Institute of biomedicine is one of 5 MEPhI new structural units, created in a new multidisciplinary trend. In the Soviet Union education was separated from science: education was done in institutes, science — in the RAS. In Russia all the institutes suddenly became universities, but the gist has not changed: the system of faculties and departments is aimed not at scientific research, but at students’ education at different faculties.
MEPhI new structural units are research institutes on the basis of the university. In such universities students have a possibility not only to study, but also to participate in published and financed scientific research. Such system allows professors develop while teaching students.
For the past 10–15 years the focus of scientific interests has moved from physics, mainly concentrating on defense needs, to the sciences about health. People are ready to put a lot of money either in safety or in health. Such trend supposes the development of brand new interdisciplinary directions: physics, chemistry, biology, materials sciences, engineering. Sciences mix, and such symbiosis creates new technologies, methods, devices for biomedical application.
Specialists in biomedicine are in demand all over the world. In
In MEPhI Obninsk branch the medical faculty has always been good. Now the idea of uniting Obninsk educational basis with MEPhI nuclear medicine is being realized.
This is a huge area of
There are currently a lot of talks about proton therapy. Is it really an effective direction?
Yes, there is a real boom of this kind of therapy all over the world, such systems are set everywhere. Russia falls a bit behind in that sense, but there are unique developments, which allow make proton accelerators and treatment systems on their basis cheaper.
Proton facilities are good in a way that they allow get a 3D picture on tumor localization, after which proton sources influence the tumor pointwise. This is especially effective for fighting of such aggressive oncological diseases as brain and
In Russia nuclear medicine has long been realized in concrete developments, but very few knew about it, because Russian scientists were seldom published in scientific journals. Russian science was isolated from the rest of the world.
I wasn’t ready to be disqualified by specialization because of patriotism despite loving my motherhood. I managed not only to become a part of the western scientific system, but also define its success in North America and then in Europe.
Now the main task of people like me, coming back to Russia, is to teach talented youth work at the modern level of the world science and as a part of international system. In other words, learn to play and win at the international scientific field following its rules.
We have many specialists of high category and good developments. We have great practice in nanotechnologies, nanophotonics for biomedical applications. We also have developments in equipment for
In which field do you expect the greatest breakthrough in the nearest future?
In our view, the most perspective could be uniting nanotechnologies with the results in nuclear medicine. The gist is to deliver radionuclides in the tumor field, not harming other tissues. The radionuclides’ delivery is the main problem of nuclear medicine. They live only 2–3 hours, and they should spend this time not in the blood flow, but in the place of tumor. This is where we expect the greatest breakthrough.
For example, if we take one biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticle, for example, a silicone one — the safest of all
Our global aim, nanoteranostics, is a mixture of diagnostics and therapy in the nanosize scale.
The nanoparticle localization will allow cure the organism in a way as not to harm it. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy often destroy everything, people die not of the cancer, but of its treatment’ consequences. Nanoteranostics will help avoid it.
Source: https://eng.mephi.ru/news/119501
