required (a researcher who has previously directed, at least, one Thesis in any PhD Program).

(*) In addition to the supervisor, all students must have a TUTOR. The Tutor is a full-time UB professor. If the supervisor is a full-time UB professor, she/he can act as supervisor and Tutor at the same time. If the supervisor is a researcher who is NOT a UB professor, the student must suggest the name of a tutor (from the same area of research). You can check the possible tutors in the drop-down INVESTIGATORS.

Once the information is received, if it is correct, you will receive a link to access to the on-line admission application.

Enter THE ON LINE APPICATION and select Biomedicine.

Identification. Two possible options:

• WITH UB IDENTIFIER: for people who study or have studied any course at the UB

• WITHOUT IDENTIFIERS: for people who have never studied at the UB

Documents REQUESTED to upload:

• Letter of pre-acceptance of a researcher to supervise the thesis. It must indicate whether the student has a scholarship or contract to develop the Doctoral Thesis (free format; with the head of the institution)
• Curriculum vitae (free format)
• Academic Titles (or academic transcript in case the degree has not yet been obtained)
• Summary of the Thesis project (free format) (*)

(*) The objectives of the research must be in line with the objectives of the PhD Program in Biomedicine, which are to understand molecular, biochemical, cellular and genetic mechanisms of human diseases and find new therapeutic treatments.

To attach a document is mandatory. If you do not have the corresponding document, you can attach an empty document.

Once the application has been completed, it is important to register it. When the application submission deadline ends, only those that have been registered will be considered.

The Academic Committee of the Program will review all the data, if they are correct you will receive an email with the final admission. If any information is missing, a request will be sent so that you can correct it.

In the email that notifies you the admission, there is a link to request the access (mandatory).

According to the type of signature of the academic documents:

• Electronic signature: just upload the document to the application.
• WITHOUT an electronic signature (handwritten signature and/or stamp): the documents must be uploaded to the application and the originals submitted to the Student and Teaching Office of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (C. Casanova 143. 08036)

Once access has been requested, all documentation is revised. If everything is correct, you will receive an email with the definitive access and then you will be able to enroll. If any documentation is missing or incorrect, a request will be sent to correct the errors.

If you have to bring documents in person, you need to make an appointment

STUDENTS WITH QUALIFICATIONS OBTAINED IN FOREIGN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS

Foreign documents must be official documents issued by the competent authorities, in accordance with the legal system of the country in question, and be duly legalized and translated, if applicable. Documents that are not in Catalan, Spanish or English must be accompanied by their official translation.

IMPORTANT: See information on the REQUIREMENTS for documents issued abroad, their certification and translation

For the revision of the documentation and the study of the equivalency of studies for access to a PhD Program, you will have to pay 218.15 €.

All students enrolled in the PhD Program in Biomedicine will have access to the VIRTUAL CAMPUS where they will be informed about courses, conferences, seminars, follow-up procedures, Thesis deposit, grants, job offers, etc.

Enrollment can be done in the following FACULTIES: Medicine and Health Sciences; Pharmacy; Biology; Physics; Chemistry and Psychology.

The Faculty of enrollment is indicated in the admission document.

How to set a password and get the ID

When you access to the Auto-Enrolment, you are asked to identify yourself using UB authentication. Remember that PhD students with a UB fellowship or contract have a double identification (as a PDI and as a student). You can only access with your student ID. If you are already connected with PDI identification, it will not let you access the procedure. You need to change your browser and sign in again or sign out as PDI and sign in as students.

Procedure:

1. It is mandatory to have completed the access and admission procedure to be able to enroll.

2. Authenticate as a UB student to obtain your ID and password from the Món UB portal.

3. Student self enrolment to doctorates

4.- Access the UB digital card (for students enrolled for the first time at the UB)

5. Once enrolled, it is MANDATORY to submit to doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu the COMMITMENT document duly signed by: The Student, the Supervisor and the Tutor. We will ask for the signature of the Program Coordinator when we receive your documents.

