“Today when the pandemic is affecting each of us, of course the foundation is also offering its small contribution toward the fight against the dangerous virus. Boris was a doctor, and Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) was his college,” said philanthropist Inara Teterev.
The first to receive support will be two studies conducted by RSU. The first study will use Covid-19 patient material to define the immunological, genetic and environmental factors that contribute toward the clinical manifestations of the Covid-19 coronavirus disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. This is crucial for predicting the course of the illness in various patient risk groups, and results will help choose corresponding treatment. The patient materials will be stored in the Genome Database of Latvian Population (sic), so that the biobank created in cooperation with the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre can be further used to study virus mutations and in other further national and international Covid-19 research.
The second study focuses on protecting medics. It will use virtual reality simulations to improve the use of personal protective equipment while treating infected patients, thereby reducing risk of workplace infection for medical workers. The results will be able to be immediately put in place in Latvia and internationally.
“I'm sure that Latvian scientists and medics will also be able to make a significant contribution toward limiting the deadly effects of the virus, which is why I consider it to be our responsibility to support them,” said Teterev.
The foundation has supported RSU since its creation, and has provided various grants to both students and lecturers. The Philanthropist Boris Teterev’s Grant in Medicine has been awarded to 23 students, 91 targeted grants have gone to lecturers toward modernizing courses, and several other projects have also received support. The foundation also supports many other cultural, artistic and educational causes in Latvia and internationally.
Boris Teterev passed away last year, but the foundation continues its work.
