Events:
Fourth International Scientific Forum “Black Sea Neurogenesis” will take place in the period 5-7 June 2025 05-07 June 2025
Medical University – Varna organizes the Fourth International Scientific Forum “Black Sea Neurogenesis”, which will take place in the period 5 -7 June 2025. The scientific organizer of the event is Prof. Anton Tonchev, MD, PhD, DSc – neurobiologist and Director of the Research Institute at MU-Varna. More information about the event and the speakers can be found here.
The scientific forum is co-funded by the TRANSTEM project of the European Commission, GA No. 856871 and the MUVE-TEAM project of the European Union – Next Generation EU program, Project No. BG-RRP-2.004-0009-C02.
Medical University – Varna organized workshop “Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation” under the TRANSTEM Project
A workshop “Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation” was organized under the TRANSTEM Project at MU-Varna. The event, held on June 1, 2024, at MU-Varna, brought together specialists from transplantation centers in Sofia and Varna, along with hematologists from across the country. The international guest speaker was Dr. Maria Stamouli from the University Hospital of Athens, Greece.
Meeting of the Rector of MU-Varna Prof. Dr. Dimitar Raykov with the ERA Chair of TRANSTEM Dr. Manlio Vinciguera
The Rector of MU-Varna Prof. Dr. Dimitar Raykov greeted in his office Dr. Manlio Vinciguera, the ERA Chair under the TRANSTEM project. At the meeting also participated the Deputy Rector of Science Prof. Dr. Violeta Yotova, the Deputy Rector for International Cooperation Prof. Dr. Mario Milkov as well as the Director of the Research Institute Prof. Dr. Anton Tonchev.
Researchers from MU-Varna met with world-renowned technology transfer expert Dr DJ Nag
A technology transfer expert, Dr. DJ Nag, visited the Medical University – Varna and gave a lecture on “Intellectual property and technology transfer in medicine and pharmacy”. He is a consultant on technology transfer for several universities and has extensive international experience. Dr. Nag is visiting at the invitation of the Research Institute in MU-Varna and with the support of the Transtem ERA Chair project of the European Commission. He was welcomed by the Vice Rector for Scientific Activities Prof. Dr. Violeta Yotova and by the Director of the Research Institute Prof. Dr. Anton Tonchev.
High-Tech Laboratory Equipped at MU-Varna under the TRANSTEM Project
Thanks to the TRANSTEM project, funded by the European Commission, a high-tech laboratory was equipped at Medical University-Varna for scientific purposes. The equipment includes a latest generation PCR analysis machine, protein readers, as well as a flow cytometry machine that is very precise in measuring cell surface markers in suspension. “With these advanced instruments, modern scientific research in the fields of protein biology, RNA biology and DNA biology can be carried out,” explained Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra, ERA Chair of the TRANSTEM project.
Thanks to the TRANSTEM project, funded by the European Commission, a high-tech laboratory was equipped at Medical University-Varna for scientific purposes. The equipment includes a latest generation PCR analysis machine, protein readers, as well as a flow cytometry machine that is very precise in measuring cell surface markers in suspension. “With these advanced instruments, modern scientific research in the fields of protein biology, RNA biology and DNA biology can be carried out,” explained Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra, ERA Chair of the TRANSTEM project.
THE FIRST RESEARCHER FROM THE TRANSTEM PROJECT WITH SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC DEGREE “DOCTOR”
On 16 January 2024, Medical University–Varna held a public defence of the doctoral thesis of Dr. Martin Ivanov for the acquisition of ESD Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Medicine. The topic of his thesis is: “Proliferation and Differentiation of Progenitor Cells in the Subventricular Area in the Adult Primate Hindbrain”.
Dr. Ivanov is a young researcher (R1) in the TRANSTEM project, involved in the scientific group dealing with neural stem cells. He has been examining the expression of four genes in an area of the brain, called SVZa, which continues to store stem cells even in adults. The TRANSTEM project team is headed by ERA Chair Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra. The scientists have phenotyped the genes TNC, GJA1, CD38 and APLNR on histological sections of a primate brain. The goal they set themselves is to single out a group of cells located in the SVZ – cells positive for these genes and to investigate their nature, whether they are stem cells or their daughter cells, i.e. derived from them. “We found that all four genes are expressed in dormant neuronal stem cells and that their expression decreases with differentiation. In addition, we described the nature of one of the genes – the APLNR (Apelin receptor), due to the possibility of being influenced pharmacologically. We found that it is expressed by both stem cells and cells associated with the neurogenic zone,” explains Dr. Martin Ivanov.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Dimitrov from the Institute of Molecular Biology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences met with the research team of the TRANSTEM project
On October 16, 2023 at the Medical University – Varna, a discussion was held between the research team of the TRANSTEM project and Prof. Stefan Dimitrov, the newly elected European Research Area (ERA) Chair at the Institute of Molecular Biology “Acad. Rumen Tsanev” of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia.
The ERA Chair from the TRANSTEM project Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra and Dr. Stefan Dimitrov work in a similar scientific field – epigenetics. This determines the common interests and opportunities for cooperation between the two teams. Topics for collaboration are cancer genetics and epigenetics, rare and neurological diseases. At the meeting, Dr. Vinciguerra and Dr. Dimitrov presented their main scientific interests, and members of the TRANSTEM team engaged in lively discussions with the guests. The meeting also opens the door to a wider institutional partnership, between the Medical University – Varna and the Institute of Molecular Biology.
