The Organizational Chart of the Centre of Excellence biobank.cy shows its organizational structure. The Director General and the Academic Council manage the Centre with the advisory role of an independent Council of the Centre of Excellence with external members, where the Director General participates as an Observer. In addition, the International Scientific Advisory Board offers advisory services, two independent bioethics committees (one internal and one external), and a broader Stakeholder’s Forum. 

Key activities for the management of the Center concern the Management of Research Projects, the continuous Quality Upgrade, Communication, Business Development, Financial Issues, Human Resources, Information Systems, and Bioethics issues with broader legal and social implications. 

The central Administrative Services of the University of Cyprus (UCY) support biobank.cy CoE with infrastructure management as well as with the provision of Technical, Financial and Research Support services. 

biobank.cy CoE is committed to the protection of personal data and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679. 

The five operation pillars of the biobank.cy CoE are: 

Pillar 1: Biobank

The Biobank of the Centre operates as a medical research infrastructure, which archives biological material and associated medical data from volunteer Cypriot citizens regardless of age, gender, religion, language, ethnicity, or community origin. The samples and related data can be made available to researchers of the Molecular Medicine Research Center (MMRC) and the research community at large, provided that they have secured approval of the proposed project from the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee (CNBC).

Pillar 2: Molecular Medicine Research Center (MMRC) 

MMRC is the research pillar of the CoE biobank.cy where basic and translational research projects are implemented, with an aim to precision medicine. The research activities of MMRC are diverse with an interest in diseases with a genetic component.

Pillar 3: Diagnostics Laboratory 

The Diagnostics Laboratory of the biobank.cy CoE offers diagnostic and prognostic genetic testing to patients.

Pillar 4: Innovation Hub

The Innovation Hub aims to develop modern and innovative molecular or other
diagnostic tests, as well as other innovative research directions, exploiting the
expertise gathered in the biobank.cy and the research conducted at MMRC. The
collaboration with other internal and external entities and research groups is also
driving this Hub.

Pillar 5: Education Hub

The Education Hub provides a diverse range of educational resources, including events, training sessions, tutorials and practical training on genetics and various subjects. The Hub actively contributes to the instruction of the international M.Sc. in Biobanking, offered by the Medical University of Graz. Our scientific personnel extends this educational outreach through lay language and scientific lectures and other presentations around the country and abroad. Additionally, theHub organizes seminars accredited for continuing medical education (CME) and supports scholarships for PhD dissertations, in a broad field of biomedical research.