The Department of Biochemistry with a Course of Medical Chemistry has been functioning as a single unit since 1993. It associated two departments with significant achievements in staff training and research activities: the Department of Medical Chemistry and the Department of Biochemistry.
The Department of General Chemistry traces its history back to 1942. Over the years the Department was headed by Professor K.M. Mishchenko, Associate Professor N.A. Vargunin, Associate Professor N.P. Larionov, Associate Professor L.K. Kuharskaya. The Department of Biochemistry was founded in 1942. Over the years it was headed by Associate Professor A.M. Polosin, Associate Professor A.N. Edigarov, Professor I.I. Kotlyarov, Professor V.I. Kulinsky, Associate Professor Yu. P. Luzhnov. The Departments of General Chemistry and Biochemistry were combined in 1993 in order to ensure continuity in the teaching of chemical disciplines. The candidate of Biological Science, Associate Professor L.K. Kuharskaya became the head of the joint department.
Doctor of Medical Science, Professor A.B. Salmina is the head of the Department of Biochemistry with a Course of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry since 2002. Professor A.B. Salmina is a specialist in the field of biochemistry, pathophysiology, neurochemistry and molecular medicine.
The department teaches all the disciplines of the chemical profile for students of the specialties “General Medicine”, “Pediatrics”, “Dentistry”, “Medical cybernetics”, and “Pharmacy”, as well as molecular and translational medicine in English for senior students of specialties “General Medicine” and "Pediatrics". The department was significantly developed and modernized in 2006 when the new specialty "Pharmacy" was opened. It has become the base for the education of students of the specialty "Pharmacy" in all disciplines of the chemical profile. Professor L.V. Trufanova, a member of the Department, was the Dean and the founder of the Pharmaceutical Faculty.
The development of a new scientific field, molecular and translational medicine, started at the Department of Biochemistry in 2002. Currently, the main scientific directions of the Department's work are the study of the mechanisms of regulation of complex forms of behavior, the study of the role of impaired intercellular interactions in the pathogenesis of the nervous system diseases, the development of new devices and methods for visualizing the metabolism of cells and tissues, new models of the blood-brain barrier in vitro. The Department and Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry are the “core” of the research and education center “Translational medicine”, which has been functioning at Prof. V. F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University since 2009. The large number of talented youth, including undergraduate and postgraduate students and young teachers, are engaged in the scientific research of the Department. Many of them become winners of prestigious Russian and international scientific competitions, work in the area of experimental medicine and take part in various international internship programs.
Professor T.V. Trufanova, Associate Professor G.E. Gertsog, Associate Professor R.Ya. Olovyannikova, Professor O.L. Lopatina, Professor N.A. Malinovskaya, Associate Professor E.A. Pozhilenkova, Senior lecturer N.N. Popova, Associate Professor E.F. Weiss, Associate Professor N.V. Pisareva, Associate Professor Ya.V. Gorina, Associate Professor V.A. Kutyakov, Associate Professor Yu.K. Komleva, Associate Professor V.Yu. Endrzheevskaya-Shurygina, Senior Laboratory Assistants N.G. Strigina, O.V. Kryukovskaya, N.S. Mantorova, Associate Professor L.L. Petrova, Assistant A.I. Inzhutova and others made a significant contribution to the development of the department in the last 20 years.
The department team performs a large amount of educational, methodological and research work, bringing together experienced teachers and young researchers, including winners of All-Russian and international competitions, winners of prestigious domestic and international grants, as well as holders of foreign universities degrees.