RSU professionals recognised with multiple annual awards in medicine

Photo: Courtesy of Ģirts Miksons

On 26 March, several staff members from Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) were honoured at the Annual Awards in Medicine, organised by the Latvian Medical Association (LMA). RSU representatives received some of the most prestigious awards at the event, which presented a total of 22 honours, including special awards.

Lifetime Contribution to Medicine

This year, the Lifetime Contribution to Medicine award was presented to two distinguished physicians:

• Prof. Em., Dr. habil. med. Romans Lācis, a cardiac surgeon and Head of the RSU Residency specialisation in Cardiac Surgery.
• Anita Lapiņa, a gastroenterologist and endoscopist, who is actively involved in an RSU FLPP research project.

Person of the Year in Medicine 2024

The title of Person of the Year in Medicine 2024 was awarded to Mārtiņš Malzubris, a traumatologist-orthopaedist and lecturer at the RSU Department of Orthopaedics. He was also honoured with a special award from the Latvian Medical Foundation for his humanitarian efforts, including his ongoing support for Ukraine.

About the Awardees

Prof. Em. Dr. habil. med. Romans Lācis is a Professor Emeritus at RSU. He the long-time head of the Cardiac Surgery Centre (1998–2017) and currently chairs the Cardiac Surgery Advisory Board. A pioneering cardiac surgeon, he performed Latvia’s first heart transplant on 10 April 2002 and led the country’s first paediatric heart transplant in 2015. His numerous accolades include the Cabinet of Ministers Award (2002), the Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class (2004), and the Pauls Stradiņš Award (2014).

Anita Lapiņa is a leading expert in gastrointestinal endoscopy at Riga East Clinical University Hospital. She established and led its Endoscopy Department for over 40 years. Lapiņa has played a key role in training students and residents while advancing research in her field. Her recognitions include the Cabinet of Ministers Letter of Commendation (2004), a University of Latvia Gratitude Letter (2011), and the Cross of Recognition, Fifth Class (2008).

Dr. Mārtiņš Malzubris is the Head of the Traumatology Centre at the Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopaedics and President of the Latvian Association of Traumatology and Orthopaedics. Malzubris has been instrumental in developing septic and reconstructive surgery in Latvia. In 2024, he trained five groups of doctors in Latvia and made five trips to Ukraine, where he operated on more than 40 patients.

Event of the Year – surgery using 3D technology 

Award for the Event of the Year in Medicine 2024 went to the Children’s Clinical University Hospital (Children’s Hospital) for a surgery performed to a teenager, where after a severe head injury, part of the skull was replaced with 3D printed artificial bone. 

This has significantly shortened the operation time, reducing various risks and will further improve the child's quality of life. Neurosurgeons of the Children’s Hospital were able to replace a relatively large piece of the severely damaged skull bone with a 3D printed artificial bone due to a collaboration with the Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the RSU Institute of Stomatology. A part of the skull was made using the patient’s CT scan 3D examination performed at the Children's Hospital. The surgery took place through collaboration with a neurosurgeon, chief physician of the Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the RSU Institute of Stomatology, oral and maxillofacial surgeon Assoc. Prof. Ģirts Šalms.

In Latvia, the use of this technology in medicine is expanding due to the implementation of the Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence - BBCE project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, in which the RSU Institute of Stomatology and RSU also participate.

Assoc. Prof. Ģirts Šalms, chief physician at the RSU Institute of Stomatology, highlighted the significance of this achievement, stating: ‘Thanks to the Horizon project, we could use new 3D printing technologies in paediatric neurosurgery for the first time.

The RSU Institute of Stomatology and the Children’s Hospital have collaborated on complex cases for several years,

and this time we found an opportunity to help a teenager in need.’

Awards to medical specialists

Doctor Specialist of the Year 2024: Dr. Jānis Osītis, RSU lecturer, Head of the Spine Surgery Residency, and Head of the Kurzeme Spine Surgery Centre at North Kurzeme Regional Hospital in Ventspils. He is praised by patients as an empathetic, highly skilled professional with ‘golden hands.’

