News
Visit of the World Bank Representatives to “Cobrain” Brain Scientific Research Center
15.12.2023
On December 7, 2023 the World Bank team, accompanied by the CEP PIU representatives visited "COBRAIN" Brain Scientific Research Center established at Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi within the framework of the second main stage of the Competitive Innovation Fund (CIF) . In Particular Rita Almeida, the Head of the World Bank Education Global Practice covering the Europe and Central Asia region (ECA), Ahmet Levent Yener , the World Bank Program Leader for the Human Development Practice Group in South Caucasus, Anna Berdzenadze , the World Bank Education Specialist in South Caucasus , Narine Tadevosyan, the Senior Operations Officer in the World Bank Armenia , Hasmik Soghomonyan , the Head of External Relations of the World Bank, as well as Armine Khachatryan, CEP PIU Project Manager and Armine Minasyan, the Head of the ".“Mainstreaming of the CIF for Higher Education Institutions (HEI) into Full Implementation” Component were the participants of the visit.
Accompanied by Professor Konstantin Yenkoyan, Vice-Rector for Science and Head of Neuroscience Laboratory of Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi (YSMU), Head of the grant project “Scientific-Educational Center for Fundamental Brain Research", Chief Researcher of the "COBRAIN" center, the visitors toured the center, got acquainted with the opportunities of the center.
It should be noted that during the visit, the senior researcher of the neuroscience laboratory of the center was concurrently carrying out two different studies with the support and involvement of junior researchers and students. In the first case, the researchers tested the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of autism in one of the brain structures, hippocampal cells of rats.
The other study, according to the presentation of the researchers, had more applied significance and was aimed at studying the therapeutic effect of different types of stem cells in case of liver disease.
The Vice-Rector for Science and Head of Neuroscience Laboratory of Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi, (YSMU), mentioned that within the framework of “Education Improvement Project Additional Financing” loan project a brain visualizing laboratory will be created in the "COBRAIN " Scientific and Educational Center for Fundamental Brain Research.
The main goal of the project is to create a brain visualization laboratory which, by combining the features of modern microscopy, cellular computing, augmented and virtual reality, will allow comprehensive visualization of the cellular engineering of the brain, complementing it with sensory interaction.
The representatives of the World Bank noted that they were very impressed with the results of the project, thanked the Vice-Rector of YSMU, Professor K. Yenkoyan and representatives of the Center for Education Projects" PIU for effective cooperation.
Once again, the importance of the grants provided within the frames of CIF was emphasized, as they are aimed at enhancing the higher education quality, relevance, innovativeness and accessibility,
