Molecular Medicine Center Information

The Molecular Medicine Center (MMC) is a collaborative, multidisciplinary research center at Sofia Medical University established in 2005 with the support of the Specific Support Action Program of the European Union. MMC is a scientific network of investigators from different departments and research groups at the Sofia Medical University whose research is directly related to human health and well-being. The Center upgrades and promotes the activities of the Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, the existing national facility for diagnosis and research in the field of human genetics, whose 27-years tradition, expertise, and international links provide solid foundations for future development. The Molecular Medicine Centre is build upon: (i) the role of Laboratory of Molecular Pathology (LMP) as a national genetics centre, its existing capacity and know-how, established links with clinical medicine, and international reputation; (ii) the research expertise of its members and the role of the Sofia Medical University as the country's leading tertiary medical institution; (iii) the growing interest of the Bulgarian clinical specialists, from different areas of medicine in the molecular factors conferring common disorders. The major goal of the Molecular Medicine Centre is to enhance the capacity for biomedical research in Bulgaria. This will be achieved through promoting and developing the interaction between the Medical University's departments and Bulgaria's major diagnostic and research facility in the field of human genetics, the Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and stimulation of genetic research in all fields of medicine, focusing on common genetic diseases of particular relevance to the country morbidity profile. MMC is a scientific network of investigators from different departments and research groups at the Sofia Medical University. They contribute with their expertise in different fields of medicine, provide access to large numbers of well-characterized patients and enable joint initiatives in the field of under- and postgraduate medical education. To broaden the scope of research projects in molecular medicine and include other fundamental studies, MMC collaborates also with other institutes in Bulgaria, working in the field of Cell and Molecular Biology, like the institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Institutes of Molecular Biology, Virology, Immunology and Developmental Biology, Genetics; the Biological Faculty, Sofia University; the Institute of Infectious and Contagious Diseases and others. The joint research efforts lead to improved understanding of the role of genetic research in clinical medicine and provides a critical mass of expertise in various fields of medicine and genetic research. Their commitment promotes novel and dynamic research and creates an improved interactive research environment that attracts and retains young scientists and facilitate the dissemination of knowledge.