PhD in Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology

2025/2026

What you learn

The programme is expected to provide technical training and knowlege to research in these fields, and to provide a framework for interaction and relationship among the PhD students. It aspires to promote an integrative and multidisciplinar scientific space to the study of the brain, from morphologic, estructural, functional, computational and developmental approachs, as well as its reciprocal relation with psychosocial variables. This must contributes to the understanding of human behaviour and the developing of preventive and therapeutical strategies to treat the main neurological and psychiatric disorders. This programme is formed by seven main research lines. Here, these lines are described, indicating the researchers developing them, and listing the topics where the PhD projects can be integrated.

  • Neurobiology. Structure, evolution, development and regeneration of the nervous system.
  • Pharmacogenomics in Neurosciences.
  • Neurophysiology.
  • Cognitive Neuroscience.
  • Clinic and Health Psychology and Psychiatry.
  • Dopaminergic mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in Parkinson disease and new therapeutic strategies.
  • PET and SPECT studies in Neurology. Fusion of morphological and functional images.

Generic skills

CB11 - Systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the skills and research methods related to that field.

CB12 - Ability to conceive, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.

CB13 - Ability to contribute to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge through original research.

CB14 - Ability to carry out critical analysis and evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas.

CB15 - Ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general about their fields of knowledge in the modes and languages commonly used in their international scientific community.

CB16 - Ability to promote, in academic and professional contexts, scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress within a knowledge-based society.

CB17.- Ability to promote Open Science and Citizen Science, in accordance with Article 12 of Organic Law 2/2023, of 22 March, as a way of contributing to the consideration of scientific knowledge as a common good, through the evaluation of cross-cutting activities carried out by the doctoral student related to different dimensions of Open Science and Citizen Science, as well as the training acquired in both disciplines in micro-credential format or similar.

Specific skills

  • CA01 Function in contexts in which there is little specific information.
  • CA02 Find the key questions that need to be answered to solve a complex problem.
  • CA03 Design, create, develop and undertake novel and innovative projects in their field of knowledge
  • CA04 Work both in a team and autonomously in an international or multidisciplinary context.
  • CA05 Integrate knowledge, deal with complexity, and make judgments with limited information.
  • CA06 The critique and intellectual defense of solutions.
  • CO01 - Know how to formulate relevant problems at the frontier of knowledge of the specific field of research of the doctoral thesis.
  • CO02 - Know how to formulate original hypotheses that contribute significantly to the advancement of knowledge in the areas of Neurobiology, Cognitive Neuroscience or Clinical Psychology.
  • CO03 - Know and know how to select the design, data analysis techniques and experimental techniques most appropriate for research in any of the areas that converge in this programme, in order to develop the thesis work with the maximum degree of autonomy.
  • CO04 - Be able to frame the problem under study within the general framework of neuroscience and the study of behavior.
  • CO05 - To be able to disseminate research results in the most relevant scientific publications and national and international forums in the field of neuroscience and clinical psychology and psychiatry.

Transversal skills

CB11 - Systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the skills and research methods related to that field.

CB12 - Ability to conceive, design or create, implement and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.

CB13 - Ability to contribute to the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge through original research.

CB14 - Ability to carry out critical analysis and evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas.

CB15 - Ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general about their fields of knowledge in the modes and languages commonly used in their international scientific community.

CB16 - Ability to promote, in academic and professional contexts, scientific, technological, social, artistic or cultural progress within a knowledge-based society.

CB17.- Ability to promote Open Science and Citizen Science, in accordance with Article 12 of Organic Law 2/2023, of 22 March, as a way of contributing to the consideration of scientific knowledge as a common good, through the evaluation of cross-cutting activities carried out by the doctoral student related to different dimensions of Open Science and Citizen Science, as well as the training acquired in both disciplines in micro-credential format or similar.

Professional and academic career

The specific output of professional doctorates is a research career in universities and research centers, which is the only thing that is required this title.

Professional and academic career

The specific output of professional doctorates is a research career in universities and research centers, which is the only thing that is required this title.

Companies and institutions involved

University of Maryland, USA A collaboration agreement for research in the fields of Neurobiology and Psychiatry. This agreement, in effect since 2003 aims to promote and develop the exchange of teaching and research staff from the University of Santiago de Compostela and the University of Maryland in the field neurobiological and psychiatric research. It was signed on the initiative of the group involved in the Neurobiology Doctoral Program.

