Human Physiology and Pathophysiology

Characteristics of the study programme

The study programme is focused on the study of functions of particular systems of the organism (blood, circulatory system, breathing, digestive, urinary, humoral, nervous systems) and their control, from the molecular level up to the study of mutual relations between particular systems under normal conditions and pathologic states. Equally important is the study of factors that can affect the mechanisms of development, plasticity and adaptation to epigenetic and internal influences.

The experimental and analytic approach of learning enables you to use the knowledge gained for prevention, diagnostics, therapy and rehabilitation of the human organism.

The study objective is to train the students to be capable of independent scientific work, which is necessary for understanding the physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms that can cause major clinical conditions.

Admission procedure requirement specific to the study programme

The conditions and course of the admission procedure for the part-time study are the same as the conditions for the full-time form. 

We recommend to contact your potential supervisor in advance and consult the suitable form of preparation for the interview. Each study programme has its own specifics, so the supervisor can help you to prepare for the specialized entrance examination (the interview).

Topics of dissertation thesis

The candidate chooses the preliminary topic individually and contacts a potential supervisor; candidates can also choose one of the topics listed below – the choice is not, however, limited to the offered topics. The applicant consults the chosen topic and agrees on its more precise specification with the potential supervisor. In case of any ambiguity, we recommend contacting the chairman of the SAB. If necessary, he/she can recommend that he/she consult the topic with another specialist according to the focus of the intended project.

If the candidate does not know which topic/supervisor to choose, he/she will contact the chairman of the SAB, with whom he/she will consult on a suitable topic and a potential supervisor.

This choice is preliminary, the admissions board may, after consultation with the candidate, nominate another supervisor.

Dissertation topics offered

Supervisors of the study programme

Each supervisor must be approved by the SAB. The criteria for admitting new supervisors are determined by the SAB. If the proposed supervisor has not yet been approved by the SAB, this must be done no later than the enrollment of the applicant in the study (provided that the applicant is accepted). You can find a list of supervisors approved by the SAB here. After clicking, the supervisor's workplace and contact information will be displayed.

Requirements during the study

Study obligations for full-time and part-time form of study are the same. 

Study obligations are part of the Individual Study Plan designed by the student and the supervisor (or advisor) and based on the annotation handed in during the admission procedure. The fulfilment of the ISP is controlled and granted by the supervisor and the guarantor of the programme of study. Possible changes in the ISP must be justified and approved by the SAB, the guarantor of the programme of study and the dean of the faculty.

• The student must obtain credits from at least three courses from the courses offered in DSPB. One of the courses can be completed abroad. If involved as an undergraduate supervisor, the mentorship may be recognized as a completion of the course of SAB Human Physiology and Pathophysiology.
• Part of the ISP is also the English language examination (examination at the Department of Languages, Second Faculty of Medicine CU, state language examination or an internationally recognized examination, e.g. TOEFL, Cambridge Certificate).
• Successful completion of the SDE.
• Part of the study requirements is active participation on both national and international scientific conferences. The Dean's Provision no. 2/2024 states that all students should attend the faculty Scientific conference in the 4th year of study (and also again in the 6th and 8th year of study in case the student extends the study period).

Requirements for internships

A recommended study obligation is an internship abroad, not shorter than 1 month.

Listed courses

B90054 Electrophysiological methods in clinical practice and research
B90209 Physical interaction of blood circulation and vessel wall and current methods of their examination
B90044 Selected issues of endocrinology and metabolism
B90275 Biomedicine and Biotechnology
B90276 How to be the Master and not a Slave of Clinical Research

Requirements for the SDE

• Language examination in English (examination at the Department of Languages, Second Faculty of Medicine CU, state language examination or an internationally recognized examination, e.g. TOEFL, Cambridge certificate).
• Credits from at least three courses.
• Literary overview of the topic of the thesis with hypotheses and the aim of work (15–20 pages without literature)
• At least one original publication on the topic of the thesis in journals with IF (only work in extenso is recognized, not abstracts, case studies or letter to the editor).

Literature review (research) - basic information

A literature review is not a summary of the dissertation. It is a text that aims to create a critical overview of current knowledge on a specialized topic. It is a common part of the science-oriented literature and usually precedes the conception of research project proposals and also the selection of an appropriate methodology. Its basic goal is to provide the reader with an up-to-date overview of current literature on the topic and provides information enabling to evaluate the legitimacy of the proposed future research.

However, the literature review is not only a set of disorganized or fragmented professional information. A good literature review is characterized by:

1. the logical flow of ideas, i.e., the individual paragraphs should follow each other logically
2. relevant bibliographic references in a consistent and appropriate format

3. correct use of technical terminology

4. an unbiased and comprehensive overview of current research on the issue

5. synthesis of the information provided.

The synthesis of the presented information is the most difficult part of the literature review and assumes that the author is well-versed in the given issue. Synthesis provides a new interpretation of old knowledge or combines new knowledge with the old ones. It can outline intellectual development in a given field, suggest directions in which new research could go – it should become the basis for the scientific hypothesis of the author's work. The literature review should result in a clear and concise definition of the hypothesis (assuming what the author wants to prove) and the objectives of the work (how the author proves or rejects the hypothesis).

Therefore, the conclusion of the text should contain the proposed hypothesis (briefly) and the objectives of the solution.

The range is 15 to 20 standard A4 pages (without literature).

Formal requirements

1. Title page – see sample
2. Font – Times New Roman 12
3. Line spacing 1–1,5
4. Pages are numbered
5. Literature: number, references uniformly including citations in the text – if there is one author – Author 1., 1989, if there are two authors, both and year are given, for three or more authors, the author is J. et al., year

The prepared literature review must be submitted in electronic form (by e-mail in docx format) together with the application and other documentation to the Department for Ph.D. Study. It is not necessary to print it. The printed version (after proofreading by assoc. prof. D. Marešová) will be brought by the student to the SDE.  

The literature review does not have to be bound. SAB accepts free (numbered) A4 sheets. Printing can be double-sided.

The time between the application for an SDE and the actual date of the examination is usually three to four months.

The course of the SDE

The subject matter of the SDE covers the topics of Human Physiology and Pathophysiology. From the SDE questions of the 14 subject areas, three combinations are formed. The student can thus focus on the thematic areas based on the ISP and defined by the instructor. During the examination, the student chooses one of the combinations (triplet) and draws questions from the assigned topics. The fourth question is based on written research and the methodology of scientific work. The student chooses a pre-given triplet and draws the questions.

Examination topics for the SDE

Publication activity requirements

• Elaboration of the literary summary/overview
• Two papers in extenso with an overall impact factor of at least 1 as first author.

Defence requirements

• SDE
• At least two original publications pertaining to the topic of the dissertation thesis, with a total impact factor of at least one. In at least one of them, the student should be the first author.
• The SAB requires one printed copy of the summary of the dissertation and one printout of the dissertation bound in hardback.

Profile of a graduate of the study programme

The graduate has a detailed knowledge of his / her own scientific issues and understands causal relationships between normal and pathologically altered functions of living objects (human, experimental model). He is able to assess the validity of scientific findings in clinical practice. He is acquainted with basic laboratory methods for scientific research and he is able to process the results, assess their validity, present at domestic and foreign conferences and publish the results in a suitable journal. 

Information about graduate employment 

Graduates of the study programme can be employed as researchers in theoretical and clinical departments, especially in medical faculties, research centres and institutes. Successful study enables them to participate in teaching, especially within the university.