"RNA molecules have been already proven to be a key target for disease therapy as well as a tool for the development of new drugs. Since the discovery of small non coding RNA (ncRNA) and all the associated phenomena like RNA interference, the possibility of using RNA-based drugs has become a subject of great interest in the pharmaceutical and clinical fields. ncRNA is at the core of many cellular processes and might become an outstanding landmark in the way how we will fight disease in the future.The objective of this exchange programme is to establish collaborative training and joint research initiatives addressing the role of non-coding RNAs in health and disease.The specific scientific aims are:- To unravel the role of non-coding RNA and RNA-binding proteins in thyroid development, physiology and pathology.- To determine whether thyroid hormones affect non-coding RNAs in osteoblasts derived from adipose stem cells.- To determine whether circulating micro RNAs can be used as biomarkers for heart disease.The programme that we propose to implement will significantly expand biomedical research and training across the Brazilian academic community, while providing the European partner institutions expanded opportunities for collaborations in research and post-graduate education."