Leading Scientists from 12 Countries Discussed the Human Brain Processes near Varna
Prominent researchers and scientists from 12 countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Spain, France, Austria, Sweden, Italy, Great Britain, Greece, Bulgaria, Japan and the United States in the fields of cell biology, epigenetics, genetics, neurobiology, neuropathology and bioinformatics, discussed topics related to brain development from embryonic stage to an adult individual, brain ageing and cell regeneration processes, recovery of the human brain after damage such as stroke, etc.
MU-Varna Organises the Second International Scientific Forum “Black Sea Neurogenesis”
Leading scientists from 12 countries will participate in the International Scientific Forum “Black Sea Neurogenesis”, which is scheduled for 1st-3rd June 2023 in Albena Resort. Organiser of the large-scale scientific event is Medical University–Varna, with the support of the TRANSTEM project of the european commission and National Programme “European Scientific Networks” of the Ministry of Education and Science. Scientific organiser of the forum is Prof. Dr. Anton Tonchev, neurobiologist and Director of the Research Institute at Medical University-Varna. Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra, head of an international team of scientists from the European Research Area (ERA) of the TRANSTEM project, will also participate in the forum.
MU – Varna is an Organiser and Host of an International Workshop Entitled Stem Cells: Fundamental Principles and Translational Applications
The scientific forum, funded by the TRANSTEM project of the European Commission, with the support of National Programme “European Scientific Networks” of the Ministry of Education and Science, will be held between 30th September – 1st October in Varna, and will bring together leading scientists in the field of stem cells from Germany, Israel, Norway, the USA, Greece and Bulgaria. Scientific organiser of the event is Prof. Igor Resnick, Coordinator of the TRANSTEM project, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of MU – Varna, and a scientific co-organiser is Prof. Tsvee Lapidot from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. See more here.
MU – Varna Organises an International Scientific Forum in the Field of Neuroscience
Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov” – Varn will organise and host the International Scientific Forum “Black Sea Neurogenesis”. See more here.
Dr. Vinciguerra was awarded the largest individual research grant of Bulgaria
The National Scientific Program “Excellent Research and People for the Development of European Science” — 2021 (VIHREN-2021) of the Ministry of Education and Science is the leading grant scheme for individual researchers in Bulgaria. The programme was created following the model of the European Science Council (https://erc.europa.eu/), with the quality of the applicant’s scientific output being the single most important evaluation criterion. See more here.
“Capital”, a leading online journal for economic news and analyses in Bulgaria, published an interview with Manlio Vinciguerra, PhD – Chair of the European research area (ERA chair) at the Medical University of Varna in the field of translational biology of stem cells.
The First of Its Kind Workshop on Bioinformatics Entitled Introductory Computational Biology Course Was Held at MU – Varna
The first of its kind workshop on bioinformatics entitled Introductory Computational Biology Course was held at MU – Varna on 1-2 July 2021. The forum was held online with the support of TranStem project, and was organised by Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra, European Research Area (ERA) Chair in the field of Translational Stem Cell Biology at MU – Varna. Dr. Vinciguerra has invited prominent Italian lecturers who, within the two-day course, presented the core of the bioinformatic processing of genetic, protein and multi-OMICS data. See more here.
Guest Lecturer from Italy Presented a Lecture within TranStem Project and the 31st Edition of Biomedical Forum
The Cardiac Transplantation in the Heart of the Mediterranean Sea initiative took place on 19 May 2021 at 18:00. The event was held within the framework of TranStem project and Biomedical Forum 31 (2020 – 2021), organised by Medical University – Varna and the Bulgarian Society for Cell Biology. See more here.
MU – Varna Organised the First in Bulgaria Scientific Symposium on ‘Epigenetics and Signalling in Stem Cells’
The first in Bulgaria scientific symposium on ‘Epigenetics and Signalling in Stem Cells’ was held on 16 and 17 April. This forum is the first international scientific event of the TranStem project, funded by the European Commission, under Horizon 2020 programme. The project aims to unlock, promote and maintain research studies in the field of stem cells at the University and in the region to the highest world levels. The project will implement research developments focused on both fundamental research on stem cells and their clinical application for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The Research Institute of MU – Varna is in the process of establishing a research group of prominent scientists in the field of translational stem cell biology, headed by Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra, D.Sc. See more here.
MU – Varna Organises the First in Bulgaria Scientific Symposium on Epigenetics and Stem Cell Signalling
The first Varna scientific symposium on Epigenetics and Stem Cell Signalling is to be held at Medical University – Varna, on 16 and 17 April 2021. This forum is the first international scientific event of TranStem project, funded by the European Commission under Horizon 2020 programme. The project aims to raise the level of research studies in the field of stem cells at the University and in the region to the global standards. The project will implement scientific developments focused on both fundamental research on stem cells and their clinical application for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The Research Institute of MU – Varna is in the process of setting up a research group of prominent scientists in the field of translational stem cell biology, headed by Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra, Ph.D. See more here.
Newly elected ERA Chair in Translational Stem Cell Biology at the Medical University of Varna
Dr. Manlio Vinciguerra, Ph.D., is the new European Research Area (ERA) Chair in Translational Stem Cell Biology at the Medical University of Varna (MUV). Starting November 2020 he joined the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Transplantology at the Research Institute of the Medical University of Varna. Dr. Vinciguerra will lead an international team of researchers focused on stem cell applications for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The team and its activities are funded by the European Commission via the TRANSTEM project. See more here.
Kick-off meeting with the Management board of the TranStem project will be held on October 17th 2019.
On 23.10.19 a press conference was held on the launch of the project TranStem.