Research & Expertise

On 18 April 2026, during the Sixth Student Biochemical Forum at the Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Dr. Evgeny N. Knyazev, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Physiology at the HSE University Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, delivered an invited lecture entitled “Microfluidic Devices for Organ-on-a-Chip Modeling” within the “Advanced Research Methodologies” session.

On February 11, 2026, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin presented the Moscow Government Prizes for Young Scientists for 2025. Among the 77 laureates was Evgeny Knyazev, Associate Professor of the Basic Department of the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS at HSE University's Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, and Head of the Molecular Physiology Laboratory. Evgeny Knyazev was awarded for a cycle of research on the role of microRNA in the mechanisms of development and diagnostics of oncological, viral and inflammatory diseases, and preeclampsia.

Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology has published an article by researchers from the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at HSE University and the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, dedicated to optimizing the gas permeability of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)—a material widely used for manufacturing microfluidic chips in organ-on-a-chip systems.

On December 4, 2025, Evgeny Knyazev, Head of the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at HSE University, delivered a presentation titled "Modeling Preeclampsia and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Using Placenta-on-a-Chip and Intestine-on-a-Chip Models" at the III International Forum of Genomic and Biomedical Technologies "From Birth to Active Longevity" in Surgut.

Research by a collaborative team from HSE University's Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Moscow State University, and the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been officially published in the international journal Stat. The study addresses a critical challenge in biomedicine: determining whether machine learning algorithms identify genuine biological patterns or merely overfit to random noise in data.

A research article by a collaborative team from the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at HSE University and the V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology has been published in a leading medical journal. The study presents the first comparative analysis of immune-associated gene expression in classical blood monocytes from women with preeclampsia compared to physiological pregnancy.

Researchers at the Molecular Physiology Laboratory of HSE University presented results of a multidisciplinary investigation into preeclampsia, correlating single-cell sequencing data from placental tissue in early-onset preeclampsia with experimental hypoxia induction in cell models. For the first time, gene expression profiles in diseased placental samples were directly compared to the molecular response of trophoblasts subjected to chemical hypoxia induction using a novel oxyquinoline derivative.

The official HSE University website has published an article titled "New Models for Disease Research: From Petri Dish to Organs-on-a-Chip," focusing on the work of the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology in developing innovative approaches to organ-on-chip modeling and researching preeclampsia — one of the most dangerous pregnancy complications.

The Molecular Physiology Laboratory at HSE University, together with the HSE.Tech portal, has produced a two-part video for the “±10 Minutes.HSE.Tech” series. The episodes explain organ-on-a-chip technology, its operating principles, medical applications, and the prospects of biochips for personalized therapy and artificial organs.

On June 17, the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology at HSE University hosted the conference "Experimental and Informational Approaches to Pathological States Research." The event featured participation from a laboratory staff member, Olga Chebotareva, a third-year graduate student in Molecular Biology, who presented the report "Microfluidic Modeling of Trophoblast Invasion: An Experimental Approach to Studying Preeclampsia Pathogenesis."

The fourth module of the strategic-level Management Talent Pool Development Program in Science, Technology, and Higher Education concluded at the Senezh Management Workshop. Among the 82 participants who received certificates of professional development was Evgeny Knyazev, Head of the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, HSE University.

The third module of the strategic-level Management Talent Pool Development Program in Science, Technology, and Higher Education concluded at the Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University. Among the participants was Evgeny Knyazev, Head of the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, HSE University

The second module of the Management Talent Pool Development Program in Science, Technology, and Higher Education concluded at the Presidential Academy of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). The event brought together 85 leaders from scientific organizations, laboratory heads, technology company representatives, and leading Russian universities, including Evgeny Knyazev, Head of the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at HSE University

Evgeny Knyazev Begins Training in the Fourth Cohort of the Management Talent Pool Development Program in Science, Technology, and Higher Education at Sirius Federal Territory

In the article “Modeling Preeclampsia: From 2D Cultures to Placenta-on-a-Chip Technologies,” Russian scientists have presented an overview of modern cellular models of preeclampsia—a dangerous pregnancy complication. The study covers two-dimensional and three-dimensional cultures, as well as advanced placenta-on-a-chip microfluidic technologies, allowing the examination of pathological mechanisms at the cellular level. The paper highlights the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 and personalized models for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic methods for preeclampsia. These advancements open prospects for more precise early diagnosis of preeclampsia and the creation of effective treatment strategies.

This project, organized by the Moscow Department of Education and Science with the support of the Center for Pedagogical Excellence and other institutions, includes lectures, workshops, and educational intensives featuring science communicators and leading scientists from across Russia.

During the session “Microfluidic Technologies: Will Organ-on-Chip Replace In Vivo Studies?”, Evgeny Knyazev presented the laboratory’s research projects, including:
Development of an in vitro intestine-on-a-chip model with physiologic permeability characteristics;
RSF grant project: Microfluidic placenta-on-a-chip model for the study of preeclampsia.

Ahead of the new academic year, Evgeny Knyazev, Head of the Molecular Physiology Laboratory at the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, led an interactive discussion on "The Role of Scientific Conferences in a Scientist's Career."

Four presentations were delivered, focusing on modeling the microenvironment of various body structures and the practical application of these models for studying pathological processes

Leading scientists from HSE University have won the Scientific Category of the 2024 Best Russian-Language Scientific and Popular Science Works Competition by HSE University employees in the "Biology and Medicine" section for their research on predicting the effectiveness of chemotherapy with gemcitabine in patients with bladder cancer.

As part of the special session "Study of Safety and Biomarkers of New Drugs," a report was given on "The Use of the 'Human-on-a-Chip' Platform in Drug Development"

The project to develop a microfluidic placenta-on-a-chip model for studying various aspects of normal and pathological placental physiology, including one of the severe pregnancy complications—preeclampsia—has won in the competition "Conducting Fundamental and Exploratory Scientific Research by Individual Scientific Groups"