The Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IPHYS CAS) is a public research organization that studies normal and pathological physiology. Our core programs span metabolism research, cardiovascular biology, and neuroscience. The main goal is to define the molecular and physiological mechanisms behind major human diseases, including diabetes, cancer, ischemic heart disease, hereditary metabolic disorders, and neurodegeneration.
METABOLISM RESEARCH
Studies in this field address specific aspects of metabolism, from the cellular to the whole-body level. Research is focused on characterizing key metabolic processes underlying the development of metabolic syndrome, cancer, and hereditary metabolic diseases. Particular emphasis is placed on mitochondrial function and the impact of mitochondrial dysfunction on health, as well as on how interactions between nutrition and the immune system shape metabolism. Additional areas include pancreatic islet studies, circadian control of metabolism, the genetic basis of obesity-related diseases, and the ontogenic and ageing-related aspects of metabolic health.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
Work in this area focuses on the mechanisms behind the onset, treatment, and prevention of major cardiovascular diseases — including ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and chronic heart and kidney failure. Particular attention goes to how the heart adapts to oxygen deprivation, the pathways that protect it against ischemic injury, and sex-specific cardiac metabolism. Studies of blood pressure regulation, vascular contraction, and conduction-system maturation provide a basis for new therapies for hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias. A genetic approach targets modifications or defects in genes underlying cardiovascular disease, while further efforts explore synthetic and biological scaffolds seeded with stem cells as biomaterials for vascular and heart-valve replacements.
NEUROSCIENCE
Neuroscience research aims to understand the basic physiological and pathological processes underlying human neurological and psychiatric diseases. At the systems level, work addresses development and integrative functions of the central nervous system — including cognitive functions (memory, spatial orientation, learning), chronic and neuropathic pain, and epilepsy. At the cellular level, attention turns to circadian rhythms (processes repeating on a ~24-hour cycle) and to the pathophysiological mechanisms of drug addiction and side effects. Molecular studies seek to reveal the biochemical principles of neuron growth and guidance, signal transduction and cell-to-cell transmission, and the structural and functional correlates of neurotransmitter receptor activation and its modulation by biological and pharmacological compounds. Neural signalling is examined across approaches — in vivo, in vitro, and through theoretical computer simulations and modelling.
IPHYS CORE FACILITIES
Animal facility
Phenotyping of energy metabolism
Proteomics
Metabolomics
Microscopic core facility
Biological controls
Radiometry