YEREVAN STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY AFTER MKHITAR HERATSI

Their core work

Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) is Armenia's leading medical university, active in clinical research spanning neuroscience, oncology, and laboratory diagnostics. Through H2020 Widening Participation projects, they are building national research infrastructure in cancer genetics and neurodegenerative disease, positioning Armenia as a partner in European biomedical research. They also contribute to innovation in automated serum collection for clinical chemistry, bridging laboratory medicine with diagnostic technology development.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

YSMU's earliest H2020 involvement (2019) was in diagnostic innovation through the SCAUT project, focused on clinical chemistry and automated serum analysis — a practical, lab-technology application. Their subsequent projects in 2019-2020 shifted decisively toward building institutional research capacity in two major disease areas: neurodegeneration (COBRAIN) and cancer genetics (ARICE), both under the Widening Participation framework. This signals a clear transition from contributing to existing innovation projects toward leading national research infrastructure development in biomedicine.

YSMU is investing heavily in building translational research centers in neuroscience and oncology, making them a growing hub for clinical research partnerships in the South Caucasus region.

How they like to work

YSMU predominantly leads its projects — coordinating 2 out of 3 H2020 projects — which is notable for an institution from an Associated Country. Their consortia are small and focused (9 unique partners across 6 countries), typical of Widening Participation twinning projects designed to build institutional capacity through targeted knowledge transfer. This suggests a partner that wants to lead and shape its own research agenda rather than simply fill a consortium slot.

YSMU has worked with 9 distinct partners across 6 countries, reflecting the typical structure of Widening Participation twinning projects that pair institutions from widening countries with established European research centers.

What sets them apart

YSMU is one of very few Armenian institutions actively coordinating H2020 projects, making them a rare entry point for European research partnerships in the South Caucasus. Their simultaneous focus on neuroscience and cancer research infrastructure means they are building multi-domain biomedical capacity that does not yet exist elsewhere in Armenia. For consortium builders targeting geographic diversity or Widening Participation requirements, YSMU offers genuine research capability paired with strong motivation to lead.

Highlights from their portfolio

• COBRAIN
  Largest-funded project (EUR 374,919), establishing Armenia's first translational neuroscience research center — a national-level infrastructure investment coordinated by YSMU.
• ARICE
  Twinning project building cancer research and biobanking infrastructure in Armenia, demonstrating YSMU's ambition to develop research capacity across multiple disease areas simultaneously.