School of Life and Health Sciences
Research Areas in Life and Health Sciences
The School of Life and Health Sciences aims at the generation of new understanding and knowledge of the principles of Life and Health. Based on this knowledge, the School attempts to address the various current and future challenges in the field.
Living organisms are complex entities both at their molecular and macroscopic levels. The complex networks embedded in living organisms regulate diverse functions with significant impact on health and disease. The research goal of the School is to bridge a variety of diverse disciplines ranging from molecular biology to health care provision and to generate new knowledge in both basic and applied science. The Faculty aims at developing an interaction with local and international research institutions to address everyday challenges in the area of Human Health.
Department of Life Sciences: Key Research Areas
Nutritional Sciences
The thematic research area of Nutritional Sciences examines the effect of diet on the organism’s health. It includes focus areas such as health education and nutrition, behaviour modification for weight management with special interest in the influence of early nutrition and weaning practices in childhood obesity, ageing and nutrition, analysis of Cypriot nutrition and health database, sports and nutrition, as well as health education and dietetics. The Department also carries out research projects aiming at studying the role of diet in the development and progression of human diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Sports Science
The thematic area of Sports Science covers a multidisciplinary spectrum of research related to exercise. The focus areas include: effects of exercise training in the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and multiple sclerosis, sleep physiology/exercise, cardiovascular exercise physiology in health and disease, chronic hydration levels of adults and adolescent athletes, and potential effects on exercise performance and overall health, training adaptations, hematological, hormonal and immune responses to young and elite soccer players, nutritional intervention and exercise, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and sport pedagogy and sport psychology, among other subjects.
Biomedical and Biological Sciences
Research in this fast-growing field encompasses a diverse spectrum of themes ranging from molecular to environmental biology. More specifically, faculty research interests include but are not limited to: biodiversity, ecology and conservation, signal transduction mechanisms responsible for the abnormal cell proliferation and/or cell apoptosis in cardiovascular and ageing related diseases, the role of lipids in cell ageing, the role of microRNAs in various physiologic and pathologic biological processes, molecular nutrition, isolation and identification of biologically active compounds occurring in natural products, effects of antioxidants on human health, understanding nutrient transport in the gastrointestinal tract and its relevance to disease states, the role of the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), the development and plasticity of the nervous system and effects of injury and drugs in the developing brain, ageing and neurodegenerative diseases.
Department of Health Sciences: Key Research Areas
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
The thematic area in Pharmacy aims to the discovery, synthesis and characterisation of new biological products for curing human diseases. Specific projects research the peptide synthesis and especially the development of radiolabelled peptides for the in vivo detection of neuroendocrinic tumours overexpressing peptide receptors as well as the development of peptide-anticancer agents conjugated as pro-drugs for targeted chemotherapy. The Drug Discovery discipline focuses on the synthesis of anti-cancer compounds, as well as the design and synthesis of complex dendrimers, of novel small molecules as RNA ligands (Antibiotic Drugs) and of the biological evaluation of inhibitors for Mycobacterial Tuberculosis via the fragment-based approach (Tuberculosis Drugs).
Physiotherapy
Research in the field of Physiotherapy focuses on the areas of musculoskeletal and neurological physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Specifically, research interests involve spinal biomechanics in relation to pathology of low back and neck pain, rehabilitation of peripheral nervous system injuries, effectiveness of neural mobilisation techniques in patients with spinal radiculopathies and effectiveness of manual therapy techniques in patients with cervicogenic dizziness. In addition, faculty members explore the central nervous system’s adaptations following exercise and fatigue in regard to the motor control systems and in relation to the development of new techniques for neurophysiological assessment (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) and neurological rehabilitation.
Nursing
Research in the field of Nursing covers all different Nursing disciplines. Specifically, members of the Faculty are working on general surgery and surgical nursing as well as surgery in specialties, development of curricula for undergraduate and postgraduate nursing with special interest in clinical specialist courses development, cultural/spiritual aspects of health, issues related to refugees and emigrants health needs, hospital infections, diabetic patient care, chronic disease management and patient’s empowerment, community nursing, nursing care education, cancer prevention and rehabilitation, fertility and family planning.