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Neuroscience PhD Program

The PhD Program in Neuroscience is designed as a course of study introducing students into basic, translational and clinical neuroscience. Research areas cover the entire range from molecular and cellular neuroscience over physiology, behavior and translational to clinical neuroscience. Students are exposed to recent theories about brain function and malfunction and up-to-date research strategies. They acquire the technical skills of planning, conducting and evaluating complex experiments and clinical studies. Participation in the program forms a cornerstone in the training of young researchers interested in pursuing a career in academic, clinical or biotechnological environments.

The PhD Program in Neuroscience has been associated with two excellence graduate schools funded by the Austrian Science fund: SPIN – Signal Processing in Neurons and CavX – Calcium channels in excitable cells.

The Neuroscience PhD Programm Innsbruck is a member of the Network of European Neuroscience Schools (NENS).

Lectures and Courses

The program offers three partially overlapping teaching modules, all based on fundamental neuroscience training.

The minimum study duration for a PhD program at the Medical University of Innsbruck is 6 semesters, equivalent to 180 ECTS points. The program is a full-time degree course. The PhD candidate must provide verifiable evidence of his/her ability to work on a scientific problem independently and with scientific rigor. The PhD thesis is a detailed, written presentation of the PhD candidate’s work on their research project. The completed, positively assessed PhD thesis will be weighted with 160 ECTS points. During his/her training, the PhD student must attend curricular courses corresponding to a total of 20 ECTS points (workload of 500 hours). Of those,

8-10 ECTS are allocated to core subjects,
6 ECTS points are allocated to journal clubs/thematic seminars,
4-6 ECTS points are allocated to general subjects.

The final examination takes the form of a public defense of the PhD thesis in front of an examination board. The requirements for admission to the thesis defense are:

  • successful passing of all required courses,
  • successful completion of the thesis.

Link to i-med.inside »

some examples

  • Neuroinflammation
  • Neurogenomics
  • Comparative Neuroanatomy  
  • Embryonic and induced pluripotent Stem Cells  
  • Neural Stem Cells and neural differentiation  
  • Neural Development and Differentiation  
  • New Tools in Biochemical Research II  
  • Workshop Experimental Research Methods in Neurodegeneration   I & II
  • Psychobiology of Drug Addiction  
  • Course on Cellular Neuroscience Methods and Sensory Neurosciences
  • Neuropharmacology and models in Neuroscience I – cell based models  
  • Neuropharmacology and models in Neuroscience II – animal models  
  • CavX I: Ion channels in cellular functions  
  • CavX III: Key techniques in neuroscience: Imaging Synapses  
  • Clinical Neurosciences II – Neuropsychology  
  • Clinical Neurosciences III – Mental disorders: Diagnosis and neuronetworks/neurotransmitters

Link to i-med.inside »

some examples

  • Functional Neurogenomics
  • Journal Club Neurodegeneration
  • Neuroanatomy/Otorhinolaryngology Journal Club
  • Pharmakologisches Seminar
  • Journal Club Physiologie
  • CavX Seminars

Link to i-med.inside »

If you want to enroll for general subjects, please register via i-med.inside or contact the lecturers directly via e-mail.

Neuroscience Students

Francesca Silvagni

Francesca Silvagni

Francesca.Silvagni@student.i-med.ac.at

Supervisor: Francesco Ferraguti

Noelia Pena Arauzo

Noelia.Pena@student.i-med.ac.at

Supervisor: Mahlknecht Philipp

NameE-MailSupervisor
Svoboda VojtěchVojtech.Svoboda@student.i-med.ac.atKai Kummer
Khouli Siham ElianourSiham.Khouli@student.i-med.ac.atRamon Osman Tasan
Alton PaulinePauline.Alton@student.i-med.ac.atMarta Campiglio
Obwaller MaximilianMaximilian.Obwaller@student.i-med.ac.atRana El Rawas
Guarino GiuliaGiulia.Guarino@student.i-med.ac.atMarta Campiglio
Mezzadri ElisaElisa.Mezzadri@student.i-med.ac.atNoora Tuovinen & Rana El Rawas
Gorza EleonoraEleonora.Gorza@student.i-med.ac.atFrancesco Ferraguti
Chan HaoHao.Chan@student.i-med.ac.atJohannes Passecker
Bakhtiary AmirmohammadAmir.Bakhtiary@student.i-med.ac.atFrancesco Ferraguti

