Dr. Jan Łukasik from the Department of Pediatrics UCC MUW has received the Bohdan and Zygmunt Janczewski Award. The award is given by the Kosciuszko Foundation Poland for the best scientific publication in clinical medicine, written in English and published in a reputable medical journal. Dr. Jan Łukasik's award-winning publication is about probiotics and appeared in one of the most prestigious pediatric journals in the world - JAMA Pediatrics (Impact Factor 26.8).
The paper on probiotics
In his study, reported in JAMA Pediatrics, our researcher showed that a multispecies probiotic (consisting of eight bacterial strains) reduced the overall incidence of diarrhea in children taking antibiotics, while not affecting the risk of narrowly defined antibiotic diarrhea.
Dr. Łukasik: - The results of the study may justify the use of the above-mentioned probiotic during antibiotic therapy in children. At the same time, they show how something - seemingly so trivial - as the definition of diarrhea has a significant impact on the outcome. From a methodological point of view, this second finding seems particularly interesting and sheds new light on previous probiotic studies.
Especially since, as the researcher points out, existing recommendations for the use of probiotics during antibiotic therapy are based primarily on studies that do not consider the etiology of diarrhea.
Research interests
Dr. Jan Łukasik says probiotics are one of his main research interests. And in view of the ubiquitous marketing campaign in the public space promoting "beneficial microorganisms," they take on special importance.
- All it takes is turning on the radio for half an hour on the way to work to hear about supplements and diets designed to restore our balance, boost our immunity and productivity, or otherwise make our lives better, Dr. Łukasik explains. He adds: - We've learned to treat such messages with implicit distrust, but it's hard not to wonder if by chance there's a grain of truth in them. My curiosity has long been aroused not only by whether a particular specification is effective, but first and foremost by how the knowledge that enables us to make a decision is generated, how we can objectively measure its effect, and whether, in fact, it can always be measured.
Presentation of the award
It was held on Wednesday, December 13, at the Karol Marcinkowski Medical University in Poznan. The award was presented to Dr. Łukasik by Dr. Grażyna Czetwertyńska, UW professor, representative of the Kosciuszko Foundation Poland, President of the Bohdan and Zygmunt Janczewski Award.
The Polish-American foundation was established in 1925 in New York. Since 2010, it has also been active in Poland. It provides scholarships to young people and scientists from Poland and the United States, manages scientific exchanges, and conducts information activities on the history of Polish culture and science.
The Bohdan and Zygmunt Janczewski Award was established by Associate Professor Zygmunt Janczewski - a pioneer of andrology in Poland, professionally associated with the First Chair and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology MUW. The Foundation's jury awards this prize every two years.
