The Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS) was established in 2003 to develop biomedical research within the School of Medicine of the University of Minho.
Over the last decade, ICVS has developed synergies with several partners with complementary expertise, namely the 3B’s Research Group ensuing the establishment of the PT Government ICVS/3B’s – Associate Laboratory, and local healthcare providers to launch the Clinical Academic Centre – Braga Association (2CA-Braga) devoted to performing clinical research.
ICVS is a multidisciplinary unit that currently brings together scientists, engineers and clinicians in a unique scientific and technological platform over 6000 m2 benefiting from research expertise in different fields such as bioimaging, cell and molecular biology, deep learning and computer science, electrophysiology, epidemiology and statistics, functional MRI, medical electronics, microbiology ABSL2/3, motor and cognitive animal behaviour, oncobiology and surgical endoscopy. Scientific projects are developed under four Research Domains: Microbiology & Infection, Neurosciences, Population Health and Surgical Sciences. ICVS develops projects in national and international consortia, providing experience and training to young researchers and welcomes foreign students and researchers, as well as developing initiatives to foster international institutional collaborations, as those recently established with the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) as well as the Centro de Investigacións Biomédicas (CINBIO).
Since its launching, ICVS has been consistently graded “excellent” by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) in both evaluation processes of 2002 and 2007, and again graded “excellent” as PT Government ICVS/3B’s – Associate Laboratory in 2013. Final assessment regarding the 2017 evaluation process is still under revision. Along with its several Spin-offs, ICVS aims to contribute as a key stakeholder for the upholding of a competitive Cluster in Biomedical Science, Technology and Healthcare, steered by the School of Medicine.
Aligned with this vision, ICVS aspires to boost its complete research pipeline to create scientific knowledge and value, producing Research Outputs that improve Clinical Outcomes.