Eleven new Special Research and Dissemination Centers are installed in a ceremony at the University of São Paulo

The CEPIXs are part of an initiative launched by the university to support the continuity of research, innovation, and dissemination activities that began under the RIDC-FAPESP program.

Agência FAPESP* – At a ceremony held on April 8th, the University of São Paulo (USP) officially installed the 11 new Special Research and Dissemination Centers (CEPIXs). The centers are part of a program launched by the USP Rectory in 2023. The program aims to continue the scientific activities previously covered by FAPESP’s Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers (known as “CEPIDs”, as in the Portuguese-language acronym).

USP’S 11 SPECIAL RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION CENTERS (CEPIXs)
Optics and Photonics Research Center (CEPIx-CePOF)	Coordinator: Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato	Vice-Coordinator: Cleber Renato Mendonça
Center for Mathematical Sciences Applied to Industry (CEPIx-CeMEAI)	Coordinator: José Alberto Cuminato	Vice-Coordinator: Francisco Louzada Neto
Center for Research on the Human Genome and Advanced Therapies (CEPIx-CEGH-TA)	Coordinator: Rita dos Santos e Passos Bueno	Vice-Coordinator: Oswaldo Keith Okamoto
Center for Metropolitan Studies (CEPIx-CEM)	Coordinator: Eduardo César Leão Marques	Vice-coordinator: Adrin Gurza Lavalle
Center for the Study of Violence (CEPIx-NEV)	Coordinator: Marcos César Alvares	Vice-Coordinator: Bruna Gisi Martins de Almeida
Center for Special Research and Innovation in Drug Discovery Sciences (CEPIx-MED)	Coordinator: Adriano Delfini Andricopulo	Vice-Coordinator: Monica Tallarico Pupo
Research and Innovation Center called the Center for Redox Processes in Biomedicine (CEPIx-Redoxoma)	Coordinator: Maurício da Silva Baptista	Vice-Coordinator: Alicia Juliana Kowaltowski
Center for Special Research and Innovation in Neuromathematics (CEPIx-NeuroMat)	Coordinator: Florência Graciela Leonardi	Vice-Coordinator: Aline Duarte de Oliveira
Cell Therapy Center (CEPIx-CTC)	Coordinator: Rodrigo Calado	Vice-Coordinator: Fabíola Traina
Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CEPIX-CRID)	Coordinator: Fernando de Queiroz Cunha	Vice-coordinator: Paulo Louzada Junior
Food Research Center (CEPIx-FoRC)	Coordinator: Eduardo Purgatto	Vice-Coordinator: João Paulo Fabi

 

The ceremony began with a presentation by Fernando Cunha, the event’s general coordinator and the coordinator of the Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases (CEPIx-CRID). He discussed the history of the CEPIDs and emphasized the importance of establishing the CEPIXs within the teaching and research units, as this will allow “greater administrative agility for the centers.”

Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, the rector of USP, then stressed the importance of continuing the work of the CEPIDs. “As the Rectory, we have to encourage research that involves large groups, interdisciplinarity, contact with groups from abroad, the transfer of knowledge and innovation, which are characteristics of our 11 CEPIXs. The university’s concern has been to keep the CEPIDs active, organized, and autonomous. We had a good reception from the [teaching and research] units [that house the centers] for the creation of the CEPIXs and this whole process was done very naturally, with the approval of the congregations and then the University Council,” said the rector.

“These are some of the best research groups we have at our university. What I can wish you is a lot of work, a lot of quality research. And we’re going to interact as much as possible with other institutions in order to develop our society,” he added.

Sérgio Costa Oliveira, a professor at the Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP) and general coordinator of Strategic Programs and Infrastructure at FAPESP, spoke about FAPESP’s role in promoting multidisciplinary research. He also presented a scientific and technological overview of the state of São Paulo and the strategies FAPESP has adopted to advance science, innovation, and knowledge dissemination. Currently, São Paulo accounts for 40% of Brazil’s scientific output and graduates over 7,000 doctors annually.

Maurício da Silva Baptista, the coordinator of the Center for Redox Biomedicine (CEPIx-Redoxoma), gave a general presentation on the 11 new CEPIXs, dividing them into three areas: Technological, Social, and Biomedicine. He then discussed the main characteristics of each area, presented data on scientific production and dissemination activities, and outlined future objectives.

According to him, the 11 CEPIDs at the time have published more than 11,000 articles in international scientific journals and nearly 2,000 in national ones. They have also produced over 180 patents and developed more than 200 collaborative projects with the productive sector.

“The CEPIDs are networks of researchers who, for almost a quarter of a century, have established cutting-edge lines of research, with research infrastructures comparable to the best international centers in the field and with scientific, economic, and social impacts that go far beyond the walls of the university. It’d be unthinkable that, at the end of these FAPESP funding cycles, these research centers could have their activities discontinued,” said Glaucius Oliva, coordinator of the Center for Special Research and Innovation in Drug Discovery Sciences (CEPIx-MED). “In this new structure, the centers have a defined role in the regulations of their respective teaching and research units, with agility and autonomy that allows them to seek new sources of funding and partnerships to fully carry out their missions of frontier research, innovation with economic and social impacts, and disseminating knowledge to society in all its instances.”

“The CEPIDs have made it possible to bring together different expertise to solve scientific problems. In our CEPID, for example, we have interaction between doctors from different specialties, geneticists, bioinformaticians, molecular biologists, and biochemists who interact constantly. Another great advantage is the possibility of long-term planning. Some research needs more time to be completed and, on the other hand, the CEPID allows for quick adaptations to new discoveries or adverse environmental situations, as was the case with COVID-19, and quick course changes if an initial hypothesis isn’t proven or to test new disruptive ideas that weren’t part of the initial objective. Technology transfer allows the population to benefit quickly from these advances. Scientific dissemination, which has also been an important learning from the CEPIDs, is fundamental not only to educate the population but also to give a return to the society that invests its resources in these initiatives,” commented Mayana Zatz, from the Center for Research on the Human Genome and Advanced Therapies (CEPIx-CEGH-TA).

* With information from Adriana Cruz of the USP Social Communication Department.