NameE-MailSupervisor
Vincenzi AliceAlice.Vincenzi@student.i-med.ac.atAndreas Lieb
Schrader Philip JanPhilip.Schrader@student.i-med.ac.atAnna Posod
Fontaine Jackson ThomasJackson.Fontaine@student.i-med.ac.atSabine Liebscher
Díaz Gamboa GuillermoGuillermo.Diaz@student.i-med.ac.atSabine Liebscher
de Klerk RubenRuben.de-Klerk@student.i-med.ac.atMarta Campiglio

NameE-MailSupervisor
Alexander Miller-MichlitsAlexander.Miller-Michlits@student.i-med.ac.atAdelheid Wöhrer
Yelyzaveta Miller-MichlitsYelyzaveta.Miller-Michlits@student.i-med.ac.atAdelheid Wöhrer
Maja NikolovaMaja.Nikolova@student.i-med.ac.atFlorian Krismer
Katharina ThalerK.Thaler@student.i-med.ac.atLaura Zamarian
Sree Jeevitha ParameswaranSree.Parameswaran@student.i-med.ac.atRudolf Glückert
Ilenia BoniniIlenia.Bonini@student.i-med.ac.atAlessandra Fanciulli
Livia ScanferlaLivia.Scanferla@student.i-med.ac.atAtbin Djamshidian-Tehrani
Merve Aktan SüzgünMerve.Aktan@student.i-med.ac.atAmbra Stefani
Mahdi FallahtaherpazirMahdi.Fallahtaherpazir@student.i-med.ac.atChristoph Schwarzer
Pedram Ghaderi ShadbadPedram.Ghaderi@student.i-med.ac.atElisabeth Pechriggl
Isabella Caroline ThurnerIsabella.Thurner@student.i-med.ac.atSonja Rossi

NameE-MailSupervisor
Pascal Cerejo ClancyClancy.Cerejo@student.i-med.ac.atBeatrice Heim
Ana Laura Lechug GuerreroAna-Laura.Lechuga@student.i-med.ac.atAndreas Lieb
Lisa WaltleLisa.Waltle@student.i-med.ac.atPeter Willeit
Maria PeteinareliMaria.Peteinareli@student.i-med.ac.atTheodora Klapchidou
Noelia Pena ArauzoNoelia.Pena@student.i-med.ac.atPhilipp Mahlknecht
Sofia Castro E AlmeidaSofia.Almeida@student.i-med.ac.atJohannes Passecker
Magdalena MaticMagdalena.Matic@student.i-med.ac.atNadia Stefanova
Diogo Alexandre Guimaraes MonteiroDiogo.Guimaraes@student.i-med.ac.atRana El Rawas
Qi TangQi.Tang@student.i-med.ac.atBirgit Högl & Ambra Stefani
Francesca SilvagniFrancesca.Silvagni@student.i-med.ac.atFrancesco Ferraguti & Claudia Schmuckermair
Adrián Gonzalez DiazAdrian.Gonzalez@student.i-med.ac.atGalina Apostolova

NameE-MailSupervisor
Julian FenkartJulian.Fenkart@student.i-med.ac.atSandra Santos Sierra
Veronika Isabella EngeleVeronika.Engele@student.i-med.ac.atBernhard Holzer
Jan Frederik AhrendJan-Frederik.Ahrend@student.i-med.ac.atChristian Vogl
Mitja Amon PoschMitja.Posch@student.i-med.ac.atAndreas Lieb
Burak DoganyigitBurak.Doganyigit@student.i-med.ac.atMichaela Defrancesco
Alexander WallerusAlexander.Wallerus@student.i-med.ac.atJohannes Passecker
Ilaria SanvidoIlaria.Sanvido@student.i-med.ac.atKai Kummer
Elisabeth GöttfriedElisabeth.Goettfried@student.i-med.ac.atLaura Zamarian
Valentina MayrValentina.Mayr@student.i-med.ac.atLaura Zamarian

