Prof. Ieva Plikusienė / Vilnius University photo.
Professor Ieva Plikusienė from Vilnius University (VU) Faculty of Medicine (MF) has been appointed as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of UNESCO's International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP). She is the first scientist from Lithuania to be invited to join this high-level expert group.
„The responsibility entrusted to me is a great honor and an exceptional opportunity to represent Lithuania in a global context and to enhance our country’s visibility in international scientific decision-making processes. It is not only a significant professional recognition, but also a unique chance to contribute to the development of global science policy based on fundamental sciences,“ says Prof. Ieva Plikusienė.
She expresses her delight and calls the appointment a pleasant surprise – her nomination was submitted some time ago, so it took a while until she was informed about the decision. According to the scientist, the board includes highly accomplished experts from various countries around the world.
„The election of a VU scientist to UNESCO’s Scientific Advisory Board confirms that the research conducted at VU is significant and visible internationally. We hope this will open up more opportunities to develop interdisciplinary research, participate in global initiatives, and contribute to science-based decisions that matter worldwide,“ noted the VU Vice-Rector for Research, Prof. Gintaras Valušis.
As Prof. I. Plikusienė noted, „to fulfill these duties, I will aim not to showcase personal competencies, but rather to represent Lithuanian science in the field of fundamental research. This is especially important for strengthening society's resilience to long-term crises – such as pandemics, climate change, or energy shocks. Moreover, it is an opportunity for Lithuania to engage in international scientific initiatives, project partnerships, and programs contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals“.
Prof. I. Plikusienė says that her work on the Board will involve strengthening national competencies through centers of excellence, as well as promoting international knowledge and experience exchange. One of the goals of the program is to help countries grow their scientific potential through such centers, and this may become an opportunity for Lithuania to become more actively involved, especially in the development of newly created centers of excellence, where VU is a partner in the fields of advanced medicine and high technologies.
One of the centers – the Advanced Disease Modeling Center – will be developed at VU in collaboration with the VU Hospital Santaros Clinics, Utrecht University, and the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. The center will focus on developing alternative disease modeling technologies based on cellular and molecular models, enabling the elimination of laboratory animals and the individualization of disease comprehension.
The second is the Terahertz and Hybrid Semiconductor Chip Center, bringing together VU, the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, and the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) in Belgium. This partnership focuses on the development of high-frequency terahertz (THz) chips and advanced semiconductor compounds.
The scientist specializes in the development of advanced optical biosensors that allow highly accurate real-time analysis of biomolecular interactions. Her research includes surface plasmon resonance and ellipsometry methods, as well as the application of nanostructured materials in diagnostics and biotechnology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she contributed to research on SARS-CoV-2 antigen and antibody interactions, enhancing the international visibility of Lithuanian science.
Prof. Ieva Plikusienė’s work has received numerous national and international awards. In 2021, she was a laureate of the "L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science" program, and in 2022, she was recognized as one of the world’s most promising young scientists, receiving the International Rising Talents Award. She actively contributes to educating the next generation, she supervises PhD students, and promotes interdisciplinary scientific research.
The UNESCO IBSP Scientific Advisory Board is a high-level expert group that contributes to the formation of global science policy.
Source: vu.lt