Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology

About Institute

The Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology was established on 15 April 2011 according to the decision of the Senate of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. This new unit of the University united two departments with profound traditions and huge scientific potential, i.e. Department of Physiology and Department of Theoretical and Clinical Pharmacology.

The main sphere of Institute activities is the organisation and performance of scientific work. The Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology arranges and organises various study programmes in all levels of studies, performs scientific research as well as experimental studies and prepeares scientists and specialists.

Aims

The main aims of the Institute:

Perform innovative biomedical research in the fields of physiology and pharmacology;
Increase the awareness of the society about healthy living, public health, life quality, functioning of the organism and its systems, prevention and prophylaxis of various diseases;
Prepare scientists and actively participate in scientific and study programmes on the local, national and international levels;
Provide high-level specialised services to the institutions, which form and establish the local and national policy of health care and medicines control;
Effectively apply research data to the health care system and study process;
Optimise studies of physiology and pharmacology and implement new teaching methods.

Functions

The main functions of the Institute:

Organise and perform study programmes and scientific research;
Prepare specialised study plans and programmes;
Accumulate equipment needed for studies and research;
Prepare textbooks, research articles, teaching books and other study materials;
Perform expertise work for research articles, projects, health programmes, medicinal materials and medicines and give scientific and practical recommendations;
Prepare national and international proposals for additional funding of scientific and other projects;
Organise scientific events, conferences, symposia, etc.;
Spread the latest scientific news and experience in the society.

Studies

Bachelor's and Master's degree study subjects

The Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology organises and offers study subjects to all the faculties of the Medical Academy of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. The disciplines of the Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology are:

Physiology
Pathological physiology
Pathology
Pharmacology
Clinical pharmacology
Pharmacotherapy
Phytopreparations and homeopathic medicines
Rational use of antimicrobial drugs
Basic nosology

Students of the second and the third year of the Faculty of Medicine study disciplines of physiology and pharmacology in these modules:

Basics of pre-clinical studies and locomotion
Metabolism and homeostasis
Respiration and circulation
Human reproductive health and essentials of clinical studies
Fundamentals of neuroscience
Immune response and infection

PhD study subjects

In the Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology, master theses are prepared by students of the Faculty of Pharmacy, and final research theses are also prepared by students of the Faculty of Medicine. PhD students in biomedicine, in the fields of medicine and pharmacy, study the following subjects in the Institute:

Basics of clinical pharmacology
Basics of pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics
Application of pharmacological laws and methods in medical research
Cell biology
Development and quality evaluation of medicines
Human physiology: levels and mechanisms of regulation

Unit of Physiology of LSMU Students’ Scientific Association

On 23 November 2009, the Physiology unit of Students’ Scientific Association of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences was established. The chief of the Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology prof. Edgaras Stankevičius became the scientific supervisor of this Unit of Physiology.

Research work

Physiology

In the period between 1994-1996, The Department of Physiology conducted the project of the European Union Third Framework Programme “Application of novel in vitro technology to human arterial resistance disease”.

In the period of 2000-2002, a collective project with French National Health and Medical Research Institute (INSERM PECO) was established. The theme of the project was “Ischemic habituation and blockade of sodium/hydrogen ion pump in normal heart and heart with pathological changes”. The results of these projects helped to develop the methods of in vitro miography of arterioles and the computer-based method of isolated heart perfusion. Scientists of the Department participated in the scientific programme of Kaunas University of Medicine “Behavioural mechanisms of vivid tisues”.

During the period of 2003-2006, under the guidance of prof. E.Kėvelaitis, the scientists of the Department of Physiology participated in the projects of the Lithuanian State Science and Study Foundation “Herbal functional ingredients and supplements for safety and quality of food” and “Research of response to photosensibilisation therapy modulation of experimental tumors” (2008). Until 2010, the scientists of the Department of Physiology prepared 36 publications. 10 of them were in the main list of publications of the International Science Institute.

Theoretical and Clinical Pharmacology

pills.jpg (200x200, 200x133) The main topics of the scientific work done by the scientists of the Department of Theoretical and Clinical Pharmacology are the effectiveness of drugs, drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, etc. One of the main scientific themes of the Department is “Drug consumption, drug interactions and adverse drug reactions”. The staff of the Department perform the expertise of the proposals for drug registration, analyse drug consumption and dependence of drug consumption on prevalence of diseases and social factors.

In this unit of the Institute, research into clinical pharmacokinetics, evaluation of drug effectiveness and pharmacoepidemiological as well as pharmacoeconomical studies are performed.

In the recent years, stem cell research has been developed in this unit of the Institute. The main topics of stem cell research are in the fields of orthopedics and traumatology as well as nephrology.

