Dr. Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert is currently a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Warsaw Institute for Genetics and Biology; she is an Associate Professor of Biology at Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges in California. She completed her Ph.D. at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City, and did post-doctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope in Duarte, California. Dr. Edwalds-Gilbert is a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and serves as a CUR Councilor for the Biology Division. In her own molecular biology lab, she has supervised 58 undergraduates, many of whom are from groups underrepresented in science.
In her research, Dr. Edwalds-Gilbert focuses on the regulation of gene expression under stress response, and she has received funding from the Keck Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for this work. Cells encounter stress through their interactions with the environment and either respond successfully, maintaining homeostasis, or do not, leading to cell death. Changes in gene expression critical to resolving the stress response are regulated at many stages, including gene transcription, pre-mRNA alternative processing, mRNA modification, transport, and translation. Regulation of translation after stress exposure is associated with many diseases, including cancer, and is also relevant to environmental stresses organisms face with climate changes.

EDUCATION:

• 1965 - 1971 Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Russia, MD

• 1971 – 1973 Krasnoyarsk State Medical University (Postdiploma education)   

• 1988 - 1994  Krasnoyarsk State Medical University

• 1992 - Kanazawa University, dep. Hygiene, Japan  

Scientific titles and degrees. Doctor of Medical Sc „Biological monitoring of exposure dose and effects of unsaturated acrylates: pathogenic substantiation”.

1976 -2011 - Cycle training in the specialty of the leading medical universities in Russia: general hygiene, military hygiene, food hygiene, health, information technology and pedagogy, sanitary and epidemiological expertise, technology management organizations in quality management system.

PRACTICE:

• 1992. - Institute of Hygiene, Kanazawa University, Japan.

• 1999, 2002, 2007, 2008 - Munich, Hannover, Germany,

• 2001 - New York, USA.

ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS:

• 1973 - 1977 – assistant, Department of Hygiene, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University

• 1979 – assoc. professor, Department of Hygiene, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University

• 1995 – Professor, Department of Hygiene, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University

• 1998 - 2011. – Head of Department of Hygiene, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University

• 2011 09.19 – up to now – professor, Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work, Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University.

RESEARCH INTERESTS: Quality of life for people of different ages. Environmental and biological monitoring of children's health. Formation and maintenance of child health. Nutrition and Health.

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY, duties

• Expert, Problem commission № 47.01 and № 47.04, Institute of Nutrition, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences up to 2015

• Member of the Scientific Council № 55 "Medical problems of Nutrition", Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences up to 2015

• Member of the Dissertation Council DM 208.035.01, Hygiene and Health Organization, Kemerovo State Medical University up to 2011

• Member of the Board of Management of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Rospotrebnadzor

• Expert on the general hygiene certificate number 30 304 of the Health Ministry 10.04.10-10.04.2015

• Expert of Siberian Federal University - Foresight Research “Opportunities and prospects for development of human capital of Krasnoyarsk Territory 2030”.

• Expert of a healthy lifestyle, youth government doubles, the Krasnoyarsk region.

• Member of the Scientific Committee -Foundation for Children of Copper Basin, Legnica, Poland.

• Member of the editorial board of J. Problemy Higieny i Epidemiologii, Poland,

• Member of the editorial board of J. Medical University of Grodno, Belarus

• Member of the editorial board of J. Hygeia Public Health, Poland

• Member of the editorial board of J. Environmental Medicine, Poland

• Member of the editorial board of J. Medical Science Pulse, Poland

• Member of the editorial board of J. Family Medicine & Primary Care Review, Poland

• Member of the editorial board of J. Zdrowie psychiczne, Poland.

Donata Kurpas, MD, PhD, Assoc. Prof. with habilitation (Poland)

Full time senior researcher and lecturer at the Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University (WMU). Medical doctor degree (1999) from WMU; PhD in family medicine from WMU (2003); habilitation in family medicine (Chronic Care Model in Polish primary care) (2014); specialist in family medicine (2005); specialist in public health (2017); engaged in undergraduate and postgraduate training of medical students and family physicians. 2003-2007 – national coordinator of the European MedSkills Project (B/04/B/F/PP-144.333); 2015-2018 – national coordinator of 45/3HP/FOCUS/2015 Project (3HP – EU). She also led several research projects at the Wroclaw Medical University. She is an author and co-author of above 600 scientific publications and chapters to books, especially in the field of family medicine and primary care, public health, geriatrics, management of chronic diseases, and in 2015 she received the Minister of Health First Degree Award for scientific achievements, which were the basis for awarding the scientific degree of doctor habilitated. She is the chair of the International Advisory Board of the European Rural and Isolated Practitioners. Association and the active member of many scientific societies, e.g. the European Academy of Teachers in General Practice, the Polish Society of Family Medicine, the Polish Society of Psychiatry.

