Collaboration between BioMedical Center and Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Slovakia

EEA grants has supported collaboration between BioMedical Center at University of Iceland and Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Slovakia from the fall 2023 til organize common workshops and conferences. Hopefully, this will lead to further scientific collaboration between the universities. The grant amount to University of Iceland is 26,570 EUR. The name of the project is: Bilateral relations and common knowledge between Slovakia and Iceland research at Universities on the topic of “Genomic instability and cancer; GenICa.

The collaboration started with a kick-off meeting followed by an introduction Teams meeting in November of life science research interest at the Pavol Jozef Safarik University. The BioMedical Center introduced research interest and main core facilities in a Teams meeting in January. About 20-30 group leaders attended these meetings each time from both universities. Already, research collaboration has been established.

A workshop and student conference have been planned in May and June. Group leaders from the Pavel Jozef Safarik University will visit University of Iceland during the week 21st to 24th of May. A workshop has been organized in Litla torg and the guests will also visit different wet-lab core facilities located at Sturlugata 8, Læknagarður, Immunology Department at the National Hospital and the Experimental institute in pathology at Keldur.

A group of PhD students, post-docs and group leaders will visit the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Slovakia 17th to 23rd of June. During their stay they will also attend a student conference at High Tatras, Štrbské pleso, Hotel Sorea Trigan, Slovakia 19th to 21st of June. PhD students and post-docs will present their research with an oral presentation and some group leaders will give key note talks. All together 40 people will attend the conference, thereof 12 participants from BioMedical Center, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences at University of Iceland.

Pavol Jozef Safarik University takes now part in the Aurora programme as an associate partner.