PhD students of the Institute

Paulius Uginčius

ugincius@yahoo.co.uk

Scientific supervisor prof. dr. Edgaras Stankevičius

Mantas Malinauskas

manteliui@gmail.com

Scientific supervisor prof. dr. Edgaras Stankevičius

Eglė Svitojūtė

egleetes@gmail.com

Scientific supervisor prof. dr. Romaldas Mačiulaitis

Renata Sveikatienė

renata.sveikatiene@lsmuni.lt

Scientific supervisor prof. dr. Arvydas Skeberdis

Aurelija Noreikaitė

n.aurelija@yahoo.com

Scientific supervisor prof. dr. Edgaras Stankevičius

Collaboration

National cooperation

The scientists of the Institute collaborate with the following Lithuanian institutions of education and science:

Institute of Cardiology, Laboratory of Cell Cultures (www.kmu.lt/cellculture)
Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine (www.mf.vu.lt)
Kaunas University of Technology (www.ktu.lt)
Vilnius Academy of Arts, Kaunas Faculty (www.kdf.lt)
State Medicines Control Agency (www.vvkt.lt)

The Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology started its cooperation with the State Medicines Control Agency in 2012. The agreement of cooperation was signed on 2 March 2012 by LSMU Rector prof. Remigijus Žaliūnas and chief of the State Medicines Control Agency Gintautas Barcys. The development of this cooperation was entrusted to scientists of the Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology. The main goals of this agreement are an increase in the safety and efective use of medicines in Lithuania and establishment of the residency programme of clinical pharmacology.

International cooperation

The Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology collaborates with the following institutions on the international level:

European Medicines Agency, London, United Kingdom (www.ema.europa.eu)
Drug Information Association, European Office, Basel, Switzerland (www.diahome.org)
Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark (www.au.dk)
Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey (www.ku.edu.tr)
University of Latvia, Institute of Medicine, Riga, Latvia (www.lu.lv)
University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia (www.ut.ee)
University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany (www.uni-kiel.de)

Services

The Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology provides services in the following fields:

Regulatory affairs
Scientific advice
Pharmacoepidemiological research
Pharmacoeconomical research
Analytical research

Contacts

Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology
Address: A. Mickevičiaus g. 9 LT-49264 Kaunas

Head of the Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology

Prof. Edgaras Stankevičius

Edgaras.Stankevicius@lsmuni.lt

837 327244

Room 316

Administration

Administrator for Physiology

Raimonda Mykolaitienė

fiziologija@lsmuni.lt

837 395380

Room 218

Administrator for Pharmacology

Eglė Svitojūtė, assistant, PhD student, laboratory technician

egleetes@gmail.com

837 327244; mob. 8684 56752

Room 216

Administrator for Clinical Pharmacology

Teresė Birutė Palubinskaitė, laboratory technician

tpalub@yahoo.com

837 326889

Physiology

Address

Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology

Šiaurės pr. 57, LT-49264, Kaunas

Teachers

Dalia Akramienė, lecturer

dalia.akramiene@lsmuni.lt

837 327285

Room 214

Jonas Andriuškevičius, lecturer

jonasan@medi.lt

837 396053

Room 221

Voldemaras Giedrimas, assistant

voldemaras.g@gmail.com

837 327258

Room 222

Aldona Gružienė, assistant, laboratory technician

atsarginis.ag@gmail.com

837 327258

Room 222

Assoc. prof. Vilma Jurkštienė

vilmajurkstiene@gmail.com

837 396053

Room 221

Igor Korotkich, lecturer

igor@med.kmu.lt

837 327285

Room 214

Assoc. prof. Alė Laukevičienė

ale.laukeviciene@googlemail.com

837 327285

Room 214

Prof. Robertas Lažauskas

robertas.lazauskas@lsmuni.lt

837 396053

Room 221

Lina Malcienė, lecturer

lmalciene@gmail.com

837 377285

Room 214

Mantas Malinauskas, assistant, PhD student

manteliui@gmail.com

837 327258

Room 222

Gintaras Paknys, assistant

gintpak@gmail.com

837 327258

Room 222

Assoc. prof. Žibuoklė Senikienė

senikiene@yahoo.com

837 396053

Room 221

Gytis Svirskis, lecturer

svirskis@med.kmu.lt

837 377285

Room 214

Genovaitė Šimonienė – Kazlauskienė, lecturer

genovaite.simoniene@lsmuni.lt

837 396053

Room 221

Virginija Tautkevičienė, assistant, laboratory technician

virgtautk@gmail.com

837 327258

Room 222

Paulius Uginčius, assistant, PhD student

ugincius@yahoo.co.uk

837 327258

Room 222

Giedrė Stanaitienė, lecturer

giesta999@gmail.com

837 396053

Room 221

Prof. Arvydas Skeberdis

arske@med.kmu.lt

837 302880

Alumni

Assoc. prof. Rimvydas Miliauskas

milius@med.kmu.lt

837 327285

Room 214

Staff

Alvydas Juodžiukynas, senior engineer

alvydas@gmail.com

837 396059

Room 224

Rosita Šarapova, laboratory technician

rosita.sarapova@hotmail.lt

837 327256

Room 209

Laimutė Česnienė, senior laboratory technician

Vilma Petrylaitė, laboratory technician

Simona Stankevičiūtė, laboratory technician

Room 228