NameE-MailSupervisor
Harish Ananthakrishnan IyerIyer.Harish@student.i-med.ac.atRamon Osman Tasan
Olga Serena TrovatoOlga.Trovato@student.i-med.ac.atAndreas Lieb

NameE-MailSupervisor
Martina Marimartina.mari@student.i-med.ac.atValentina Di Biase

NameE-MailSupervisor
Pradeepa Bethuraj Mohanpradeepa.mohan@student.i-med.ac.atRamon Tasan

NameE-MailSupervisor
Christina Burgerchristina.burger@student.i-med.ac.atElke Griesmaier-Falkner
Anna Seewaldanna.seewald@student.i-med.ac.atFrancesco Ferraguti

NameGraduatedSupervisor
Chietera Paola2026Apostolova Galina
Valent Dora2026Seppi Klaus
Ndayisaba Alain2026Stefanova Nadia
MEIER Patricia2026Kiechl Stefan
Török Enikö2025Campiglio Marta
Heiss Martin2025Flucher Bernhard
Riehl Lydia2025Kress Michaela
Victoria Christine Halim2025Vogl Christian
Safari Motahareh2025Baier Gabriele
Steiner Katharina2025Humpel Christian
Pelizzari Simone2025Humpel Christian
Haddad Sabrin2025Obermair Gerald
Zimmermann David2024Kress Michaela
Korde Dhwani2024Humpel Christian
Dumbraveanu Cristiana2024Kress Michaela
Dias Cabaco Amaral Ines2024Rana El Rawas & Hofer Alex
Mutti Anna2024Schwarzer Christoph
Luna Choconta Jeiny Alejandra2024Kress Michaela
Wietske Tuinte2023Marta Campiglio
Ghareh Hussein2023Zernig Gerald
Bergmeister Lisa2023Schwarzer Christoph
Edenhofer Marie-Luise2023Kress Michaela
Rahimi Sadegh2023Drexel Meinrad
Lerch Magdalena2023Reindl Markus
Ablinger Cornelia2023Obermair Gerald
Schmidbauer Dominik2023Glückert Rudolf
Vaccaro Guiseppe2023Bandtlow Christine
Seekircher Lisa2023Willeit Peter
El Ghaleb Yousra2022Flucher Bernhard
Bergmann Melanie Ursula2022Glückert Rudolf
Brück Dominik2022Bandtlow Christine
Widmann Melanie2022Schwarzer Christoph
Wahl Nico Robin2022Dechant Georg
Luque Calvo María2021Glückert Rudolf
Ucar Buket2021Humpel Christian
Prats Ramos Arnau Ramos2021Ferraguti Francesco
Comeras Diez Lucas Balbino2021Tasan Ramon
Zeidler Maximilian2021Kress Michaela
Pinheiro Ana Bárbara2021Zernig Gerald
Feurle Patrick2021Dechant Georg
Macedo Lemos Miguel Jorge2021Nadia Stefanova
Biermayr Marlene2021Vera Neubauer
Hörmer Birgit2020Ramon Tasan
Tschiderer Lena2020Peter Willeit
Jamsuwan Sataporn2020Barbara Hausott
Wechselberger Karina2020Ursula Kiechl-Kohlendorfer
Härtner Lorenz2019Nadia Stefanova
Hutter-Schmid Bianca2019Christian Humpel
Kmiec Iwona2019Christoph Schwarzer
Foidl Bettina2019Christian Humpel
Mitric Miodrag2019Michaela Kress
Herrera Marcos2019Nadia Stefanova
Irschick Regine2019Lars Klimaschewski
Hofer Livia2019Markus Reindl
Fogli Barbara2019Lars Klimaschewski
Abentung Andreas2018Georg Dechant
Reddy Chetan2018Georg Dechant
Peschl Patrick2018Markus Reindl
Di Pauli Franziska2018Thomas Berger
