Leading European and Russian allergists gave lectures at BSMU

On June 29, Bashkir State Medical University hosted a school on molecular allergology with international participation "Molecular allergology: new mechanisms and prospects in the diagnosis and therapy of patients with allergies". The School was attended by a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor of the Vienna Medical University, Professor Rudolf Valenta, Head of the Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology of Sechenov University, Academician Alexander Karaulov.

The rector of BSMU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Valentin Pavlov, Vice-Rector for Scientific and International Activities of BSMU, Professor Iskander Akhatov and invited lecturers addressed the participants of the school with a welcoming speech. Valentin Pavlov in his welcoming speech focused on the cooperation of BSMU with foreign universities: "We have historically had good relations with German and Austrian universities. We are developing a PhD program with Heidelberg University. We are implementing the same program with the University of Regensubra. And, of course, we also cooperate with Austrian universities, for example, with Montanuniversität Leoben in terms of ecology, chemistry, and disaster medicine. BSMU is being transformed from a purely medical university into a university of life sciences. In this regard, we are developing and equipping new laboratories - immunology, molecular genetics, industrial pharmacology and other basic areas. We must continue to interact with outstanding scientists of our time, so today we are very glad to see Academician Alexander Karaulov and Professor Rudolf Valenta at our university and in our republic. I hope that we will do a lot for the health of people all over the world."

Vice—Rector for Scientific and International Activities of BSMU Iskander Akhatov, addressing the participants of the School, noted that the arrival at BSMU of world-renowned scientists who are ready to lecture all day is a huge rarity, so "this is a great gift of fate to all participants and the university."

Professor R. Valenta shared his impressions about his first visit to Ufa and told about the purpose of his visit to the university: "I planned to come to Ufa many times, but due to my busy schedule I couldn't do it earlier. I am very impressed with the development of the city and the university, the friendliness of the people. My main goal here is to develop medicine and diagnostic tools for the future, because we have to work for people's health. We must continue to do this, because medicine is very important in the modern world and the coronavirus infection has shown us this. We must work together, because it is unknown what other diseases the world community will face. Today we will discuss allergies. I believe that about 30% of people face allergies, even in our audience there will be those who have similar problems. It affects not only our health, but also our appearance, so I think we are doing a very important thing. And I am very glad that there are a lot of young people here today, because you are the future of medicine, our task is to form a generation of young doctors who will work to improve the quality of life of patients."

"First of all, on behalf of myself and my close friend Rudolf Valenta, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the invitation, because it is a great honor for us to visit both the university and Ufa for the first time. More than 5 years ago, fate brought me together with Rudolf Valenta, the future Nobel Prize winner. I am happy that thanks to this acquaintance, both the Institute of Immunology and our Sechenov University received a powerful impetus to development. And now we are looking for contacts with the Bashkir State Medical University," Academician Alexander Karaulov said at the beginning of the report.

The Rector of BSMU also noted that Bashkir State Medical University and Sechenov University have extensive experience of historical interaction, since from 1941 to 1943 Sechenov University was evacuated to Ufa. "We had joint graduates of doctors, defended dissertations, opened evacuation hospitals. Some even built a family here and stayed to work at our university," added Valentin Pavlov.

The invited speakers shared the results of their own research with the participants of the School for a whole day, presented reports on molecular allergology, namely, adaptive immune response in allergy, known and unknown mechanisms of allergy, mucosal immunity, resolved and unresolved issues of allergology and prospects for its development, mechanisms of allergen-specific sensitization. Regional head of ADAIR, representative of the regional branch of the All-Russian Pediatric Respiratory Society of Ufa Rezeda Fayzullina told about the organization of medical care for children with allergic diseases in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

At the end of the School, the organizers presented the guests with gifts — landscapes of Bashkortostan and thanked them for the amount of useful information that the event was filled with. "It is a great luck and happiness to listen to the lectures of Professor Valenta and Academician Karaulov at our university. Thank them very much for finding the opportunity to be with us today, to conduct a wonderful, magnificent School. I am impressed that all of Professor Valenta's research is aimed at the benefit of man - to do everything for people, in favor of their health. This inspires trust and respect," Professor Rezeda Fayzullina summed up.