Medical students from RSU and the University of Latvia (UL) voted for their lecturers in the Lecturer of the Year 2024 category. The RSU Lecturer of the Year is Dr. Santa Kursīte, a lecturer at the Department of Morphology, a paediatrician, a paediatric allergist, and the Chief Physician at the Haematology-Oncology Unit of the Children’s Clinical University Hospital. Students commend her ability to make anatomy understandable, logical, and memorable through her excellent teaching methods and unique approach. What truly sets Dr. Kursīte apart is her warmth and ability to foster a friendly, positive, and supportive learning environment. She knows how to inspire, motivate, and make every student feel welcome in her classes.

The Nurse of the Year 2024 is Iveta Bērziņa, Head Nurse of the Second Therapy Department at Vidzeme Hospital and a lecturer at the Rīga Stradiņš University Department of Nursing and Midwifery. Her patients describe her as a sincere, compassionate, and deeply dedicated nurse who not only provides exceptional care to young patients but also supports their parents with kindness and understanding. Her colleagues praise her unwavering commitment, responsiveness to her team, and consistently high standards of care. They describe her as the backbone of their team—someone who is always there to offer guidance in challenging moments, provide expert advice, or simply share a comforting conversation when it is most needed.

Special awards

The Olpha special award Inspiration was presented to Prof. Māris Taube, Psychiatrist, Head of the RSU Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy and Head of RPNC Outpatient Mental Health Centre “Veldre”, and to Oskars Kalējs, Lead Researcher at the RSU Department of Rehabilitation and Professor at the RSU Department of Internal Diseases.

The JSC Grindeks D. H. Grindelis Award for outstanding achievements in Latvian medicine and contributions to public health was presented to Prof. Ilze Konrāde, Head of the Endocrinology Department at Riga East University Hospital. She is also a professor at the RSU Department of Internal Diseases, Lead Researcher in the FLP project, and Head of the Medicine Subprogramme of the Health Care Doctoral Programme at the Department of Doctoral Studies.

Ievas Veselība magazine presented its special award for the most responsive consultant to Assoc. Prof. Ieva Ziediņa, Renal Physician at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital, Chief Physician at the Nephrology Centre, and Senior Researcher at the RSU Department of Internal Diseases.

The Latvian Medical Association’s special award was presented to Jeļena Storoženko, Researcher and Associate Professor at the RSU Department of Infectology, in recognition of her significant contribution to medical education and the advancement of laboratory diagnostics. Her book Laboratory Investigations in the Diagnosis of Various Diseases will serve as a valuable guide for both medical professionals and students.

Greetings from state officials

Several officials delivered speeches of congratulation at the ceremony. ‘On this important occasion of honouring Latvian medical professionals, I would like to express my sincere gratitude once again for your compassion, dedication, and highly professional work that you perform daily, helping patients recover their health in both inpatient and outpatient settings. I would also like to extend my deepest appreciation to those Latvian medics who have directly experienced military medicine in Ukraine, selflessly providing much-needed assistance to Ukrainian soldiers and civilians,’ said Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of the Republic of Latvia.

At the opening of the event, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa stated: ‘A healthy person is better able to care for their family, their country, and our future. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to every medical professional for their professionalism, responsibility, and humanity in their daily work!’

Hosam Abu Meri, Minister of Health, said:

‘I am proud to join my colleagues in celebrating medical talent – individuals whose work is not just a profession, but a mission. A strong healthcare system is the foundation of safety,

and patient safety rests on the quality of work, dedication, and energy of every doctor, nurse, midwife, pharmacist, medical facility, and all other healthcare professionals.’

The Annual Awards in Medicine are organised by the Latvian Medical Association in collaboration with the Latvian Junior Doctors Association, the Latvian Nurses Association, the UL, and RSU. The event is co-sponsored by JSC Olpha and JSC Grindeks. This year marks the 15th edition of the Annual Awards in Medicine.