The Department of Molecular Virology has a long research tradition in the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) induced oncogenesis. The department also initiated the study of epigenetics through several research approaches.
The main interests are: the evaluation of epigenetic markers and non-coding RNA in different pathologies (cervical, laryngeal, breast, thyroid, and pancreatic cancer, rare diseases, male infertility, and cardiovascular diseases). Important chromatin remodeling studies were carried out by investigating the involvement of various enzymes and their complexes through Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and molecular techniques. During the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, the department was involved in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV2 infection and evaluated the dynamics of SARS-CoV2 genome mutations and viral variants throughout the pandemic waves. The members of the department are also involved in the training and guidance of young PhD students, as well as resident doctors specialized in microbiology and epidemiology, in NGS and molecular biology techniques.