Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

At a meeting of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) held today, a report on the scientific and scientific-organizational activities of the Division of Biological and Medical Sciences for 2025 was heard.

ANAS Vice-President, Chair of the Scientific Council of the Division of Biological and Medical Sciences, Academician Irada Huseynova, presented the report on the division’s scientific and scientific-organizational activities for 2025.

Academician Irada Huseynova stated that during the reporting year, activities were focused on implementing the decrees and orders of the Head of State, decisions and orders of the Cabinet of Ministers, state programs, strategies, national action plans and measures plans, including the “First State Program on the Great Return to the Liberated Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, the “State Program on Ensuring Food Security in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2018–2025”, the “Socio-Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022–2026”, the “Action Plan for 2020–2025 on Preventing Prenatal Sex Selection of Children”, “Additional Measures to Ensure Efficient Use of Water Resources”, the “National Strategy on Efficient Use of Water Resources”, as well as the “Development Program of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences for 2020–2025”, and the tasks assigned by decisions of the ANAS General Assembly and the Presidium, along with orders of the ANAS leadership. Relevant information was presented on the work carried out by the division and its members under state programs and national strategies. In addition, one of the five national priorities planned to be implemented by 2030 for Azerbaijan’s socio-economic development has been defined as a “Clean Environment and Green Growth Country”, and activities aligned with this priority were implemented.

During the year, coordination was carried out for research conducted at the ANAS Lankaran Regional Scientific Center, scientific institutions operating under the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, other state bodies, as well as relevant departments of higher education institutions.

Academician Irada Huseynova noted that last year the division conducted research in four defined areas: the study, restoration, protection and efficient use of biodiversity, soil and water resources using modern approaches, the creation of electronic databases and maps; the molecular-genetic and physico-chemical bases of biological processes, genome, proteome and metabolome research, the development of fundamental and applied bases of new bio-, nano- and postgenomic technologies, computer biology, the application of machine learning methods and artificial intelligence in biology, agriculture and medicine; and the study of the physiological and molecular-genetic bases of pathologies, as well as the development of new diagnostic and treatment methods, pharmaceuticals, and the application of high technologies and stem cells in reproductive medicine.

Academician Irada Huseynova also said that during the reporting year, conferences dedicated to the 102nd anniversary of the birth of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and Academician Zarifa Aliyeva, the anniversaries of Academician Mustafa Topchubashov and ANAS Honorary Member Professor Ihsan Dogramaci, as well as the “Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty”, the 80th anniversary of ANAS, and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science were held. These included conferences on “A Personality Who Makes History”, “The Great Mother–Scientist–Woman”, “Improvement of Wheat Using Digital and GWAS-Based Technologies”, “Uncovering Career Opportunities in STEM: Women’s Voices in Science”, “Challenges in Energy, Food, Environmental and Climate Security”, and “Green World, Artificial Intelligence and Modern Realities”. In addition, the “Knowledge Competition” contest and presentation ceremonies for books such as “COP29: Global and National Challenges, Tasks of Science”, among others, were organized.

She further noted that during the reporting period, the work “Current Problems of Ophthalmology” authored by Academician Zarifa Aliyeva was published for the first time in English in a high-quality edition. At the same time, division members published “Clinical Oncology. A Basic Guide for Physicians”, “Oncological Gynecology”, “Nature of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Higher Spore, Gymnosperm and Angiosperm Plants)”, “Military Psychology and Military Clinical Psychology”, “The Division of Biological and Medical Sciences of ANAS: History of Development and Achievements”, “Bibliography of Academician Mustafa Topchubashov”, and other publications.

Academician Irada Huseynova emphasized that last year, the “Great Return of Science” to Karabakh occupied an important place among the main areas of scientific activity of the division and the research institutions operating in its designated fields. The division and its members actively participated in the work of the Interagency Center’s Working Group on Environmental Issues and other relevant working groups, in the implementation of activity programs, and in conducting regional monitoring. Throughout 2025, particular attention was paid to the implementation of relevant provisions of the “First State Program on the Great Return to the Liberated Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, the detailed sectoral plan of the Working Group on Environmental Issues (for 2021–2025), and the Action Plan “On the Tasks of ANAS Related to Scientific Research in the Liberated Territories of Azerbaijan”. Numerous expeditions were organized to the liberated territories by institutes covered by the division, and monitoring was carried out of rare and endangered plant and animal species, soil and water resources, drinking water sources, forests and other ecosystems.

Academician Irada Huseynova stated that during the reporting year, research was conducted in institutes under the division across 20 problems, 65 topics, 160 projects and 431 stages, with 48 topics, 120 projects and 335 stages completed. In medical institutions, research was carried out across 26 problems, 141 topics (36 completed) and 294 projects (72 completed), covering 361 stages (146 completed). Within the Ministry of Agriculture, research covered 26 problems, 108 topics (31 completed) and 244 projects (66 completed), encompassing 370 stages (234 completed). Among the numerous scientific results obtained in 2025 in the fields of biology, medicine, agricultural and environmental sciences, only the most significant (37 results) were selected.

In addition, during the reporting period, institutes covered by the division published 1,020 scientific works, including 12 books (1 abroad), 12 monographs (1 abroad), 404 articles (266 abroad, including 228 in indexed databases, 145 in Web of Science and Scopus, and 68 in other databases), and 592 abstracts (162 abroad). A total of 3,190 citations were recorded for staff publications.

Medical-oriented research and educational institutions published 4,250 scientific works, including 62 books (3 abroad), 25 monographs (6 abroad), 2,015 articles (890 abroad, including 457 in journals indexed in Web of Science and Scopus), and 2,097 abstracts (640 abroad). These works received 1,262 citations.

During the reporting year, agrarian research and educational institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan published 912 scientific works, including 50 books (3 abroad), 4 monographs (1 abroad), 554 articles (277 abroad, including 121 in Web of Science and Scopus), and 304 abstracts (85 abroad). Staff publications received 1,282 citations.

Academician Irada Huseynova also noted that the list of Azerbaijani scientists included in Stanford University’s high-ranking list currently features specialists in biological and medical sciences, including heads of international laboratories at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Suleyman Allahverdiyev and Professor Garib Murshudov; Head of the International Laboratory of the Institute of Genetic Resources of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Dr. Asaf Salamov; Director of the Institute of Medical Prevention of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Adil Allahverdiyev; and Professor Rovshan Khalilov of Baku State University.

The report also provided information on the division’s scientific publications, integration of science and education, international relations, personnel training, international laboratories operating within institutions, the state of e-science, awards, patents, grants, and other matters.

Following the discussions, by decision of the ANAS Presidium, the report on the scientific and scientific-organizational activities of the Division of Biological and Medical Sciences for 2025 was deemed satisfactory, and relevant tasks were assigned to the division.

Translation by Gulhane Aghayeva, Department of Public Relations, Press, and Information, Presidium of ANAS.

© All rights reserved. Reference to www.science.gov.az is required when using materials from this site.