ISTITUTO ORTOPEDICO RIZZOLI - Laboratories

The Medical Technology Laboratory traditionally hosts students from different international universities who want to carry out a research period for:

• Curricular internship
• Bachelor's and Master's Degree Theses
• Ph.D. 
• Specialization schools.

The Medical Technology Laboratory believes that visiting students represent a strategic asset. Quite a good percentage of the research activity is carried out with the help of undergraduate students, and about 65% of students who have done researching dissertation activity in our Lab, have become co-authors of articles about their work later on. These articles are already published or in the process of being published on international magazines. Approximately 35% of undergraduates/Ph.D. students decide to perform research activity in the Lab after their graduation, supported by scholarships that are periodically made available by our institute. Most of the permanent research staff did their thesis at the Medical Technology Laboratory.

Internships

The Lab provides various opportunities for practical training (or internship) in different research fields. Following the agreement between the University and the Rizzoli, it is possible to carry out a curricular internship in our Lab, also in combination with a dissertation work.

Bachelor’s and Master’s degree dissertations

The Lab offers a wide range of research topics in various fields to be investigated for a dissertation work, eventually included in an Internship programme. All the dissertation carried out in the Lab include experimental work that usually imply a greater commitment. Candidates are involved in ongoing research projects and are asked to develop a specific aspect of the research plan, under the supervision of one or more experienced researchers. During the development of the thesis, the candidate is trained in the use of sophisticated measurement and calculation systems, as well as in the use of commercial software for engineering of the highest quality and widely used, not only in the scientific field, but also in the industrial context.

PhD theses

Due to the nature of the research activities carried out, and thanks to the excellent relationships with various academic environments, the Lab is an ideal environment for conducting Ph.D. theses. The Rizzoli Institute, as a research institution, is not directly responsible for a single Ph.D. course, while the Director of the Lab, as a university professor at the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, is a member of the teaching staff of the Doctorate in Health Sciences and Technologies. Furthermore, research collaborations with various departments of other universities make it possible to carry out part or all of the doctorate activities in our laboratories. Contact us for further information at the following e-mail address: fabio.baruffaldi@ior.it.

Foreign students

We believe that the presence of international students and researchers from all over the world is a great asset. We like to think that students drawn from different backgrounds bring a breath of fresh air to our Lab and we appreciate the international background of our research center, thus students from foreign institutions who are interested in our research activities are welcome. We have a number of international collaborations, some funded by the EU, some funded by bilateral agreements, some others set up as individual exchange programs. We have already hosted orthopedic students or researchers from the United Kingdon, Latvia, Germany, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, United States, Algeria, Japan, etc. Thanks to the internationality of our Lab, all foreign students are able to work by integrating into our multilingual team (English is spoken fluently by all the staff, while French, Spanish, German and Polish are spoken by a fair number of people in our group). If you are interested in spending a period in our lab you can contact us.

1) Facts and figures

From its foundation, the Lab has been open to undergraduate and postgraduate degree research investigations. The first degree thesis entirely carried out in the Lab was discussed in the academic year 1990/1991. Since then, the Lab has hosted over 120 degree theses, several Ph.D. theses and a large number of specialization theses in medicine and health physics. In recent years, the Lab has also hosted internships for national and foreign university students. The distribution of degree theses among the various degree programs is shown in the diagram below.

The students who until now have carried out their thesis work in our Lab came from various Italian universities such as Bologna (Headquarters in Bologna and Romagna), Modena and Reggio Emilia, Genoa, Turin, Rome (Campus Biomedici), Padua, Trieste, Pisa, and foreign universities such as from Germany, Sweden, Spain, Venezuela, Algeria, etc.

2) Work environment and human environment

The Lab is hosted within the Codivilla-Putti Research Centre, located in one of the most beautiful spots in Bologna: the hill of S. Michele in Bosco. The Centre is surrounded by large green areas and beautiful views. It can also be reached by bike (if you have good legs). Consult the page How to reach us to know how to come here by car or by public transportation. The Centre is newly built and has good facilities including a cafeteria and a canteen with discounted prices for associates of the institute.

Work environment…

The Lab team counts about 40 researchers: 8 seniors, about 20 Italian and international collaborators (many have been our students before), and 10-15 students with various backgrounds. This contributes to create a particularly young and informal environment. The staff covers a wide range of fields (biomechanical and materials engineering, medical informatics, medical physics, biology, statistics, as well as the clinic). The collaboration between groups is very strong, so each researcher is part of a truly multi-disciplinary team.

…and human environment!

The social atmosphere in the Lab is characterized by excellent human relationships and a strong attitude to collaboration. For many, working at the Lab has been the starting point of long-lasting friendships. 

3)  How to apply

Interested undergraduates must first contact a Professor within their course, who will act as a contact person for the entire visiting period. For students from the University of Bologna, please refer to Prof. Marco Viceconti. For other study programs or universities, interested students should identify a Professor in their degree program who is available to act as a supervisor and then contact us. The university of affiliation must provide an extension of the insurance cover for the visiting period at the Lab. This is usually routine. For example, at the University of Bologna, the contact professor at the University sends a request to the Internship Office, which immediately releases the extension of insurance. In order for the Rizzoli Institute to authorize attendance, the graduate student must send a letter of request from his/her supervisor to the secretariat of this Lab, addressed to:

Prof Marco Viceconti - Direttore del Laboratorio di Tecnologia Medica

via di Barbiano, 1/1, 40136 Bologna Italy

fax +39-051-6366863

together with the documentation on the insurance cover. Since this is a hospital facility, all visitors (and therefore also students) must undergo a medical examination by the Institute's Medicine and Prevention Unit to confirm their good health conditions. For students from affiliated universities, the attendance is free of charge. For students from non-affiliated universities and for visiting period lasting more than 3 months, the student must pay a small enrollment fee (which covers the cost of the medical examination). At the end of the dissertation research period, the Candidate is required to deposit a copy of the thesis at the library of the Lab.

NOTE: it will be the candidate's responsibility to inquire about the bureaucracy rules for the admission to the final exam at his/her University.