Kaindlstorfer Christine2018Gregor Wenning
Paradiso Enrica2018Francesco Ferraguti
Refolo Violetta2018Nadia Stefanova
Ferrazzo Sara2018Francesco Ferraguti
Park Jongwhi2018Lars Klimaschewski
Cera Isabella2018Georg Dechant
Mitterling Thomas2018Birgit Högl
Kniewallner Kathrin2017Christian Humpel
Venezia Serena2017Nadia Stefanova
Weth-Malsch Daniela2017Michaela Kress
Johnson Chacko Lejo2017Anneliese Schrott-Fischer
Mansouri Mahnaz2016Francesco Ferraguti
Ndayisaba Jean-Pierre2016Gregor Wenning
Burtscher Johannes2016Christoph Schwarzer
Sturm Edith2016Nadia Stefanova
Tuller Friederike2016Markus Reindl
Böttinger Susanne2016Peter Lackner
Prast Janine2015Alois Saria
Rizzi Sandra2015Hans-Günther Knaus
Kummer Kai2015Alois Saria
Dachil Nina2015Christian Humpel
Ramberger Melanie2015Markus Reindl
Zangrandi Luca2015Christoph Schwarzer
Jagirdar Rohan2015Günther Sperk
Neubauer Vera2015Georg Simbruner
Krismer Florian2015Gregor Wenning
Jaitner Clemens2015Georg Dechant
Kastenberger Iris2014Christoph Schwarzer
Hohsfield Lindsay2014Christian Humpel
Malsch Philipp2014Michaela Kress
Bäumer Bastian2014Christine Bandtlow
Eigentler Andreas2014Sylvia Bösch
Marvaldi Letizia2014Lars Klimaschewski
Borrie Sarah Catherine2014Christine Bandtlow
Hegen Harald2014Florian Deisenhammer
Kaya Levent2013Christine Bandtlow
Quarta Serena2013Michaela Kress
Defrancesco Michaela2013Josef Marksteiner
Auer Maria2013Lars Klimaschewski
Griesmaier Elke2013Georg Simbruner
Kuzdas-Wood Daniela2013Gregor Wenning
Sah Anupam2012Nicolas Singewald
Skreka Konstantinia2012Alexander Hüttenhofer
Bavassano Carlo2012Hans-Günther Knaus
Granbichler Claudia2012Eugen Trinka
Fellner Lisa2012Nadia Stefanova
Neto Sonya2012Gregor Wenning
Wörter Verena2011Christine Bandtlow
Loy Bernhard2011Georg Dechant
Camilla Benetti2011Michaela Kress
Contarini Igea2011Christine Bandtlow
Auffinger Simone2011Josef Marksteiner
Dietmann Anelia2011Erich Schmutzhard
Schunk Eduard2011Christoph Schwarzer
Mader Simone2011Markus Reindl
Stemberger Sylvia2011Gregor Wenning
Fischer Marlene2011Erich Schmutzhard
Verma Dilip2011Günther Sperk
Mc Donald Claire2011Markus Reindl
Millonig Alban2010Florian Deisenhammer
Falkenstetter Tina2010Thomas Benke
Kuchukhidze Giorgi2010Eugen Trinka
Ullrich Celine2010Christian Humpel
Gredler Viktoria2010Markus Reindl
Tasan Ramon2009Günther Sperk
Pallua Anton2009Markus Reindl
Köllensperger Martin2009Gregor Wenning
Bonatti Elisabeth2009Margarete Delazer
Zamarian Laura2009Margarete Delazer
Zotter Sibylle2009Josef Marksteiner
Sinz Hermann2008Margarete Delazer
Drexel Meinrad2008Günther Sperk
Wittmann Walter2007Christoph Schwarzer
Loaker Stephan2007Christoph Schwarzer

