Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra
| Type | Research Institute |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
President
|
João Ramalho-Santos |
| Affiliations | University of Coimbra |
| Website | [1] |
The Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC) is a nonprofit research institute founded in 1990, aiming to foster research in biomedicine and biotechnology and multidisciplinary graduate teaching at the University of Coimbra. CNC was the first established “Laboratório Associado” in Portugal, and it has steadily increased the scope of scientific competences over the years, with a strong focus on the exploitation of the fundamental mechanisms of aging and brain diseases.
To cope with the main expected societal impact of biomedical research a strong integrative effort was made to link our basic research achievements to the biotechnology and applied research, and to the regional economical and productive tissue. The strong partnership developed between CNC and the Clinical Faculty allows for the translation of basic knowledge into clinical applications, enhanced by partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry. As a founding partner of Biocant - Biotechnology Innovation Center, and of the Health Cluster Portugal, CNC shows a clear commitment towards promoting technology transfer and the creation of novel biomedical and biotechnology enterprises. In parallel to fundamental and applied research, CNC is committed to the training of a new generation of researchers and clinicians. CNC established an international PhD Programme in 2002, and strongly collaborates with the MIT-Portugal PhD Program. CNC is part of the European Neuroscience Campus Network (ENC-Network) for postgraduate training, the Network of European Neuroscience Institutes (ENInet), and is also involved in the Harvard Medical School-Portugal Program in Translational Research and Information. As a research institution where the scientific challenges arise, the CNC has also the responsibility of developing and establishing strategies that foster positive attitudes towards science and scientists. The Outreach Programme developed by CNC is of utmost relevance to the dissemination of scientific information to the community, to broaden the public’s access to science, and to engage students in science studies. CNC researchers come from three faculties of the University of Coimbra: the Faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Science and Technology at the University of Coimbra. It is also linked to the University Hospitals of Coimbra (HUC) and several pharmaceutical companies. As a founding partner of the biotechnology association Biocant, the CNC has shown its commitment to foster technology transfer and the creation of novel biomedical and biotechnology enterprises.
The core scientific activity of CNC is the study of the molecular basis of neurodegenerative processes common to aging, neurodegenerative disorders, cerebral ischemia and epilepsy. In parallel, the research groups explore mechanisms of neuroprotection and regeneration, which may be future candidates for the development of potential therapeutic strategies to manage these disorders. This core activity is complemented by supporting areas which also develop their own research activity, opening the scope of intervention of CNC in the biomedical field, while providing novel lines of research applicable to Neuroscience, namely: genetic screening of diseases; structure-function relation of proteins with biomedical or biotechnological interest; development of new vectors for delivery of drugs and genetic material; development of biomaterials for stem cell-based therapeutics; study of drug and disease-induced cell dysfunction, with particular expertise in processes involving mitochondrial dysfunction and free radicals; intermediate metabolism and diabetes; cellular and developmental biology, whose programs focused on human infertility, disruption of human cell function in cancer, contact dermatitis, osteoarthritis, autoimmune disease, obesity and pathogens biology, involve close partnerships with clinicians at Coimbra University Hospital Center (CHUC) and Coimbra Portuguese Institute of Oncology (IPO); microbiology with emphasis on the strategies for adaptation of microorganisms to extreme environments, the screening and development of new anti-mycobacterial drugs and the susceptibility to legionella and fungal infection.
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