Research Group

The UP FAMNIT research group was established in 2008.

Researchers explore the field of mathematics, computer science and information science, especially in the fields of algebra, combinatorics and graph theory with probability theory, as well as data structures, data mining and large-scale distributed GRID architectures. The research work spans the field of mathematical modelling and computer simulations applied to experimental economics and the study of social systems, but also extends into the field of electronic data security - cryptography, data protection and computer security.

We like to emphasise that the UP FAMNIT research group is one of the four leading research groups in the field of algebraic graph theory in the world. The other three groups are located in China, Australia and South Korea. These efforts by the Faculty have helped place the University of Primorska as an internationally recognised research institution.

Other areas of research, emphasised under the natural sciences, are biotechnical sciences, crop production and processing, zoology and zoophysiology, biology, ecosystems and environmental protection, botany, chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology.

Studies in the fields of psychology, economics and law are foremost in the field of social sciences, while studies in the field of neurobiology, psychiatry, microbiology and immunology are predominant in the field of medical sciences. Within medical sciences, the core areas are mental health and suicidal behaviors, and the prevention of related diseases. The research team, which includes experts from psychology, psychiatry, genetics, neuroscience, biology, informatics, bioinformatics and biostatistics, are primarily focused on exploring the biopsychosocial determinants of one of the main public health problems of our time - suicide. Current research examines neurodegenerative diseases, which are becoming more and more common in modern society. These diseases frequently affect the elderly, but increasingly affect young people as well. In particular, the research group studies the psychosocial and neurobiological consequences of these diseases for patients and their families. Additional research topics include studying psychological and biological factors of different forms of psychotherapy (e.g., prevention and control of distress and suicide, stress, various addictions, neuroses) and bio-psychological aspects of prevention, curative methods and rehabilitation.