Signatures must be all original or all electronic. To request the Coordinator's signature, send an email to: doctorat_biomedicina @ub.edu

PhD students without electronic signature can sign using the UB card, SignaSuite

When we have the document signed by all parts, we will send it to the secretary of the faculty where you are enrolled.

Students granted with a scholarship or that have any help (large family, etc) must present the supporting document

Student self enrolment to doctorates will be available from September 15 to October 31. In this case, there is not a second enrollment period.

Delivery of the Research Plan has to be performed through the following link:

https://www.ub.edu/acad/doctorat/apli/altm00001.php

Instructions for the application

•     Enrolled during the first period: April from 2 to 21, 2024
•     Enrolled during the second period: May from 13 to 31, 2024

Instructions and documentation in the Virtual Campus in the section: ALUMNES DE PRIMER ANY/FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

Delivery of the annual report has to be performed trough the following link:

https://www.ub.edu/acad/doctorat/apli/altm00001.php

Instructions for the application

• April from 2 to 21, 2024

Instructions and documentation in the Virtual Campus in the section: ALUMNES 2on ANY FINS DIPÒSIT TESI / STUDENTS 2nd YEAR TILL THESIS DEPOSIT

Final Report presentation: students that will deposit the thesis before September 30, 2024.

•  We recommend to do this procedure proceed 1 month and a half before the date you want to deposit.

Instructions and documentation in the Virtual Campus in the section: SOL·LICITUD INFORME FAVORABLE PER A DIPOSITAR LA TESI / APPLICATION FOR A FAVOURABLE REPORT TO DEPOSIT THE THESIS

Extension request form (ES)

It has to be requested by:

• Students from 4th year, full time, that do not plan to deposit the thesis before September 30 and need one-year extension.
• Students from 7th year, part time, that do not plan to deposit the thesis before September 30 and need one-year extension.

It has to be sent by e-mail to: doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu

(*) Check box “exceptional extension” (1 year)

Deadline June 30, 2024

Supervisor Report: You will find the document in the drop-down: Documents and Regulations or in the Virtual Campus. Provide the document to your supervisor. Once filled up, the supervisor has to sen dit to:

investigadors_doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu

Deadlines

•     First year students enrolled during the first period: April 21, 2024
•     First year students enrolled during the second period: May 31, 2024
•     Students second year on: April 21, 2024

Any change in the supervisor or tutor, or addition of another supervisor must be requested to the Academic Committee of the PhD Program.

You have to fill up the following documents:

• Supervisor/tutor modification request (must be submitted signed by the doctoral student, incoming and outgoing directors and tutors) 
• Commitment document 

Documents completed and signed (except de signature of the PhD program coordinator) have to be submitted to the UB’s General Registry trough “Instància genèrica”: https://www.ub.edu/eadministracio/IG.html

Signatures in the commitment document must be all by hand or all electronic. If signatures are by hand, you have to bring the document to the secretary of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (campus clinic).

Send the signed documents by e-mail to: doctorat_biomedicina @ub.edu

If the PhD student does not have electronic certificate he/she can sign with the UB card SignaSuite

We will ask for the signatures of the PhD program coordinator when we receive the documents

If you resign from any supervisor/tutor, you must submit a letter of resignation.

The Supervisor must be an investigator LINKED to the Doctorate Program (see lines of research and researchers linked to the PhD Program in the drop-down INVESTIGATORS). In case the supervisor has NOT previously supervised a Thesis in the Program, the following DOCUMENT must be sent by email to doctorat_biomedicina @ub.edu. The Academic Committee of the Program will assess whether the researcher meets the requirements to supervise a Thesis in the Program.

If the supervisor is a NOVEL RESEARCHER (has not previously supervised a Thesis), a co-supervisor is required (a researcher who has previously directed, at least, one Thesis in any PhD Program).

MEETING DATES FROM THE ACADEMIC COMISSION PhD BIOMEDICINE

REMEMBER to check the meeting dates from PhD Comission of your Faculty.

