Networking & Grants
FP5 Grant No. ICA1-CT-2000-70020. 2001-2004 Function and dysfunction of blood vessels: transcytosis in normal/pathological states, alterations in atherosclerosis and diabetes; their therapeutic control.
Center of Excellence of the European Community “Blood Vessels”
2001 - 2003
Major goals of the Centre of Excellence
- Biomedical research
- Collaboration
- International scientific exchanges
- Open Institution for higher education
- PhD; Master program - specialization
- Disseminate information
- Links with clinics and European pharmaceutical companies
Statement of purpose
Understanding, prevention, early diagnosis and better therapeutic control of cardiovascular diseases
Initial and late pathobiochemical alterations of heart and blood vessels: atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, ageing.
Our Team
Research goals and major steps envisaged
Agenda Centre of Excellence
- Biomedical research connect to cardiovascular diseases - the main causes of death in developed countries, diabetes, ageing.
- Enhancing exchanges and linkage with EU scientists or other centers of excellence.
- Inviting EU scientists to work in our Centre, on common projects.
- Organize a workshop and minisymposia to increase connections and collaborations with other EU Labs
- Develop a Molecular Biology Laboratory and new techniques.
- Extension of the relationships with pharmaceutical firms such as Merck, Novartis, Sanofi, etc
- Participation in FP6 projects
WORK-PACKAGES OF CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
WP 1
Transcytosis of molecules through vascular wall in normal and pathological conditions
Achievements:
Exchanges: 3 visitors from EU
3 researchers from the centre
Countries: Switzerland, Germany, England, France, Austria
Meetings: one paper ESF Meeting, Portugal
one invited speaker EURESCO Conference, Spain
11 participations to international symposia;
2 participations to international symposia;
Advanced Studies School: “From Cell and Molecular Biology to the Medicine of the 21st Century” – ICBP: 2001-2002
Publications: 8 articles published and 3 in preparation
National Research Program: 8 grants
Awards: 4 researchers from the centre
FP6: Participation to Marie Curie Action
WP 2
Cellular and molecular events occurring during atherogenesis
Achievements
Exchanges: 4 visitors from EU
1 researchers from the centre
Countries: Germany, Belgium, France
Meetings: - Workshop : “Cardiovascular Dysfunction in Hyperlipidemia and Diabetes”
- Meeting of the COST action B17 - Working Group 5 Cardiovascular Dysfunction
150 participants, 31 platform presentations,
30 posters, Panel Discussion for FP 6
- one invited speaker EURESCO Conference, Spain,
- 19 participations to international symposia;
- 20 participations to national symposia;
Publications: 12 articles and 3 in preparation
National Research Program: 7 grants
FP6: Participation to 2 projects
WP 3
Alterations of blood vessels reactivity in experimental hyperlipemia/diabetes
Achievements
Exchanges: 2 visitors from EU
3 researchers from the centre
Countries: England, Scotland, Germany, Hungary
Meetings: - 8 participations to international symposia;
- 16 participations to national symposia;
Publications: 7 articles; 2 monograph chapters, 2 manuscripts in preparation
National Research Program: 6 grants
FP6: Participation to 1 project
Awards: 3 awards
WP 4
Cellular and molecular effect of drugs used in cardiovascular diseases
Achievements
Exchanges: 1 visitor from Germany
Meetings: - 5 participations to international symposia;
- 9 participations to national symposia;
Publications: 7 articles
National Research Program: 8 grants
Awards: 3 awards
Visit of Mrs. Jitka Vennekens-Capkova to the Centres of Excellence of Romania
New findings and concepts
Concepts
Original Animal models
New Cell lines
Future plans
- Maintaining the competitive research
- Extension of the collaborations
- More applications in FP6
- Improvement of the technological transfer
- Continuing the formation of new specialists in cell biology and pathology
- Increase the visibility of the Centre
- Maintain the status of Centre of Excellence at the European level
Memorandum I
Contribution of the CoE label to the development of the Institute
- Since in previous 20 years of the activity of our Institute we collaborated mainly with laboratories from USA, the label of CoE increased the exchanges and enlarged collaboration with European laboratories.
- The visits of scientists were of great benefit to disseminate our results, to improve the technology and to expand our research by starting new projects of mutual interest.
- The CoE label enhanced the Institution reputation within the national and international community. As a result, we were successful in getting more national grants and we received proposals and invitations and participated to projects in FP5 and FP6.
- The centre became an education site organizing annually an Advanced Study School for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows (with Romanian and foreign invited speakers), minisymposia and an international workshop held jointly with the meeting of the COST- Action B17, WG 5 to which 150 prominent scientists (from 11 European countries and Romania) participated. The meeting included a panel discussion regarding the FP6, ERA, how to increase the visibility of the Centre, cooperation and to improve the capacity to acquire and manage research projects.
- We started to develop a new activity, namely conducting PhD thesis in “co-tutele” with partners from Europe and USA.
- Ten prizes and awards honored our researchers (many Ph.D. students).
- Recognition of the activity of our Institute with the label of CoE was a signal for the researcher from our scientific community that high-quality science is acknowledged and increased the importance of science for the general public.
- We were pleased that all the objectives of the Centre have been reached and the results are superior to those previously planned.
Memorandum II
Plans and Intention of the Activity of the Centre in the near future
- To maintain the status of Centre of Excellence and to increase the visibility of out Institute by obtaining solid and reliable data and publishing more papers on biomedical research. We will use the cell and molecular biology as a tool to understand a defeat global risk diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and obesity.
- To continue our international collaborations and exchanges between scientists.
- To expand our scientific agenda and increase research quality and cooperation.
- To organize international minisimposia and workshop in our Institute so that scientists from the entire country will be exposed to the results obtained in other laboratories from Europe.
- To participate to the projects of the FP6
- To continue to be an education site by organizing the annual AdvancedStudySchool and have all the laboratories open for training Ph.D.students, postdocs, and medical residents.
- It is our opinion that the achievements obtained so far will benefit and greatly increase if the Centre of Excellence label will be allowed to be used after the end of the project. The label “Centre of Excellence” attracted more young scientists in the Institute and to a certain extent slowed down the brain drain. We believe that this will be in the interest of all Centre of Excellence and of the development of the European Research Area.
