Environmental Health Sciences

An admission for international applicants to doctoral study at Faculty of Science, Masaryk University.

The programme integrates PhD topics of environmental chemistry, toxicology and risk assessment with related problems of analysis and modelling of big data produced in current research of environmental factors affecting health. The objective is to support independent development of young researchers that contribute to understanding of fundamental processes of chemical effects on health and ecosystems, considering the context of other external „exposome“ factors . The programme aims to prepare interdisciplinary independent personalities that are able – in addition to excellent knowledge in specific research topic - to understand practical use of their own research outputs. The programme will prepare graduates with outstanding profiles for both national and international labour market. The graduates have broad experiences with active communication in English (that is practiced during all study), carry other transferable skills and competencies learned through practical addressing of specific problems as well as own preparation and running of small projects.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE: Programme is being prepared in both Czech and English versions. Czech programme is being administered in Czech language but even within this version, one of the objectives is strengthening of international competitiveness, which is supported by education and lectures in English. Studies are organized in two Specializations, where the differences are defined in requirements for theoretical State Doctoral Exam. Studies are available in presence form (which si the preferred variant) or combined form (offered to students that continue towards the defence of PhD after standard 4 years of studies, or – exceptionally – to external students). The combined form differs mainly in requirements on periodic weekly duties (such as seminars) and duties related to pedagogical competencies (contributions to education).

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

• to independently and creatively plan and conduct research and master methodologies and models in the field of environmental stressors and their interactions with human and ecosystems
• to write and publish critical research studies –papers – and prepare these for publication in the best scientific journals
• to present and defend own research results at the international scientific conference
• to understand and use broader theoretical knowledge on the interaction of chemicals and other environmental factors on human health and ecosystems
• to know and be able critically evaluate current developments in the broader field of Environmental Health Sciences
• to understand and be able fluently use professional English at high level
• to exploit experiences from international cooperation
• to use transferable skills for planning of research projects, writing grants and organizing team work in research

Graduates will be able to successfully work within national and international set up at institutions and universities running research programmes on chemical contamination and other environmental factors affecting ecosystems and human health, including related fields of big data analyses, mathematical biology, bioinformatics and biomedicine. In addition to research, graduates may aim to institutions involved in safety assessment and control of various environmental matrices, food safety and risk assessment. Graduates of the programme may also actively work in the organizations controlling chemical risks, in laboratories or research departments of innovative biotechnological enterprises, in companies focusing on environmental technologies including bioremediations or in the regional or governmental authorities.

Within dissertation projects students practically work on their own research projects and use various approaches depending on the focus of their works (laboratory experiments, field studies, analyses of samples and data from cohort environmental epidemiology studies, programming and development of techniques of data modelling). A part of the study duties is the practical stay abroad or other form of international practical training.

The goal of the dissertation thesis is to prepare a concise written work, in which the student demonstrates own independence in formulation of hypotheses, designing approaches that may address specific problems, practical conducting of experiments and studies as well as ability to analyse, interpret and critically discuss data and own research results.

In agreement with international standards, preferred format of the dissertation is the commented collection of original publications, that were published with major student’s contribution and authorship. Recommended is the submission of the thesis in English, which is also the language of defence. In addition, at least one of the committee members and/or reviewers is an expert from respected international institution.