BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Director: Prof. Yassemi Capetanaki, MSc, PhD

The Center of Basic Research I of the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens comprises five Divisions, Biochemistry, Cell Biology ,Developmental Biology, Histology and Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology. The research activities of the different groups of the Center focus mainly on the investigation and understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of four disease groups, namely Cardiovascular disease and Heart Failure, Neurodegenerative diseases, Endocrinology and Metabolic syndromes, and Autoimmunity and Allergy based diseases. Stress, cell signaling, cell death, inflammation, fibrosis and nuclear factor function are some of the cellular processes that are intensely investigated. A lot of emphasis is also given in many aspects of Stem Cell Biology. The goal of most investigators in the Center of Basic Research I is to use their high expertise in state-of-the art technologies, such as development of transgenic mice and zebrafish as disease models, stem cell isolation, propagation and differentiation, and cellular imaging. Expertise from other Centers on either modern molecular techniques, such as proteomics and genomics or Clinical expertise are utilized, to understand the disease of interest and develop novel strategies for prognosis/diagnosis and regenerative Cell and Gene therapy.