Prof. Jānis Gardovskis to receive Grand Medal of Latvian Academy of Sciences
By decision of the Senate of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (LAS) on 10 March, this year’s LAS Grand Medal has been awarded to Prof. Jānis Gardovskis, Chair of the RSU Senate, Head of the Department of Surgery, and Member of the Convent of Councillors. He has received this high honour for his outstanding contribution to medical science in Latvia and the development of RSU.
Prof. Gardovskis is a prominent figure whose name is closely associated with RSU, the advancement of medical education in Latvia, and the development of the field of surgery in the country. For more than four decades, he has dedicated his professional career to the university, starting as an assistant and associate professor in the Department of Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine of the Rīga Medical Institute (now RSU), and later serving as Head of the Department of Surgery (1995–2012; 2018–present), Vice-Rector for Clinics (1995–2007), and Rector (2008–2017).
Prof. Gardovskis is an outstanding figure in Latvian surgery. In 1989, he radically reformed the system of surgery in Latvia, adapting it to Western standards and introducing modern approaches to medical treatment. He was among the first to introduce laparoscopic surgery in Latvia in 1994. In 2011, the professor performed the first successful liver transplantation in Latvia.
Under the leadership of Prof. Gardovskis, a strong school of surgery has been established in Latvia.
The scientific activity of Prof. Gardovskis is reflected in 86 scientific publications indexed in the Scopus database (Hirsch index: 15), as well as the successful management of 20 research projects. In 2014, the professor established the RSU Institute of Oncology, which has successfully integrated into the international research community.
Under the supervision of Prof. Gardovskis, twelve doctoral theses have been defended, and his current research interests lie in the field of oncology. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards.
