I have a bachelor's degree in physics and I am finishing my master's degree in applied physics, in the field of biophysics. So, in particular, I study methods typical of physics to investigate biological issues.
I have to choose the argument of my master's thesis and only now I realize that my interests and, perhaps, also my skills, are more oriented towards interpreting biological results and their implications in biology itself rather than studying and improving methods for obtaining them.
My academic career was not really brilliant: I did not graduate with full marks in my bachelor's degree and now I am taking more than 3 years to get my master's degree in applied physics. But my dream still remains becoming a researcher: I always love studying and the idea of leaving studies makes me very unhappy. Thus I still really would like to obtain a PhD but in a research area in which I could be really useful in the future.
Is there a way of doing a PhD and at the same time studying a new field? Like a PhD in computational biology and at the same time taking a biology bachelor's and master's degree?
I saw that also Gary Stormo moved from physics to biology and received his PhD when he was already 31 years old. However, after this master's degree I can not go on only studying but I have to also work and the ideal plan would be to do a job that allows me to apply my knowledge acquired in my physics university and at the same time go on studying biology.
I am from Italy and I would like to remain here in all this. But I ask you if you know, in general, what I could do in this situation.