MEDICINE: https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/medicina-ciencies-salut/reunions-comissio-clinic

BIOLOGY: https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/biologia/guia-tesi

PHARMACY: https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/farmacia/calendari-comissio-de-doctorat

CHEMISTRY: https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/quimica/tesis-calendari

PHYSICS: https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/fisica/diposit-comissions-doctorat

PSYCHOLOGY: Ask for the meeting dates to doctorat.psicologia@ub.edu

Deadline to present the Thesis: September 30. From October 1, a new enrolment is needed

Steps for the Thesis defense:

1. Request to the supervisory committee for a favorable report to start depositing the thesis (approximately one month and a half before the date on which you want to deposit).SOL·LICITUD INFORME FAVORABLE PER A DIPOSITAR LA TESI / APPLICATION FOR A FAVOURABLE REPORT TO DEPOSIT THE THESIS

2. THESIS DEPOSIT. Electronically using the generic instance that you will find at: https://www.ub.edu/eadministracio/IG.html. If files are very heavy and you cannot upload them, send an email to doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu with the documents you were unable to upload.

3. Meeting of the Academic Committee of the program: every 15 days (check drop down: Meeting dates from the  Academic Comission )

4. PhD Committee of the faculty: you will find the dates on the website of the Faculty where you are enrolled

Thesis defense: Within three months from the PhD Committee of the Faculty

PROCEDURE FOR THESIS DEFENSE

1. REQUEST TO THE SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE FOR A FAVORABLE REPORT TO START DEPOSITING THE THESIS

From the third year onwards, once the experimental work necessary to develop the objectives of the Thesis has been completed, in order to start the deposit and defense, the favorable Report of the Monitoring Committee must first be requested assigned. This step must be done approximately one month and a half before the date on which you want to deposit

For this procedure send the following documents (pdf) to doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu

. Request for a favorable report

. CV or Activity document (signed by the PhD student supervisor/s and tutor)

. SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS obtained throughout the development of the Thesis (Introduction and objectives, methodology, results, discussion and conclusions; 5-10 pages approx.)

2.- REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION OF THESIS DEPOSIT TO THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE OF THE PhD PROGRAM

Once the favorable report of the Supervisory Commission has been obtained, the second step will be to submit, by generic instance, the authorization request for the deposit of the doctoral thesis https://www.ub.edu/eadministracio/IG.html Indicate "Àmbit: Assumptes acadèmics" and "Subàmbit: SED (Secretary of the Faculty where you are enrolled)"

THE PRINTS AND DOCUMENTATION THAT MUST ACCOMPANY THE THESIS DEPOSIT REQUEST MUST BE THE ONES ESTABLISHED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE FACULTY IN WHICH EACH STUDENT IS ENROLLED (regardless of the register in which they apply):

Faculty of Medicine (Campus Clínic)

Faculty of Biology

Faculty of Pharmacy

Faculty of Physics

Faculty of Chemistry

Faculty of Psychology

3. AUTHORIZATION OF THESIS DEFENSE BY THE PhD COMMITTEE OF THE CORRESPONDING FACULTY.

Once the academic committee of the PhD Program authorizes the deposit of the thesis, your Faculty is informed, to pass the PhD committee of the Faculty. The thesis is submitted to the Secretariat of the Faculty where you are enrolled and published on the Faculty's website for a period of 7 days. (During the deposit period, any doctor can examine the thesis and formulate, in writing, to the PhD Committee of the Faculty what he/she considers appropriate about the content of the thesis).

Once the deposit period has expired, the thesis will be evaluated by the PhD Committee of the Faculty. From this moment, all the procedures depend on the Faculty and is the PhD Committee of the faculty who authorizes the Thesis defense (see the calendar of meetings of the corresponding faculty)

Thesis has to be defended in the faculty where you are enrolled.

If you want to defense outside the UB, you have to send a signed motivated letter to doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu. Once we receive it, the coordinator will request authorization to the “Escola de doctorat” Director and we will let you know if it has been authorized or not.

