The Biomedical and Oral Sciences Research Unit (UICOB) originates from a previously R&D
unit, the Instituto de Tecnologia Biomédica (ITB) created in the early 1990’s. It was formed by
a diversity of partners: The Heart Institute, the Santa Cruz Hospital, the Faculty of Dental
Medicine (FMDUL) and the National Zootechnical Station.
The evaluation panel from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), in 2002,
recommended a separation based on the fact that the Faculty of Dental Medicine research
program was sufficiently broad both in basic and clinical research areas to support an
independent unit devoted to dental research.
The UICOB was recognized as a R&D unit by FCT in 2008 and classified by the External
Evaluating Panel with the rate of Good. Since then, this research unit has been responsible
for most of the research done in the Faculty of Dental Medicine and supported its master and
PhD programs.
The UICOB is directed by a coordinator, seconded by a council formed by the principal
investigators of the 6 groups: BIOMAT (Dental Biomaterials), GIBBO (Oral Biology,
Biochemistry and Microbiology); GIMPLANT (Bone Physiology and implants); FORENSEMED
(Forensic Sciences); GIORTO (Orthodontics): GIESPO (Epidemiology and Oral Public Health).
The scientific committee is composed by all the PhD investigators of the unit.
Physically, the UICOB is located in the building of the FMDUL and the laboratories are divided
in 5 sections: a) Dental Biomaterials; b) Oral Biology and Biochemistry; c) Oral Microbiology;
d) Oral Histomorphology; e) Digital Technologies. There are also 3 dental clinics where clinical
trials can be performed.
The UICOB keeps a close partnership with the National Zootechnical Station in order to
maintain the experimental animal surgery facility in small and medium size animals, mainly:
rabbits, minipigs, pigs, sheets, dogs.
In 2013, as a result of the integration of researchers from UICOB and from the Universities of
NOVA of Lisbon and Coimbra, a new research unit emerged, the Laboratory for
Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Physics (LIBPhys). The main
motivation for this merging was the optimization of the human and material resources,
deepening the already existing synergies in R&D activities in the Biomedical Field.
LIBPhys is a research unit accredited by FCT (#4559) and was classified with the rate of Very
Good in 2019 by the External Evaluating Panel. The budget approved for the period of 2020
– 2023 was 878.000€.