Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

The Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was founded in 1972 on the basis of two laboratories of the Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and the Task Research Laboratory for Low-Temperature Preservation of Bone Marrow and Blood of the Kharkiv Institute for Advanced Training of Physicians of the Academy of Sciences.

The Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is currently the only institution worldwide that comprehensively develops modern cryogenic technologies in medicine and biology.

The main areas of scientific research at the Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, approved by the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and carried out in 11 scientific departments and 2 scientific laboratories of the Institute, are:

1) study of the mechanisms of cryoinjury, cryoprotection, natural resistance of biological objects to cold and their repair after exposure to cold;

2) creation of effective methods of artificial cryoprotection of biological systems of various organization levels and, based on them, development of technologies for cryopreservation of biological objects and technical means of their implementation;

3) use of hypothermia, cryotherapy and cryopreserved biological objects to treat various diseases;

4) cell and tissue transplantation.

Along with biologists and medical professionals, the Institute employs physicists and biophysicists, chemists and biochemists, mathematicians and engineers. Starting its activity with 47 employees, the staff of the Institute today accounts for 201 employees, including 19 Doctors of Science and 102 PhDs.

The activity of the Institute's staff has been recognised with five State Prizes in Science and Technology, 12 employees of the Institute have been honored with the awards named after prominent scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, one employee has been awarded the title of ‘Honoured Doctor of Ukraine’, and two employees have received the honorary title of ‘Honoured Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine’.

The Institute has wide contacts with scientific centers in Ukraine, the United States, Great Britain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Israel, Spain, France, Sweden, Armenia, etc. This makes it possible to implement the comprehensive programs in cryobiology of reproductive cells, preservation of cells, tissues and organs, as well as to conduct mutual staff internships.