The request will be accompanied, at least, by the following documentation (you must check the specifics at each Faculty and use their forms)

• Request of a favorable report (EN)
• Supervisor/s and tutor Favorable report (EN)
• Document of PhD Student activities (EN)
• TESEO file (Document). You must fill in the author's data, thesis supervision data, Thesis committee member data and thesis information section. See UNESCO codes UNESCO
• Data Sheet (EN). See how to publish a Doctoral Thesis (CRAI)
• Authorizing Thesis publication form (document)
• Declaration signed by the PhD student that the thesis is original, that the ethical and good practice codes have been complied, that there is no plagiarism and stating that he/she knows and consents that his/her thesis will be subjected to a procedure to verify its originality (EN)
• Proposal of the members of the Defense Committee (EN) and their CVs
• Thesis in digital format (pdf)

**Thesis as a compilation of articles: Supervisor Report about the articles (Art. 37.2. UB PhD studies regulations)

All defense committee members have to be Doctors with accredited research experience

The Defense committee is made up of three regular members (a president, a secretary and a member) and two substitutes. If one of the members is a UB professor, it is recommended that she/he be the secretary.

Supervisor/s, Tutors, and researchers who are members of the PhD student supervisory Committee are not be able to be part of Defense committee.

In thesis as a compilation of articles, authors of the articles cannot be members of the Defense Committee. Only in exceptional cases, upon justified request, the academic committee of the PhD Program may permit an exemption.

The majority of the members of the Defense Committee have to be external to the University of Barcelona (one regular and one substitute can be from the UB; in accordance with the regulation of official doctorate courses)

The majority of Defense committee members cannot be researchers from the institution in which the PhD student has performed the thesis.

The agreement of the PhD Program Academic committee authorizing Thesis deposit, the documentation presented and the proposal of Defense committee members, will be forwarded to the President of the PhD Committee of the Faculty in which the deposit must to be made and the defense to be authorized

PhD studies Regulations at the University of Barcelona

The request for international mention can be submitted prior to the application for the Doctor degree and up to three months from the day after the date of the Thesis defense.

REGULATIONS

Article 49. International mention to the Doctor Degree.

1.- The international mention can be included on the front of the doctoral degree if the following circumstances apply:

a) The PhD Student has been abroad, minimum three months, in a higher education institution or in a research center to develop activities related to the Research Plan. The stay and the activities, previously authorized by the Academic Committee of the PhD Program, must be certificated from the person in charge of the foreign center. This information must be included in the PhD student's activity document.

b) Part of the doctoral thesis, at least the summary and conclusions, has been written and presented in one of the usual languages for scientific communication in the corresponding field of knowledge, different from any of the official languages in Spain (in this case, English). This is not applicable when the stays, reports and experts come from a Spanish- or Catalan-speaking country. Compliance with this requirement is certified by a document issued by the president of the Defense committee.

c) A minimum of two experts, with PhD degree, belonging to a higher education institution or non-Spanish research center, have informed the thesis. Compliance of this requirement is proven through the presentation of two favorable reports prior to the defense.

**The Academic Committee of the PhD Program in Biomedicine has established the minimum content of these reports and has agreed as a requirement that neither of them can be from a researcher who is part of the panel that judged the thesis.

Minimum content of the report:

- About the content of the thesis:

Evaluation of the content of the thesis and novelty of the results.

Evaluation of the discussion and the scientific context of the results

- About the form:

Evaluation of the writing, structure and formal presentation of the thesis

d) At least, an expert belonging to a non-Spanish higher education institution or research center, with a PhD degree, and different from the person responsible of the stay mentioned in section a, has been part of the Defense Committee. To fulfill this requirement, none of the persons who have certified the research stays or the activities performed, in accordance with what is specified in section a, can be part of the Defense Committee. This requirement is proven by the presentation of a copy of the PhD’s degree record, which lists the members of the Defense Committee.

2. The defense of the thesis must take place at the University of Barcelona, or, in the case of joint doctoral programs, at any of the participating universities or, under the terms identified in the collaboration agreements.

