Ludmila VIKSNA

Professor Ludmila VIKSNA Chief of   Infectology Chair, Director of Family Medicine, Study, Research and Organization Center,  Riga Stradins University Linezera str. 3, Riga, LV 1006 Latvia Phone: (371) 67014777 Fax : (371) 67014559 E-mail: Ludmila.Viksna@rsu.lv

Born: October 22, 1946, Riga, Latvia

Interests:

• Hepatology
• Infectious diseases
• Family medicine
• Deontological (medicine) ethics

Languages: Latvian, Russian, English

Education

• 2007 – “Hepatology 2007 Course”, Royal Free and University College of Medical School, University College London,   UK
• 2006 – “Chronic Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B Preceptorship”, Queen Mary University of London, UK
• 2005 – “Independent Learning and the Core Curriculum”, Workshop
• 2004 – “Latvian Medicine within the Context of European Union”, Educational Course, Riga Stradins University
• 2001 --_Hepatology  Course at Royal College of Physicians of London 
• 1992 --   Dr.habil.med., Medical Academy of Latvia
• 1988-1989 -- Course of Infectology and Chinese Traditional Medicine, Beijing Medical University
• 1987 --  Professional courses, 1^st Moscow Medical Institute
• 1981 --  Qualified doctor, 1st Moscow Medical Institute
• 1979 --  Candidate of Medical Sciences, Riga Medical Institute
• 1971 --  Doctor diploma, Riga Medical Institute,

Professional certificates:

- infectology
- hepatology
- health care management
- traditional Chinese medicine

• Associate Professor, Medical Academy of Latvia, 1986-1992
• Professor, Riga Stradins University, 1992 -
• Chief of Infectology Chair,  Riga Stradins University, 1991 -
• Director of Centre for Family Medicine Research, Study and Organization, Riga Stradins University, 2003 - 
• Director, Infectology Center of Latvia, 1991-1998
• Vice-Director, Infectology Center of Latvia, 1999 - 2004

In Latvia -

• Member of the Presidium of Senate, Riga Stradins University
• Head of Promotion Board (Internal Medicine), Riga Stradins University
• Expert (Internal Medicine), Latvian Council of Science

            Latvian Medical Association -

1. Head of the Committee of Training Authority for the Health Care Providers
2. President of the Latvian Infectologists Association
3. Member of the Certification Council of the Latvian Infectologists Association
4. Acting -President of the Latvian Hepatologists Association
5. Head of the Certification Council of Latvian Hepatologists Association
6. Officer of the Latvian Association for Health Care Management Specialists

• Head of the National Committee for Poliomyelitis Eradication, 1996 -
• Member of the State Immunization Committee, 1999 -

International -

• Member of the European Regional Poliomyelitis Certification Commission, World Health Organisation
• WHO expert of Latvia in viral hepatitis, diphtheria and poliomyelitis issues, 1995 -
• President of Organizing Committee of the 2^nd Nordic-Baltic Congress for Infectologists, 1996
• Member of Organizing Committee of the 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th , 6^th, 7^th Nordic-Baltic Congress for Infectologists
• Member of the International Association for the Study of the Liver (IASL), 1993 -
• Member of the European Association for the Study of the Liver, 1993 -
• Member (since 1993) and Officer (since 1996) of the Baltic Union for Non-Public AIDS Organisations
• Member of the European Society for Clinical Virology, 1998 -
• UEMS (Union Europeene des Medicins Specialistes) as observer in section of Infectology
• Member of the International Infectologist's Association, 1998 -
• Member of International Advisory board of Polish Journal of HIV Related Problems - " HIV & AIDS Review"
• Member of International Advisory Board of Lithuanian Journal "Medicinos teorija ir praktika"
• Member of Editorial Board of "Clinical Outcomes & Cost Studies" (a supplement of "Proceedings of Latvian Academy of Sciences")

Honours and Awards

• Corresponding Member, The Latvian Academy of Sciences, 2003
• Diploma of the LR Ministry of Welfare,1996
• The 20^th Century Award for Achievement, Cambridge, England, 1999

• Infectology (for students and residents, and Faculty of Post Graduate Studies)
• Hepatology (Faculty of Post Graduate Studies)
• Health care management (Faculty of Post Graduate Studies)
• Clinical epidemiology (for students and residents)
• Family medicine

