OREANDA-NEWS. October 02, 2015. University of Tartu Professor emerita Heidi-Ingrid Maaroos is the first Estonian to receive the prestigious Marshall&Warren medal in recognition of her international research in the field of gastroenterology and the helicobacter.

In 2005, Australian researchers Barry Marshall and Robin Warren received the Nobel Prize for discovering Helicobacter pylori and determining the causes of frequent stomach diseases such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and stomach cancer. In order to acknowledge scientists who have conducted research in this field and helped implement the results in clinical practice, the Marshall&Warren medal was founded in 2006.

The medal is awarded each year to a researcher with a long science career and who is internationally known for their research results. This year the award was given to University of Tartu Professor emerita Heidi-Ingrid Maaroos.

“The award is the greatest recognition to the research and publications done Estonia in the field of intestinal diseases and it acknowledges everyone who has been involved in this field in Estonia,” said Maaroos and added that researching chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers in Estonia began already 50 years ago and continued on a new level after the discovery of Helicobacter pylori.

Previously, the medal has been awarded to, in addition to Barry Marshall (Australia), nine world-famous and highly recognised researchers: Stanislav Konturek (Poland), Mike Dixon (UK), Timo Kosunen (Finland), Pelayo Correa (USA), Reinhold Stockbr?gger (the Netherlands), Samy Cadranel (Belgium), Richard Hunt (Canada), Masahiro Asaka (Japan), Manfred Kist (Germany).

Nearly 20 doctoral theses have been defended on this topic at the University of Tartu. The Republic of Estonia has recognised Heidi-Ingrid Maaroos’s research with two national research grants – in 1994 and 2012.

The medal was presented to Heidi-Ingrid Maaroos on 26 September 2015 at the 28th International Workshop on Helicobacter and Microbiota in Nikkosia.