3. Prior to applying for the title, and within a maximum period of three months from the day after the date of the defense, the PhD student may request the mention of international doctor, attaching the supporting documentation of meeting the requirements established in section 1 of this article to the Academic Committee of the Doctorate program, which resolves the award.

4. The concessions agreed by the Academic Committee of the PhD program must be attached to the requests for PhD degree to stated them in the aforementioned degree

The application form (EN) must be accompanied by the following documentation:

• Favorable report, on the content of the Thesis (see details in the regulations), from two foreign experts, prior to the date of the thesis’ defense. Reports must identify the person issuing it, the institution to which she/he belongs and must contain the original signature and stamp. (*)
• List of members of Defense Committee certifying the participation of an expert PhD, who belongs to a higher education institution or non-Spanish research center and who cannot be the researcher responsible for the stay
• Report of the President of the Defense Committee certifying that part of the doctoral thesis has been written and presented in a different language than any of the official ones in Spain (In cases of having spent time in a Spanish- or Catalan-speaking country, this document is not required).
• Certificate/s of the PhD student's stay.

(*) If these documents are signed manually, you must bring the original document to the secretariat of the Faculty of Medicine (Clinic Campus). If they are signed electronically, you must send them by email to doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu

If you want to make a stay abroad, you must first apply to be authorized by the academic committee (EN)

To sign the documents, you can use

Coordinator of the PhD Program in Biomedicine: Esther Pérez Navarro

Administrative staff: doctorat_biomedicina@ub.edu

• Access and admission: 934 020 421
• Thesis deposit: 934 034 891

Coordinators of the Research areas:

Bioinformatics: Josep Lluís Gelpí 

Molecular and Cellular biology of cancer: Francesc Tebar i Verónica Noé

Biomedical engineering: Gabriel Gomila

Immunology: Jordi Lloberas 

Metabolism, signaling and associated pathologies:, Ana Planavila and Eloi Montañez

Neurosciences: Esther Perez Navarro

Physiology and Physiopathology: Teresa Carbonell

The guarantee control System in the PhD Program in Biomedicine:

In the PhD Program in Biomedicine, the Academic Committee is composed by a PhD expert from each line of research and from each of the related master's degrees. This Committee is in charge of the ordinary management, organization and control of the internal mechanisms of functioning of the Program, and to assign and organize the Supervisory Committees.

The Supervisory Committees are the academic-scientific structure that performs the function of guarantor of the quality of the thesis’s preparation process. Its main functions are:

• The resolution of the admissions of the Research Plans of PhD students
• The annual monitoring of thesis projects/Research Plans and the evolution of the training of doctoral students
• Academic and/or scientific advice to PhD students, directors and thesis tutors
• The preparation of reports on the annual follow-up and on the thesis deposit

Ajuts per a la realització d'estades de recerca a l'estranger durant el curs 2023- 24 per a alumnes del Programa de Doctorat "Biomedicina"   RESOLVED

Informació_Contractes predoctorals

Convocatòria d'ajuts per a la realització d'estades formatives a Espanya i l'estranger per a l'any 2024 dirigida a doctorands de la Universitat de Barcelona i finançada de manera conjunta per la Fundació Montcelimar i la Universitat de Barcelona.

YOU WILL FIND ALL THE DETAILED PROCEDURES, DOCUMENTATION AND DELIVERY DEADLINES AT THE VIRTUAL CAMPUS OF THE PROGRAM

If you want to receive the communications to your personal e-mail address, go to your “núvol.ub.edu” and follow the instructions: https://support.microsoft.com/es-es/office/activar-el-reenv%C3%ADo-autom%C3%A1tico-en-outlook-7f2670a1-7fff-4475-8a3c-5822d63b0c8e

When you access to the campus, you are asked to identify yourself using UB authentication. Remember that PhD students with a UB fellowship or contract have a double identification (as a PDI and as a student). You can only access with your student ID. If you are already connected with PDI identification, it will not let you access. You need to change your browser and sign in again or sign out as PDI and sign in as students.