Andrzej Szczeklik (July 29, 1938 – February 3, 2012) was a Polish immunologist working at the Jagiellonian University School of Medicine (''Collegium Medicum'') in Kraków. Having received numerous distinctions for his research, Szczeklik was also well known as a writer.
He received his graduate degree from the Jagiellonian University, and after completing his one-year internship in the USA he worked for seven years at the Academy of Medicine in Wrocław. He completed his postgraduate training abroad; at the
Karolinska Institutet
The Karolinska Institute (KI; sv, Karolinska Institutet; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden. The Karolinska Institute is consist ...
in Stockholm and
University of Uppsala
Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation.
The university rose to significance during ...
, Sweden as well as at the
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...
, Chapel Hill, USA.
In 1979 he became chairman of Department of Medicine, Jagiellonian University School of Medicine in Kraków. In 1990-1993 he was elected the Rector (President) of the Copernicus Academy of Medicine in Cracow, and then Vice-Rector of the Jagiellonian University for Medical Affairs (1993–1996).
Szczeklik's main research interest included:
cardiopulmonary
The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...
diseases, aspirin-induced
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
, chemical mediators in diseases of
circulatory
The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...
and
respiratory system
The respiratory system (also respiratory apparatus, ventilatory system) is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies ...
s with special reference to
eicosanoid
Eicosanoids are signaling molecules made by the enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid or other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are, similar to arachidonic acid, around 20 carbon units in length. Eicosanoids are a s ...
s.
Szczeklik has been lecturing extensively in major European, American and Japanese universities. He was a visiting professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the
University of Sheffield
, mottoeng = To discover the causes of things
, established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions:
– Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield
, type = Pu ...
, UK, King's College School of Medicine, London, UK and Hochgebirgsklinik Davos-Wolfgang, Switzerland.
Research
Szczeklik's scientific interest concentrated on
heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to t ...
and
lung disease
The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side ...
s. In 1976, he was involved in the discovery of
prostacyclin
Prostacyclin (also called prostaglandin I2 or PGI2) is a prostaglandin member of the eicosanoid family of lipid molecules. It inhibits platelet activation and is also an effective vasodilator.
When used as a drug, it is also known as epoprosten ...
, done by
Salvador Moncada
Sir Salvador Moncada, FRS, FRCP, FMedSci (born 3 December 1944) is a Honduran-British pharmacologist and professor. He is currently Research Domain Director for Cancer at the University of Manchester.
In the past, he was the Research Directo ...
and
Ryszard Gryglewski
Ryszard Jerzy Gryglewski (born 4 August 1932, in Wilno) is a Polish pharmacologist and physician. Member of the Polish Academy of Learning (PAU) and the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). He is perceived as an expert on aspirin-sensitive asthma. For the research on asthma he received "Lancet Investigators Award" in 1997 (together with Marek Sanak). For discovering the anti-thrombotic properties of
aspirin
Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, fever, and/or inflammation, and as an antithrombotic. Specific inflammatory conditions which aspirin is used to treat inc ...
he was awarded
Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science
The Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science () is the most prestigious scientific award in Poland given every year from 1992 by a non-governmental non-profit Polish organization, Foundation for Polish Science (). The prize is widely regarded a ...
in 1998.
He is an author and co-author of about 600 papers published in the leading biomedical journals, including: ''
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...
'', ''
The Lancet
''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823.
The journal publishes original research articles, ...
'', ''
New England Journal of Medicine
''The New England Journal of Medicine'' (''NEJM'') is a weekly medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is among the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals as well as the oldest continuously published one.
His ...
'', ''
Journal of Clinical Investigation
The ''Journal of Clinical Investigation'' is a twice-monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering biomedical research. It was established in 1924 and is published by the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Articles focus on the mechanism ...
Blood
Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...
Szczeklik published two largely successful and well received books: "Katharsis", 2002 (published in
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
) and "Kore", both of which contained his philosophical reflections on life and medicine and aimed to set his scientific stance in a broader landscape.
Membership in societies and awards
Szczeklik is a member of numerous scientific societies, such as the
Pontifical Academy of Sciences
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences ( it, Pontificia accademia delle scienze, la, Pontificia Academia Scientiarum) is a Academy of sciences, scientific academy of the Vatican City, established in 1936 by Pope Pius XI. Its aim is to promote the ...
in the
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum
The Holy See
* The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
and Royal College of Physicians in London, UK (honorary member), American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, European Academy of Allergy Clinical Immunology,
European Respiratory Society
The European Respiratory Society, or ERS, is a non-profit organization with offices in Lausanne, Brussels and Sheffield. It was founded in 1990 in the field of respiratory medicine. The organization was formed with the merger of the Societas Euro ...
, International Society of Thrombosis Haemostasis,
Polish Academy of Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences ( pl, Polska Akademia Nauk, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society o ...
.
In 1995 Szczeklik was awarded with "Gloria Medicinae" a medal of Polish Society of Medicine. In 1997 he received first prize of "The Lancet" for the paper reporting on genetic polymorphism of leukotriene C4 synthase. In 1998 he received the scientific prize of the Royal College of Physicians, London and was elected to the College. In the same year he received the first award of "The Polish Science Foundation" for his studies on mechanism of action of
aspirin
Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to reduce pain, fever, and/or inflammation, and as an antithrombotic. Specific inflammatory conditions which aspirin is used to treat inc ...
. In 2001 he was awarded the gold medal and "The Robert A. Cook Memorial Lectureship" by American Academy Allergy Asthma and Immunology. From 1999 to 2003 he received honorary
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
s from University Schools of Medicine in Wrocław,
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
Łódź
Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...
. In 2007 he was awarded Fellowship by American College of Physicians.
Honorary degrees
*
Wrocław Medical University
Wrocław Medical University ( Polish: ''Uniwersytet Medyczny we Wrocławiu'', Latin: ''Universitas Medicus Vratislaviensis'') is an institution of higher medical education in Wrocław, Poland.
It consists of five faculties: Medicine, Dentistry, P ...
(1999)
*
Medical University of Warsaw
The Medical University of Warsaw ( Polish name: '' Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny'', Latin name: ''Universitas Medica Varsoviensis'') is one of the oldest and the largest medical school in Poland. The first academic department of medicine was crea ...
Medical University of Łódź
The Medical University of Łódź was founded on October 1, 2002 as a merger of the Medical Academy of Łódź (founded January 1, 1950) and the Military Medical Academy of Łódź (founded July 1, 1958).
It is the largest teaching hospital un ...