Regardless of the purpose of the activity, the commitment and passion direct Donata, and her actions have been noticed not only by independent medical staff from other Medical Universities in Poland (Szczecin, Białystok, Torun, Warsaw, Lodz, Katowice and Lublin) but also the Marshal's Office (Department of Health and Promotion of the Region, Lower Silesia, Poland) and the City Council (Department of Social Affairs, Wrocław, Poland), as well as the Cluster of Innovative Medicine in Poland. She has participated in many multicenter projects in Poland and abroad (including the Fulbright Foundation scholarship), is a reviewer of the National Centre for Research and Development, a member of the Interdisciplinary Team for the Research Infrastructure Support Program (Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland), an expert of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the European Commission (H2020 - SC1-PM-04-2016). She is the editor-in-chief of the Family Medicine & Primary Care Review journal (Web of Science, Scopus) and the Medical Science Pulse Quarterly (List of the journals - Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland, 6 points), as well as the BMC Family Practice and the Rural and Remote Health Journal. In addition, she is the scholar of: EURACT (conference scholarship for young doctors), SOROS Foundation, Foundation for Polish Science, Foundation of E. Niedzwirski. She has been awarded several times for academic and didactic work by the Rector of Wroclaw Medical University and the Rector of Opole Medical School. She is also an Honorary Citizen of Roanoke County, VA, USA and Honorary Citizen of Roanoke, VA, USA as well as the ambassador of the Saint Francis Service Dogs Foundation (Roanoke, VA, USA).

The most current Projects:

UE Projects:

[1] 2018-2022 – Interregional Coordination for a Fast and Deep Uptake of Personalised Health (Regions4PerMed)

[2] 2015-2018 – FOCUS – 45/3HP/FOCUS/2015 - Frailty management optimization through EIP AHA commitments and utilization of stakeholders input
[3] 2003-2007 – European MedSkills – B/04/B/F/PP-144.333

Other:

• Rural practice and chronic morbidity, problems encountered and solutions. EURIPA investigation study
• Dementia management in European and Mediterranean primary care (PREDEM) - Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Centre for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden;
• ATTENTIVE study (Antihypertensive TreaTmENT In Very Elderly) - University of Bern, Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), Switzerland

5 the most current publications:

1. Kurpas D, Szwamel K, Lenarcik D, Guzek M, Prusaczyk A, Żuk P, Michalowska J, Grzeda A, Mroczek B. Effectiveness of Healthcare Coordination in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2017 Aug 12. doi: 10.1007/5584_2017_84.
2. Streit S, Verschoor M, Rodondi N, Bonfim D, Burman RA, Collins C, Biljana GK, Gintere S, Gómez Bravo R, Hoffmann K, Iftode C, Johansen KL, Kerse N, Koskela TH, Peštić SK, Kurpas D, Mallen CD, Maisoneuve H, Merlo C, Mueller Y, Muth C, Šter MP, Petrazzuoli F, Rosemann T, Sattler M, Švadlenková Z, Tatsioni A, Thulesius H, Tkachenko V, Torzsa P, Tsopra R, Canan T, Viegas RPA, Vinker S, de Waal MWM, Zeller A, Gussekloo J, Poortvliet RKE.Variation in GP decisions on antihypertensive treatment in oldest-old and frail individuals across 29 countries. BMC Geriatr. 2017 Apr 20;17(1):93. doi: 10.1186/s12877-017-0486-4.
3. Petrazzuoli F, Vinker S, Koskela TH, Frese T, Buono N, Soler JK, Ahrensberg J, Asenova R, Foguet Boreu Q, Ceyhun Peker G, Collins C, Hanževački M, Hoffmann K, Iftode C, Kurpas D, Le Reste JY, Lichtwarck B, Petek D, Pinto D, Schrans D, Streit S, Tang EYH, Tatsioni A, Torzsa P, Unalan PC, van Marwijk H, Thulesius H. Exploring dementia management attitudes in primary care: a key informant survey to primary care physicians in 25 European countries. Int Psychogeriatr. 2017 Sep;29(9):1413-1423. doi: 10.1017/S1041610217000552. Epub 2017 Apr 18.
4. Kurpas D, Bujnowska-Fedak MM, Athanasiadou A, Mroczek B. Factors Influencing Utilization of Primary Health Care Services in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2015;866:71-81. doi: 10.1007/5584_2015_141.
5. Kurpas D, Mroczek B, Bielska D. Rural and urban disparities in quality of life and health-related behaviors among chronically ill patients. Rural Remote Health. 2014;14(2):2485. Epub 2014 Jun 10.

Work Experience:

From 2015 to Present – Chief Researcher, Academy of Sport Education of Latvia; from 2014 to Present –Professor, Academy of Sport Education of Latvia; from 2004 to 2007 – Teaching Assistant, University of Virginia, USA.

Organisational / managerial skills/ volunteering:
From 2018 to Present – President European Federation in Adapted Physical Activity (EUFAPA); from 2012 to Present – Board Member, Latvian Physiotherapy Association; from 2003 to Present – Board member, Latvian Paralympic Committee

Job-related skills:
Visiting Professor at the Coimbra University (Portugal), Visiting professor at the Savona University (Italy), Director of the Education Center “A Sports”, Visiting Professor through the Erasmus collaboration in higher education: EUDAPA (European University Diploma in Adapted Physical Activities), Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Physical Activity (Finland). Providing courses on adaptations and modifications for inclusion of students with disabilities in general physical education. Delivering practical course on collaboration directed inclusive physical education.

Editor Board Member:
European Journal in Adapted Physical Activity; Palaestra, Adapted Sport, Physical Education, and Recreation Therapy; Acta Gymnica; The Asian Journal of Exercise and Sports Science (AJESS); Scientific board of the journal of Advances of Rehabilitation

Projects:
2017 – Present- Erasmus+ EACEA grant “Innovative Rehabilitation Education - Introduction of new master degree programs in Ukraine“
2017 – Present- EU project “European Physical Activity and Sports Monitoring System (EUPASMOS), national project participant, 1.01.2018. – 2019
2015- Present Scientific project “Healthy Walk” (Nr. 2189) in collaboration with the LU Project Fund, chief researcher