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U. Chile is the leading institution in 2 of the 3 new FONDAP Centres of Excellence
- May 14, 2014
- Publicado por: ACCDIS
- Category: ACCDiS in Media News
The three new centres correspond to areas of conflict and coexistence in the current Chile, Medicine for chronic diseases of the 21st century and water resources.
Academics from the University of Chile will lead 2 of the 3 projects funded in the Fifth National Contest of Centers of Excellence in Research in Priority Areas, FONDAP 2013. The three new centres correspond to areas of conflict and coexistence in the current Chile, Medicine for chronic diseases of the 21st century and water resources. The total amount awarded amounts to about 13 billion pesos for a five-year period, renewable for a similar period. In two of them, the University of Chile participates as a main institution.
Three new research centres were selected at the fifth competition of the Research Fund in priority Areas, FONDAP, those who will receive funding for a period of five years, renewable for a similar period. In two of them, the University of Chile participates as a main institution.
It is of the Centre for advanced studies of chronic diseases (ACCDiS ), the University of Chile and the Pontificia Catholic University of Chile, directed by the Professor of the University of Chile, Sergio Lavandero; the Center of studies for the conflict and Social Cohesion (CSoCC), the University of Chile and the Pontificia Catholic University of Chile, directed by the Professor of the University of Chile, Dante Contreras; and the Water resources Center for agriculture and mining (WARCAM), of the University of Concepción, directed by Professor Jorge Concha.
Each of these Centers will receive an average of 4.3 billion pesos (approximately 850 million pesos per year) and they address their issues in a multidisciplinary way, through the partnership of national and foreign researchers.
Rector Victor Pérez Vera: “We are contributing to the country with the best research”
“Both centers research topics great contingency for the country, on the one hand the theme of social coexistence in Chile and on the other the advancement of chronic diseases which is connected with the increase of the life expectancy of our population. These achievements speak concern of our campus and its researchers to develop research that contributes to the development of Chile and that subject to the problems and challenges facing it today”, said the Rector of the University of Chile before the news of the award of these two new centres FONDAP.
Coexistence in Chile
The Center for the study of conflict and Social Cohesion (CSoCC) It brings together a group of prestigious scholars from multiple disciplines for the study of conflict and social cohesion (coexistence) in Chile, whose objective is to contribute to the improvement of social cohesion through research that nurture public policies and social dialogue, as well as to educate the general public about these issues.
The CSoCC focuses on four research lines: Productive and equitable development, individual and group interactions, territorial development to social cohesion and social and political conflict. The Director of the CSoCC is the Dr. Dante Contreras who has dedicated the greater part of his career to the research in themes that constitute the causes of it fragmentation social, such as inequality, deficiencies of education and lack of social mobility. The CSoCC is coordinated by the University of Chile and the Pontificia Catholic University of Chile, the two universities best positioned of the country. The Center will also feature with the collaboration of the University Diego Portales and Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, as well as a network of national and regional organizations. Together, These partners meet the country's most relevant experience in matter. In the same way, the CSoCC is also associated with a number of national and international partners, as the University of Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, California, Berkeley and Columbia, as well as also with academic research centers specialized in themes of social cohesion.
Chronic diseases
The Chilean population in a very short time has experienced major changes in its environment socio-increasing life expectancy. However, quality of life is threatened by a “epidemic” of risk factors for chronic diseases. These are the leading causes of illness and death in Chile and the world. Chronic diseases have their origin in the unbalance between intake and caloric expenditure, common metabolic alteration for cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes, kidney failure and cancers.
Led by Dr. Sergio Lavandero, the Center for advanced studies of chronic diseases (ACCDiS by name in English, Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases)start exploring the hypothesis that the common denominator to chronic disease is a State of chronic inflammation, initially focusing on cardiovascular disease and cancer. The General objectives of the ACCDiS they are to identify the common elements for the major chronic diseases that allow to offer strategies for prevention or control of damage.
The specific objectives are: 1) Evaluate how metabolism is associated with cardiovascular aging, cardiovascular disease and cancer; 2) Identify biomarkers of cardiovascular remodeling and heart failure also associated with cancer and kidney failure; 3) Analyze the molecular pathways of inflammatory processes associated with malignant cellular developments; 4) He studied the mechanism of propagation of tumours through circulating tumor cells; 5) Studying the natural history of gallbladder cancer and their causal factors; and 6) Study new nanomedicine tools for the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases.
This project will found the first epidemiological cohort of 14.000 people in the village of Molina of the Maule region and will constitute the first natural laboratory for the generic and environmental causes involved in the genesis and development of these chronic diseases.
The center boasts the participation of the Dres Andrew Quest and Marcelo Kogan of the faculties of medicine and chemical and pharmaceutical sciences of our University with the Dres. Catterina Ferreccio, Pablo Castro and Alejandro Corvalan of the Faculty of Medicine of the Pontifical University Catholic of Chile. Interestingly, this project will establish three units to the Service Center and other researchers: to) Core Facility Biobanco samples and data generated from the cohort of Molina, b) Core Facilty for study of inflammation and microRNAs and c) Core Facility for functional studies on cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
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CONICYT, GRAPEVINE communications
Monday, November 25, 2013
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