The Ezequiel Dias Foundation (Fundação Ezequiel Dias – FUNED) is a public science and technology institution based in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Founded in 1907 and linked to the Minas Gerais State Health Department, FUNED brings together scientific research, health surveillance and the development and production of medicines to protect public health and strengthen Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS).
By combining research capabilities, public health laboratory services and pharmaceutical production within a single organisation, FUNED connects scientific knowledge with practical healthcare needs. Its activities support the development of health products and services, technological innovation and evidence-informed responses to public health challenges.
Research and innovation are central to FUNED’s mission. Its multidisciplinary research spans cellular biology, infectious diseases, biotechnology, natural products and bioactive compounds, therapeutic and diagnostic development, drug delivery, and the relationships between health and the environment. Across these complementary fields, the institution brings together basic and applied research to advance scientific knowledge and explore new approaches to public health challenges.
FUNED also hosts the Central Public Health Laboratory of Minas Gerais (Lacen-MG), within the Octávio Magalhães Institute. Its laboratory activities support epidemiological, sanitary, environmental and occupational health surveillance through diagnostic testing, analysis, research and the production of knowledge. These capabilities contribute to the monitoring of diseases and health risks, the assessment of products subject to sanitary control and the protection of public health.
As a public pharmaceutical laboratory, FUNED combines medicine development and production with pharmacovigilance and experimental farm activities supporting therapeutic serum production. Its portfolio includes medicines, antivenoms and other therapeutic sera, and meningococcal C and ACWY vaccines. These industrial capabilities contribute to strengthening Brazil’s public health system and access to strategic health products.
Education, scientific training and public engagement further support FUNED’s contribution to society. The institution offers opportunities for scientific initiation, technological development and postgraduate education in health biotechnology, alongside initiatives that bring science closer to schools and the wider public.
FUNED’s multidisciplinary research provides a basis for exploring international collaboration across life sciences, biotechnology and public health. Potential opportunities include joint basic and applied research, the development of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, and research on natural products, drug delivery, and health and environmental challenges. Partnerships with universities, research institutes and companies can support knowledge exchange and collaborative technology development, with an emphasis on translating scientific advances into benefits for society.