Maciej Janik, MD, PhD, received the Prime Minister's Award in the category of outstanding doctoral dissertation. His work focused on non-invasive methods of assessing the progression of autoimmune hepatitis. He was recognized for his research, which demonstrated the need to assess quality of life and severity of extrahepatic symptoms (including depression and anxiety) in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. And for confirming the feasibility of non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis using liver Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) and SWE spleen elastography, also in active hepatitis.
Krzysztof Ozierański, MD, PhD, received the Prime Minister's Award for Highly Commended Scientific Achievements that are the basis for the conferral of a postdoctoral degree. The appreciated research concerned the incidence, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of patients with myocarditis. The novel use of glucose-labeled positron emission tomography (PET) for the detection of active inflammation was recognized as a special scientific achievement. PET imaging has not previously been used in the diagnosis of myocarditis. And it can significantly improve the diagnosis in doubtful clinical cases, complementing and even replacing MRI.
The Prime Minister's Awards are given for outstanding doctoral dissertations, highly regarded achievements that are the basis for conferring the degree of habilitated doctor or the degree of Doctor of Arts as well as achievements in scientific activity. This year they were awarded for the 30th time, and 45 people received them.