Staff

Dr. biol. Dace Reihmane, lead researcher andassistant professor/leader of study course Medical Biochemistry at RSU has research experience in invasive human studies with a primary focus on the exploration of exercise-induced changes of various biomarkers.

Vairāk

D. Reihmane has supervised and implemented Effective collaboration project of University of Latvia with Latvian Olympic Committee - The Physical Activity and Children overall Health Study (PACH study; Nr: ZD2019/20861). Furthermore, Dr. Reihmane has participated in implementation and coordinated the preparation of several international/national projects. Since 2023 Dr. Reihmane has been principal investigator of the national research programme Innovations, methodologies and recommendations for the development and management of the sports sector in Latvia (Nr. VPP-IZM-Sports-2023/1-0001) in sports science and a leader of one of the WPs to Develop research methods and a knowledge base of the health indicators for children and youth involved in sports and its association with the training and competition process. Since 2024 she is a leader of EXPOSE and principal investigator of TCReX grants.

Furthermore, D. Reihmane is a member of scientific committee of the European Colleague of Sport Science. She has taken part in the Interdisciplinary programme of IT Learning, offered by the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, USA where she was trained in numerous data analysis methods.

Keywords: biomarkers; metabolism; obesity; physical activity; exercise; ageing; breast cancer; myokines; diabetes; metabolic syndrome; cognitive functions

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4929-4436

https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=341683288…

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/HPB-8065-2023

https://science.rsu.lv/en/persons/dace-reihmane-2

dace[pnkts]reihmanersu[pnkts]lv

Dr. biol. Gita Gersone, an assistant professor and lead researcher at RSU, has more than 16 years of experience in biomedical research. She focuses on measuring biomarkers (myokines, adipokines, interleukins, hormones, etc.) in various biological samples.

Vairāk

Gita is an expert in a full range of bioanalytical techniques, including ELISA, RIA, flow cytometry, cell-based assays, and xMAP. She has also been trained in data analysis and wireless telemetry at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Gita has extensive experience participating in international and national research projects related to changes in biomarkers under various conditions. Additionally, she is the scientific supervisor for RSU/LSPA consolidation grant and also has experience as a research project manager at AS Grindeks.

Gita is an assistant professor of Physiology and has been the course director and instructor for courses such as Functional Physiology and Biological Regulatory Mechanisms for Biotechnology Students, Physiology for Engineering Students, and Physiology for Pharmacy Students among others. Gita has experience supervising bachelor's, master's, and doctoral theses.

Keywords: biomarkers; metabolism; renal physiology; obesity; breast cancer; myokines; thyroid diseased, SARS-COVID 19; aortic stenosis; kidney transplantation; diabetes; physical exercise and training

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2228-4713

https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=577063918…

https://science.rsu.lv/en/persons/gita-gersone-2

gita[pnkts]gersonersu[pnkts]lv

Dr. Aija Klavina is a leading visiting researcher at RSU. She has more than 20 year experience in healthcare and sports science research. She specializes in adapted physical activity, physical work capacity and monitoring of daily physical activity.

Vairāk

Aija's main research interest is in the application of individually adapted physical activities to improve the health of patients with noncommunicable diseases (e.g., diabetes), oncology patients and children with disability. Aija received PhD at the University of Virginia (USA), where she also completed her post-doctoral research, elucidating the application of adapted physical activities in the context of inclusive education. Aija has coordinated more than 20 national and international projects on sports science and health care topics. Currently, Aija is the leading researcher in the National Research Program 'Sports' project and she leads the research project within the RSU/LSPA external consolidation grant program.

Aija has experience supervising bachelor's, master's, and doctoral theses in Latvia and Lithuania.

Keywords: adapted physical activity, physical capacity, rehabilitation, oncology, diabetes

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1959-9941  

Scopus Author ID: 24721727000

aija[pnkts]klavinarsu[pnkts]lv

Ilze is currently participating in the project Physical and Mental Health Risks in Children and Youth Sports. This research is one of the tasks within the larger project titled Innovations, Methodologies, and Recommendations for the Development and Management of the Sports Sector in Latvia (IMRSportsLV; Nr. VPP-IZM-Sports-2023/1-0001) under the National Research Programme 'Sport'.