Neuroscience Faculty

Christoph Schwarzer

Program Coordinator,
Institute of Pharmacology

+43 512 9003 71205

Schwarzer.Christoph@i-med.ac.at

Website

Kai Kummer

Program Coordinator,
Institute of Physiology

 +43 512 9003 70832

Kai.Kummer@i-med.ac.at

Andreas Lieb

Institute of Pharmacology

+43 512 9003 71231

andreas.lieb@i-med.ac.at

Nadia Stefanova

Department of Neurology

+43 512 504 27702

nadia.stefanova@i-med.ac.at

Website

Gerald Obermair

Division of Physiology

+43 512 9003 70841

gerald.obermair@i-med.ac.at

Website

Galina Apostolova

Institute for Neuroscience

+43(0)512 9003 71254

galina.apostolova@i-med.ac.at

Marta Campiglio

Division of Physiology

+43 512 9003 70824

marta.campiglio@i-med.ac.at

Website

Meinrad Drexel ( † 13.06.2026)

Rana El Rawas

Psychiatry I

rana.el-rawas@i-med.ac.at

Francesco Ferraguti

Institute of Pharmacology

+43 512 9003 71204

francesco.ferraguti@i-med.ac.at

Website

Bernhard Flucher

Division of Physiology

 +43 512 9003 70836

bernhard.e.flucher@i-med.ac.at

Website

Johannes M. Giesinger

Psychiatry II

+43 512 504 23691

johannes.giesinger@i-med.ac.at

Alex Hofer

Psychiatry I

+43 50 504 23669

a.hofer@i-med.ac.at

Christian Humpel

Psychiatry I

+43 50 504 23712

christian.humpel@i-med.ac.at

Stefan Kiechl

Department of Neurology

+43 50 504 26274

stefan.kiechl@i-med.ac.at

Website

Michaela Kress

Department of Physiology and Biomedical Physics

+43 512 9003 70800

michaela.kress@i-med.ac.at

Markus Reindl

Department of Neurology

+43 512 504 24363

markus.reindl@i-med.ac.at

Website

Peter Willeit

Department of Neurology

peter.willeit@i-med.ac.at

Platzhalterfoto Mann

Georg Dechant

Institute for Neuroscience

+43 512 9003 71250

georg.dechant@i-med.ac.at

Platzhalterfoto Frau

Birgit Högl

Department of Neurology

+43 50 504 23890

birgit.ho@i-med.ac.at

Platzhalterfoto Mann

Klaus Seppi

Department of Neurology

+43 50 504 23988

klaus.seppi@i-med.ac.at

Platzhalterfoto Mann

Ramon Tasan

Institute of Pharmacology

+43 512 9003 71210

ramon.tasan@i-med.ac.at

Platzhalterfoto Frau

Valentina Di Biase

Institute of Pharmacology

+43 512 9003 70443

valentina.di-biase@i-med.ac.at

Gregor Wenning ( († 11.02.2024)

Laura Zamarian

Department of Neurology

+43 50 504 23661

Laura.Zamarian@i-med.ac.at

Christian Vogl

Institute of Physiology

+43 512 9003 70805

Christian.Vogl@i-med.ac.at

Johannes Passecker

Institute of Systems Neuroscience

+43 512 9003 70292

Johannes.Passecker@i-med.ac.at

Website

Sabine Liebscher


Institute of Systems Neuroscience

 +43 512 9003 70280

Sabine.Liebscher@i-med.ac.at

Website

Rudolf Glückert

University Clinic for Ear, Nose, and Throat Medicine

Rudolf.Glueckert@i-med.ac.at

Ambra Stefani

Department of Neurology

+43 50 504 23843

Ambra.Stefani@i-med.ac.at

Website

Florian Krismer

Department of Neurology

+43 50 504 23988

Florian.Krismer@i-med.ac.at

Claudia Schmuckermair

Institute of Pharmacology

+43 512 9003 71209

Claudia.Schmuckermair@i-med.ac.at

Theodora Kalpachidou

Institute of Physiology

+43 512 9003 70207

Theodora.Kalpachidou@i-med.ac.at

Website

Philipp Mahlknecht

Department of Neurology

+43 50 504 23988

Philipp.Mahlknecht@i-med.ac.at

Sonja Rossi

University Clinic for Hearing, Speech, and Voice Disorders

+43 50 504 26129

Sonja.Rossi@i-med.ac.at