Research lines

This are the main research lines for current study.

  • Estudos PET e SPECT en Neuroloxía. Fusión de imaxes morfolóxicas e funcionais
  • Farmacoxenómica en Neurociencias
  • Mecanismos de neurodexeneración e neuroprotección dopaminérxica na enfermidade de Parkinson e novas estratexias terapéuticas
  • Neurobioloxía. Estrutura, evolución, desenvolvemento e rexeneración do sistema nervioso
  • Neurociencia Cognitiva
  • Neurofisioloxía
  • Psicoloxía clínica e da saúde e Psiquiatría

Planning for teaching

Additional subject teaching

Candidates who do not meet all the necessary prior learning conditions for the programme may be required to complete additional courses in the form of subjects and modules from UDC Master’s and undergraduate programmes. The number of credits from additional subject teaching will not exceed 15 ECTS credits, which students may choose to complete before or after enrolment in the PhD programme.

Students who do not opt to complete additional coursework prior to enrolment should register for their extra subjects or modules at the same time as the PhD. Failure to complete additional coursework within a period of three consecutive terms will result in the termination of the student’s registration.

See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 5: Applications.

EIDUDC teaching and training activities

EIDUDC teaching and training activities

Programme-specific teaching and training activities

According to the RD 99/2011, the PhD programmes can organize transversal or specific training activities for their students. These are the learning activities considered in this programme:

Obligatory:

  • Information gathering and bibliographic rewiew (50 hours).

Optional:

  • Mobility (stay at another research centre, national or foreign, lasting at least one month: 160 hours).
  • Participation in scientific conferences and seminars (20 hours).
  • Methodoligical and technical training (20 hours).
  • Training in communication, dissemination and outreach of scientific information (20 hours).
  • Training in research management (20 hours).
  • Supervision agreement

    The PhD supervision agreement defines the academic relationship between the candidate and the University, the rights and responsibilities of each (including any intellectual and/or industrial property rights resulting from the candidate’s research), the procedures in place in relation to conflict resolution, and the duration of the agreement. It also specifies the duties of the PhD tutor and supervisor.

    The supervision agreement must be signed by the candidate, tutor and designated university representative (or representatives) within a maximum period of one month as from the date of registration. The supervisor’s signature may be added subsequently, once a supervisor has been appointed.

    When the document has been signed by all the relevant parties, the agreement is then added to the candidate’s record of activities.

    See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 13: Supervision agreement.

    Research plan

    The candidate must prepare a research plan within six months of registration, with information regarding methodology, objectives, resources and milestones. The research plan is submitted together with the report of the supervisor and/or tutor for approval by the Academic Committee for PhD Programmes (CAPD). Improvements to the plan may be introduced with the approval of the supervisor and/or tutor based on the annual review of the student’s research progress.

    Research plans are subject to annual review by the CAPD, including the report(s) of the supervisor and/or tutor and the candidate’s record of activities. Students will be permitted to continue with their studies if the outcome of the review is satisfactory. If the outcome is negative, the student will be required to submit a new plan within a period of six months. If the committee is still not satisfied, the candidate will be removed from the programme.

    See also UDC PhD Policies and Regulations, Article 15: Research plan.

    Student mobility

    UDC holds student mobility agreements with universities and other third-level institutions across four continents. Students are offered several opportunities each year to apply to study abroad in one of these centres (for a single term or for a whole year), with the guarantee that all credits obtained will be duly recognised in their academic record upon their return.

    For each round of applications, the University publishes the list of exchange options available to students and, where relevant, the specific conditions associated with each. Students may also apply to the University for funding for international work experience placements and internships.

    Work experience placements are accredited in the student's academic record and the European diploma supplement. Students are free to decide in which host company or academic institution within the EHEA they wish to carry out their placement. To assist them in their search, the University has created an online noticeboard with jobs postings and other news.

    Work-study placements in A Coruña are arranged by the International Relations Office (ORI) of the UDC in collaboration with the international relations coordinators in the student’s home university. The general entry criteria, rights and obligations of students, and admission and acceptance procedures for the programme, are regulated by the UDC Mobility Policy.