• HIV/AIDS and health problems and its impact on society in general: International conference “Countering Narcotics and Organized Crime in the Baltic Region”. Stockholm, year 2005
• Interallied Confederation of Medical Reserve Officers Confederation des Officiers Medicaux de Reserve, Riga (Latvia), year 2007

Research Projects

• Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection: Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects of HCV Persistance.  - Latvian Council of Science (2004 - ), Head of the Project
• L.Viksna  Clinical and Virological Outcome of European Patients Infected with HIV. International Research Project EiroSida (2001-2006), Head of the Work Group.
• Molecular and epidemiological study of multiresistance and genetic wariability of infections agents – Latvian Council of Science (2002-2005), Head of the Project with A.Martinsons.
• Molecular mechanisms of variability and persistence of hepatitis viruses – Latvian Council of Science (2002-2008), Head of Sub Program with P.Pumpens
• L.Viksna  Transformation of liver in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection: pathomorphological mechanisms, clinical, biochemical and immunological consequences – Latvian Council of Science (2005-2008), Head of the Program with V.Sondore.
• Acute and chronic infections: mechanisms of infections agents patogenicity, persistence and resistance development, ways to effective diagnostics and treatment – Latvian Council of Science (2006-2010), Head of the Program with A.Martinsons.
• “A 52 week multicenter, randomised, double-blind placebo – controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of SNMC in patients with chronic hepatitis C” – Sponsors representative Europe (Switzerland Healthcare&Pharma Consuling AG), Principal Investigator of Latvia.
• National Research Program “Research of the main pathologies, affecting the Latvian population life span and quality of life, with assistance of multidisciplinary research consortium”, Sub–Program “Blood-borne transmissive diseases, affecting the human life span: the persistence of viruses in human body, paradigms of diagnostics and treatment” (2006-2013), Sub-Program Director
• Research Program of Latvian Ministry of Education and Science “Constellations of macroorganism protective mechanisms changes induced by bacterial and viral infections persistence: new questions, new answers” (2007), Program Director
• Research Program of Latvian Ministry of Education and Science “The role of infectious agents in Latvia topical infections’ origin and course from modern point of view” (2006), Program Director
• Clinical Research Program “Efficacy and tolerance of “Glikomuns” in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C” (2006), Program Director
• Baltic Post-marketing Program of Pegasys (Peg interferon alpha-2a 40KD) in Patients with HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative Chronic Hepatitis B (Protocol No. ML20601), Principal Investigator in Latvia

Currently - adviser for 4 Doctoral theses, one Master's  thesis.

Recent/ Representative Publications

Total number of publications - 327 (89 in the last 5 years), 9 patents, 4 monographs.

Monographs-

• V.Kaneps, L.Viksna. Introduction in Medical Deontology, 1981, Riga: Zvaigzne, 149 pp. (in Latvian).
• L.Viksna. Manual of Travel Medicine , 2002, Riga: Nacionalais medicinas apgads, 232 pp. (in Latvian)
• L.Viksna. Vaccination - active specific immune protection, 2002,2003, Riga: Nacionalais apgads, 160 pp. (in Latvian)
• L.Viksna. Virushepatitis C, 2003, Riga: Nacionalais apgads, 128 pp. (in Latvian)

