University of Coimbra presents new gene therapy research center funded with 38 million euros that will develop innovative therapies for serious and untreatable diseases

Next Friday (2) will see the public presentation of GeneT: Center of Excellence in Gene Therapy in Portugal, the University of Coimbra's (UC) new research and innovation center in gene therapy for the development and production of treatments for serious and untreatable diseases, such as rare diseases. It will be financed over six years with 38 million euros from European and national funding.

The public presentation of GeneT will take place at Colégio da Trindade, starting at 10 am. It will feature speeches by the Rector of the UC, Amílcar Falcão; the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato; the Secretary of State for Regional Development, Isabel Ferreira; the President of the Foundation for Science and Technology, Madalena Alves; and the coordinator of GeneT, CNC-UC and CIBB president and UC lecturer, Luís Pereira de Almeida.

Members of the European Commission will also be present: Stefan Weiers from the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Minna Wilkki from the European Research Executive Agency. The event will also be attended by the leaders of two pioneering research centers in the development of gene therapy: Seppo Ylä-Herttuala, director of the Biocenter Kuopio and of the Finnish National Virus Vector Laboratory (Finland); and Mimoun Azzouz, director of the Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre at the University of Sheffield (United Kingdom).