Prof. Roman Kaliszan Award and Medal

9.10.2020

The Medical University of Gdańsk, in agreement with the Polpharma Scientific Foundation and the Gdańsk Scientific Society (pol. GTN), established an award in the name of Professor Roman Kaliszan a world-class scientist, specialist in pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology and analytical chemistry, rector of the MUG in the years 2005-2008. The distinction will be awarded annually to scientists with a doctoral degree for outstanding scientific achievements in the field of biomedical or biopharmaceutical sciences. The tripartite agreement was signed on October 7th, 2020 by representatives of each party – the MUG Rector prof. Marcin Gruchała, president of the Management Board of the Polpharma Scientific Foundation, Wojciech Kuźmierkiewicz Ph.D., and president of the Gdańsk Scientific Society, prof. Jerzy Błażejowski. The meeting was also attended by prof. Michał Markuszewski, Vice-Rector for Science of the MUG, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy in the 2016-2020 term.

- The established Award and Medal of prof. Roman Kaliszan opens up new application possibilities in the field of medicine and pharmacy for talented scientists – said prof. Marcin Gruchała, rector of the Medical University of Gdańsk. – I would like to thank both the Polpharma Scientific Foundation and the Gdańsk Scientific Society for accepting our initiative with understanding and supporting our activities in this area.

The Award and Medal will be presented during the ceremonial inauguration of the academic year at the Medical University of Gdańsk, starting from the academic year 2021/2022. Scientists can only receive the award once. Candidates are nominated by eminent representatives of science invited by the Award Committee.

The laureate will also receive a cash prize in the amount of EUR 5,000 in Polish zlotys, funded by the Polpharma Scientific Foundation. In addition, GTN will make a round bronze Medal – with the image of prof. Roman Kaliszan, the year of his birth and death as well as an inscription on the obverse: Polpharma Fundatio ad Scientias pertinens, Universitas Medica Gedanensis i Societas Scientiarum Gedanensis (around the perimeter) and Servire Veritati Kaliszan Lactio Praemiumque.

- I had the honor of working for many years with Professor Kaliszan in the Foundation’s Scientific Council, which aims to support the implementation of research projects in the field of medicine and pharmacy. We are proud that the award in his name will distinguish the best Polish scientists. This is our and Mr Jerzy Staraks contribution to the development and promotion of Polish science, as well as a symbolic recognition of outstanding scientist like Professor Kaliszan – said Wojciech Kuźmierkiewicz Ph.D., president of the Polpharma Scientific Foundation.

Moreover, the recipient of the Award and Medal will have the privilege of giving a lecture at the Medical University of Gdańsk and publishing it in the Yearbook of the Gdańsk Scientific Society or in the MUG magazine.

- Professor Roman Kaliszan is an outstanding scientist who has made a lasting contribution in the field of quantitative description of data from chemical, biochemical and pharmaceutical analysis. His research contributed significantly to proposing a quantitative description of the relationship between the chromatographic characteristics of retention and the structure of compounds. His interpersonal relationships significantly blend in with the creation of the academic ethos. Devoted to science and people, he has become the distinguishing scientist of the Medical University of Gdańsk, significantly raising the rank of the Pomeranian academic center and a role model for contemporary and future generations of researchers – emphasized Prof. Jerzy Błażejowski, president of the Gdańsk Scientific Society.

The candidates selection procedure is three-stage. The Award Commission carries out a formal and preliminary substantive evaluation of the submitted applications and nominates candidates to participate in the second stage of the competition. It appoints reviewers, two for each application, who evaluate scientific value and originality of the achievement and its importance for the development of biomedical or biopharmaceutical sciences. Based on the opinions presented by the applicants and reviewers, the Competition Committee determines the ranking list of the three best-ranked candidates. The final selection of the winner is made by the Award and Medal Committee.

The Patron

Prof. dr hab. Roman Kaliszan, Pharm.D., (1945-2019) – rector of the Medical University of Gdańsk in the 2005-2008 term (then Medical Academy in Gdańsk), vice-rector for science in 1999-2005 term, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy in years 1984-1987, head of the Department of Biopharmacy and Pharmacodynamics in the years 1984-2016. An active member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (pol. PAN) and the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (pol. PAU), an outstanding scientist, specialist in the field of pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology and analytical chemistry. Creator of a new, original global research direction – the analysis of Quantitative Structure Retention-Relationships (QSRR). Profesoor Kaliszan got the international recognition in the field of pharmaceutical analysis, bioanalysis, analytical chemistry and the use of advanced computational methods for the analysis of biological and analytical data.

Author and co-author of 35 books, over 300 original articles published in journals from the JCR list, and about 200 papers in other journals. He promoted 21 doctors. Honored with the title of doctor honoris causa by the Poznan University of Medical Sciences.

Activity in the scientific and organizational fields resulted in the participation of prof. Kaliszan in many collegiate bodies. He was, among others since 1990 a member of the PAN Committee of Therapy and Drug Sciences, since 2003 a member of the PAN Analytical Chemistry Committee, since 1994 a member of the Chemometry Committee of the PAN Analytical Chemistry Committee, in years 1992-1995 a member of the Scientific Council of the Minister of Health and Social Care, in 2010 a member of the National Development Council under the President of the Republic of Poland, in the years 2003-2011 a member of the Medicines and Medical Materials Registration Committee of the Ministry of Health, and in the period 2013-2016 chairman of the Awards Committee of the Minister of Health. From 1996 till 2006 he was also a member of the Polish Pharmacopoeia Commission, from 2001 till 2011 a national consultant for pharmaceutical analytics, and from 2003 a member of the Scientific Council of the Foundation for Supporting the Development of Polish Pharmacy and Medicine. He was, among others the chairman of the Gdańsk Branch of the Polish Pharmacological Society in years 1989-1995, secretary general of the Gdańsk Scientific Society (1998-2001), vice-president of the Gdańsk Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences (2002-2006), member of the Scientific Council of the Tri-City Academic Computer Network (TASK) (1996-2002). He was also an honorary member of the Polish Pharmaceutical Society and an honorary member of the Gdańsk Scientific Society (GTN).

Member of over 10 editorial boards of publishing houses on the JCR list.

Decorated, among others with the Commander’s, Officer’s and Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, as well as the Medal of the National Education Commission. Laureate of, among others: Jan Heweliusz City of Gdańsk Scientific Award in 2001, the Łukasiewicz Medal of the Polish Pharmaceutical Society in 2001, the Koskowski Medal of the Supreme Pharmaceutical Council in 2005, the Prof. Waksmundzki Medal of Polish Chemical Society in 2006, “Accomplished – Polish Medical Association” Medal in 2009.