• L.Viksna, V.Sondore, B.Rozentale, A.Krumina, U.Bode. Tick-born encephalitis in Latvia: clinical aspects. – Abstr. 9^th Int. Congress on Infectious Diseases, Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 10-13, 2000, pp. 299-300.
• B.Rozentale, V.Sondore, G.Sture, L.Viksna. Pulmonary infections related to HIV-infected/AIDS patients in Latvia. – XIII Int. AIDS Conference, Durban, South Africa, July 9-14, 2000. Appendix, Monduzzi Editore, Int. Proceedings Division, pp. 29-31.
• L.Viksna, V.Vasarina, V.Sondore, B.Rozentale. Blood nitrate - reduced glutathione and oxyhemoglobin in liver cirrhosis. - Journal of  Hepatology, 2000, vol.32, Suppl. 2, p. 154.
• L.Viksna, J.Keišs, V.Sondore, B.Rozentale. Trichinellosis: pitfalls of clinical diagnostics (outlook of the infectionists of Latvia). – Proc. AML/RSU (Riga), 2002, pp. 134-135.
• L.Viksna, J.Keišs, V.Sondore, B.Rozentale. Trichinellosis in Latvia: how big is the problem? – Int. Conference “Animals. Health. Food Quality”. Proceedings, 2002, pp.303-306. 
• E.Eglite, L.Kovalchuk, E.Hagina, A.Sochnevs, L.Viksna, B.Rozentale, G.Sture. Associations of  -HLA - DRB1 alleles with HIV infection. - HIV & AIDS Review, 2003, N 3/4, pp. 127-130.
• D.Balode, A.Ferdats, I.Dievberna, L.Viksna, B.Rozentale, et al. Rapid epidemic spread of HIV Type 1 Subtype A1 among intravenous drug users in Latvia and slower spread of Subtype B among other risk groups. - AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 2004, N 2, pp. 245-249.
• D.Bandere, V.Sondore, L.Viksna. Difterijas arstesanai izmantojamo antibiotiku terapijas analize. -  RSU Zinatniskie raksti, 2004, pp.361-366.
• R.Simanis, S.Lejniece, L.Viksna. Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Hemophiliacs: Unsolved Problems. - RSU Zinatniekie raksti,  2004, pp. 82-88.
• I.Zeltina, V.Sondore, N.Sevastjanova, B.Rozentale, L.Viksna. Ercu encefalits: vai adekvati novertejam ta smaguma pakapi klinika? - RSU Zinatniskie raksti, 2004, pp.68-73.
• I.Logina, A.Krumina, G.Karelis, L.Elsone, L.Viksna, B.Rozentale, M.Donaghy. Double infection with encephalitis and Lyme borreliosis transmitted by tick bite. - Journal of Neurology, June 2005, pp. 11- 35.
• A.Krumina, I.Logina, M.Donaghy, B.Rozentale, I.Kravele, A.Griskevica, L.Viksna. Diphtheria with polyneuropathy in a closed community despite recent booster vaccination. -   European Journal of Neurology, - September 2005, p.79.
• J.Pupure, S.Isajeva, J.Rumaks, V.Gordjusina, I.Taivans, L.Viksna, S.Svirskis, I.Kalvinsh, G.Duburs, B.Jansone & V.Klusa. Mildronate, cerebrocrast, and glutapyrone as highly active cardioprotectors in the AZT – induced cardiomyopathy in mice. - Autonomic&Autocoid Pharmacology, 2006, 26, pp. 31-120.  Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Ohuabunwo C, Perevoscikovs J, Griskevica A, Gargiullo P, Brilla A, Viksna L, Glismann S, Wharton M, Vitek C. Respiratory diphtheria among highly vaccinated military trainees in Latvia: improved protection from DT compared with Td booster vaccination. - Scand J Infect Dis., 2005, 37(11-12), pp. 813-820.
• V.Klusa, J.Pupure, S.Isajevs, J.Rumaks, V.Gordjushina, A.Kratovska, I.Taivans, S.Svirskis, L.Viksna, I.Kalvinsh. Protection of Azidothymidine-Induced Cardiopathology in Mice by Mildronate, a Mitochondria-Targeted Drug. - Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 2006, 99 (4), pp. 323–328.
• S.Isajevs, J.Pupure, V.Gordjušina, A.Kratkovska, I.Taivans, L.Viksna, V.Kluša. Mildronate protects Stavudine and Lamavudine induced cardiotoxicity.- Proc.Latvian Acad. Sci., 2007,  Nr.1/2, pp. 26 -32.
• Cozzi-Lepri A, Phillips AN, Ruiz L, Clotet B, Loveday C, Kjaer J, Mens H, Clumeck N, Viksna L, Antunes F, Machala L, Lundgren JD; EuroSIDA Study Group. Evolution of drug resistance in HIV-infected patients remaining on a virologically failing combination antiretroviral therapy regimen. - AIDS,  2007 Mar 30; vol. 21(6), pp. 721-732.
• T.Kolupajeva, P.Aldins, L.Guseva, D. Dusacka, V.Sondore, L.Viksna, B.Rozentale. HIV drug resistance tendencies in Latvia. - Central European  J. of Public Health, 2008, vol. 16, N 3, pp. 138-140.

• LV 10672. Diagnostic method of primary biliary cirrhosis
• LV 10673. Diagnostic method  of chronic active hepatitis with cholestasis syndrome
• LV 11102. Diagnostic method  of virus hepatitis with cholestasis syndrome
• LV 12063. Diagnostic method  of icteric form of leptospirosis
• LV 13152  Method of prognosing the effectiveness of   therapy for patents with chronic hepatitis C
• LV 13517. Method of diagnosing hepatic disorders

Last update 06.11.2009