About institute

Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEPhB RAS).

Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry was founded on January 6, 1956, by the Presidium of Academy of Sciences of the USSR resolution 2, paragraph 3, of 06.01.1956.

The founder of IEPhB RAS is the Russian Federation. The founder’s functions and powers are executed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

According to 2018 effectiveness evaluation of the Russian scientific organizations, IEPhB RAS was assigned the top (first) category.

The Institute carries out research under the State Research Programs in the following major areas:

  1. The mechanisms of the formation of physiological functions in phylo- and ontogenesis and the impact of endogenous and exogenous factors thereupon;
  2. Physiological and biochemical mechanisms of homeostasis and their evolution;
  3. A comparative investigation of the mechanisms of sensory systems’ functioning in humans and animals;
  4. The mechanisms of neuropsychiatric, metabolic and hormonal dysfunctions in neurological and endocrine diseases and the ways of their correction;
  5. Neurophysiological mechanisms of function regulation and their evolution;
  6. Physiological mechanisms of adaptation of humans and animals to extreme and periodically changing environmental factors;
  7. The development of interdisciplinary approaches and their application to the regulation and modulation of nervous system functions in norm and pathology.

Over the previous three years (2015—2017), Institute’s research staff had about 300 articles published, which were cited in the WEB of Science (WoS) global citation database. The Institute regularly holds conferences and schools:

  • L.A. Orbeli All-Russian Meeting on Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, and School on Evolutionary Physiology,
  • All-Russian Conference with international participation “Medical and Physiological Problems of Human Ecology”,
  • All-Russian Conference on Neuroendocrinology,
  • All-Russian Conference and School on Optogenetics and Optopharmacology.

The Institute holds a license to run postgraduate programs majored in Biological Sciences (06.06.01) and Fundamental Medicine (30.06.01). Students of leading biological, medical and pedagogical universities of St. Petersburg pursue their bachelor’s and master’s theses, based on the laboratories and facilities of the Institute. Winners of the annual L.A. Orbeli student projects competition are awarded a scholarship.

The Institute has a licensed Dissertation Council (D 002.127.01) to defend theses for the degree of Candidate of Science (CSci = PhD) or Doctor of Science (DSci) in three majors: “Physiology, Biological Sciences”, “Physiology, Medical Sciences”, and “Biochemistry”.