Vairāk

Ilze is a dedicated professional with a background in nutrition science, but her current research interests are focused on investigating changes in various biomarkers under acute and chronic physical activity. Previously, Ilze has worked on the study Physical Activity and General Health Status of Children, conducted by the Latvian Olympic Committee and the University of Latvia.

Furthermore, Ilze works as a lecturer at Rīga Stradiņš University, teaching medical biochemistry to Latvian and foreign medical students.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3230-1564

ilze[pnkts]justamentersu[pnkts]lv

Jeļena is a Phd candidate currently involved in the project Systemic and muscle tissue-specific metabolic adaptations to EXercise and POlyphenol supplementation in aging: modulatory effects of SEstrins (EXPOSE), RSU/LSPA-PA-2024/1-0007.

Vairāk

Jeļena's interest about the field of research commenced in 2017 with the participation in the collaboration project Physical Activity and Children Overall Health by the Latvian Olympic Committee and the University of Latvia. Her dissertation focuses on studying the modifying parametrs that influence the risk factors of metabolic syndrome and its prevalence among school-aged children.

Jeļena also teaches medical biochemistry to future doctors at the Faculty of Medicine.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7233-6628

jelena[pnkts]raudeniecersu[pnkts]lv

Kristiāna is currently working on the project Cancerbeat-2: Physical activity for prevention of breast cancer recurrence: a longitudinal study of molecular mechanisms (RSU/LSPA-ZG-2024/1-0001).

Vairāk

In addition, Kristiāna is a lecturer of Medical Biochemistry at Rīga Stradiņš University.

Previously, Kristiāna worked at the University of Latvia, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, where the main focus was on yeast Klyveromyces marxianus role in carbohydrate bioconversion and yeast’s mechanism of weak acid induced stress, as well as stress resistance of bacterium Zymomonas mobilis.

ORCID 0009-0000-1506-3344

kristiana[pnkts]kovtunarsu[pnkts]lv

MPharm Linda Laizāne has always been interested in improving wellbeing, health and longevity. Linda is a PhD candidate at RSU and as part of her PhD thesis she is investigating the effects of acute aerobe exercise and chemotherapy on peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) mitochondrial respiration in breast cancer survivors. 

Vairāk

Linda is currently participating in the grant Tumour cell response to acute aerobic exercise in breast cancer survivors: modulatory effects of exercise type and intensity (TCReX).

Linda specializes in the measurement of maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max) and maximal fat oxidation (Fat max) in healthy adults.   

Her additional skills include peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) isolation from blood serum, measurement of oxygen consumption in different tissues (muscle, adipose tissue and PBMCs) using High-resolution Respirometry (HRR), and measurement of oxygen consumption by fluorescence analysis using High-Resolution Fluoro-Respirometry (HRRF), allowing simultaneous assessment of mitochondrial function, including parameters such as membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.

Keywords: VO₂max, Fat max, breast cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), mitochondrial respiration, High-resolution Respirometry (HRR), High-Resolution Fluoro-Respirometry (HRRF)

ORCID 0009-0004-8672-716X

LinkedIn: linda-laizāne-267951203

linda[pnkts]laizanersu[pnkts]lv

Diana is currently a medical student, who participates in projects and initiatives in the Laboratory of Sports and Nutrition Research.

Vairāk

Diana is a medical student, who has just started her journey in science. Up until now as part of the research team of the laboratory she has participated in a research project devoted to discovering the effect of ultra-long distance cycling on the body and is involved in the other research projects happening now. As a part of the research team she is involved in data collection, processing and analysis.

diana[pnkts]lismanersu[pnkts]lv

Deina is currently studying Medicine at Rīga Stradiņš University and concurrently involved in the project Cancerbeat-2: Physical activity for prevention of breast cancer recurrence: a longitudinal study of molecular mechanisms (RSU/LSPA-ZG-2024/1-0001).

Vairāk

Deina's main tasks in the research framework include collecting data from the research participants, analyzing, and presenting them in an easy-to-understand manner. The reason for the genuine desire to participate in this project is the invaluable experience gained from the development and implementation of the scientific protocol, as well as the interpretation and publication of the results.

Keywords: physical activity for prevention of breast cancer, Cancerbeat-2, medical student