Nicosia: Researchers at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING) are diving into how space travel affects human biology, using cutting-edge advanced bioinformatics, and these findings have broad implications for healthcare on Earth. President of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation George Danos told CNA that “we are delighted to see the first excellent scientific results from the consortium of the Cyprus Space Research and Innovation Centre (C-SpaRC)”.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the team of the CING Bioinformatics Department, under the leadership of Prof. George Spyrou, is “making us proud with medical discoveries that facilitate the return of humanity to the Moon and the long-term survival of humans in space and at future lunar bases. Most importantly though, they help treat diseases here on Earth”.
The medical research work of C-SpaRC is conducted in cooperation with the NASA Translational Research Institute for Space Health. C-SpaRC is a Center of Excellence of the Committee on Space Research – COSPAR, with a focus on predicting solar storms and understanding their effects on human biology, particularly on astronauts, using artificial intelligence.
This center is the first international space innovation hub aimed at bridging international space collaboration, established under the auspices of COSPAR, the world organization for space exploration, with the contribution of NASA. C-SpaRC is coordinated by the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) and funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation. It was inaugurated in June 2024 under the auspices of the Chief Scientist of the Republic Of Cyprus, Demetris Skourides.