I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry
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I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry in Saint Petersburg, Russia was founded by Academician Leon Orbeli, an outstanding physiologist and a long time collaborator of Nobel Prize winner Ivan Pavlov.
Initially Orheli's research group included eight people. It then expanded and transformed into a Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, with the main object of studying functions of the nervous system in animals and man during ontogenesis, and also the effects of ionizing radiation on animals.
In 1956 Laboratory became an Institute with Academician Orbeli serving as its first Director of Evolutionary Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. New Institute was named after Ivan Sechenov.
By the end of 1957, the Institute numbered 9 laboratories, one of them being transferred from the former P.F. Lesgaft Institute for Natural Sciences.
After Leon Orbeli death in 1958 the Institute was headed by his collaborator Professor Alexander Ginetsinsky.
From June 1960 to March 1975, the Institute was guided by Academician Eugenie Kreps. A pupil of Ivan Pavlov and Orbeli's collaborator, Kreps is known for his fundamental studies in the field of comparative physiology and biochemistry of the nervous system. Academician Kreps successfully promoted research in evolutionary biochemistry, due to which the Institute was given a new name in 1964 — the I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry.
In November 1969, a monument to Academician Orbeli, the founder of the Institute, was erected in front of the first laboratory block on Maurice Thorez Prospect.
In 1975 -1981 Institute was headed by Academician Vladimir Govyrin.
From 1981 to 2004, the Institute was headed by Academician Vladimir Svidersky. Since 2004, the Institute is headed by N.P.Vesselkin, Corresponding Member of RAS, a distinguished neuroscientist, and head of Laboratory of Neuronal Interaction.
[edit] Miscellanea
Institute is publisher of the Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology (ISSN 0022-0930) which is abstracted in the Chemical Abstracts. The journal is also available online by subscription only (online ISSN 1608-3202). Contents and abstracts are available online in PDF format.
