Marcis LEJA

Associate Professor Marcis LEJA Riga East University Hospital 6 Linezera iela, Riga, LV 1006 LATVIA University of Latvia Faculty of Medicine Phone: +371 29497500 E-mail:  cei@latnet.lv; marcis.leja@lu.lv

Born: August 29, 1964, Riga, Latvia

Interests: 

• Gastroenterology
• Colorectal cancer
• Early cancer detection and cancer prevention
• Gastric premalignant lesions

Languages : Latvian,  English, Russian

Education:

• Riga Medical Institute, (Faculty General Medicine), 1982 - 1988
• Latvia Academy of Medicine (Clinical ordinature in Internal Medicine), 1988 - 1990
• Latvia Academy of Medicine, P.Stradins Clinical University hospital (Fellowship and research fellowship in gastroenterology), 1991-1992 (Certificate of gastroenterologist)
• Riga International College of Economics and Business Administration (MBA diploma), 2000 - 2003
• Dr.med.  (PhD), Riga Stradins University, 2003

 

Experience 

   Clinical Work:

• Internist-gastroenterologist, physician-lecturer, Centre of Clinical Medicine LINEZERS of Latvia  Academy of Medicine, 1992 - 1998
• Consulting gastroenterologist, hospital LINEZERS, 1999 - 2005
• Gastroenterologist, Digestive Diseases Centre  GASTRO,  1999 - present
• Consulting gastroenterologist, Riga East University Hospital,  2005 - present

   Educational Work:

• Student training during clinical ordinature and research fellowship, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Latvia Academy of Medicine, 1989 - 1992
• Responsibility for the problem-based student education program in gastroenterology, Centre of Clinical Medicine  LINEZERS of Latvia  Academy of Medicine, 1992 - 1995
• Postgraduate student training in gastroenterology, 1998 - 2005 (irregularly)
• Lecturer in gastroenterology, Postgraduate training and qualification institute (University of Latvia) and Riga Stradins University postgraduate education course, 1996 - present
• Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia, 2003 - 2007
• Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia,   2007 - present

Currently M. Leja is the chairman of the Board, Doctorial School in Translational Medicine, University of Latvia . One PhD thesis has been defended under his supervision (A. Sivins, 2012), currently 6 PhD works, number of resident and student research works are being conducted under his supervision. M. Leja is involved in regular postgraduate education either in Latvia or internationally, e.g. in postgraduate courses of European Association of Gastroenterology, Endoscopy and Nutrition (EAGEN). 

Honours and Awards :

• Corresponding Member, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 2012
• Scientist of the Month award (University of Latvia), 09/2012
• Gratitude for the contribution in conducting Colorectal Cancer pilot study in Latvia (Rector of University of Latvia), 2011
• Gratitude for the contribution in organizing and supporting the Day of Medical Carrier (Latvian Association of Physicians, Latvian Association of Medical Nurses), 2011
• Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of contribution in Eurasian Seminar on Colorectal cancer (Latvian Association of Eurasian Federation of Oncology), 2010
• Gratitude from the Editors of Alimentary Pharmacology& Therapeutics for ranking among the 10% best quality reviewers of the journal (Editorial Board,  Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics), 2010
• The Commemorative Medal for Participants of the Barricades of 1991 ( Board for Awarding the Commemorative Medal for Participants of the Barricades of 1991),
• Gratitude for the contribution in VII Congress of the Russian Scientific Society of Gastroenterologists "Disease and Age" (Presidents of the Russian   Scientific Society of Gastroenterologists, Director of the Central Research Institute of Gastroenterology), 2007

Professional Activities and Memberships :

• Latvian Association of Gastroenterologists
• European Association of  Gastroenterology, Endoscopy and Nutrition
• International Stomach Health initiative
• International member, American Gastroenterological Association
• Editorial Board member - Digestive Diseases and Sciences (Springer, USA), American Journal of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention (IVY Union Publishing, USA), Frontiers in Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs, Exosomics (InTech)
• Reviewer for additional 10 medical journals as well as 3 international congresses (on regular base) 

Research Project Management Experience

International or national co-ordinator and/or leading researcher in many local or international projects funded from different sources ( national funding, international funding, funding from the internal resources of the University/group}. Steering Committee member for several international projects or EU funded projects in Latvia.

The most important are listed below:

• .Multicentric randomised study of H.pylori eradication, pepsinogen testing and FOBT for prevention of gastric camcer and colorectal cancer mortality (GISTAR; www.gistar.eu) principal investigator; study protocol currently submitted for approval in IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), funding pending, tentative amount of funding 15-20 M EUR.
• ESF funded project  "Multidisciplinary research group for early cancer detection and cancer prevention", principal investigator , 2010 - 2012; total funding 2 M EUR
• Project "Elaboration of diagnostic methods for the detection of cancer and pre-cancerous lesion risks as well as for optimizing cancer therapy" within State Research Program "Study of major pathologies affesting life duration and qualityof the Latvia population by multidisciplinary research consortium", Principal investigator, 2006 - 2009, total funding ~ 1M EUR
• Tri-lateral Latvian-Lithuanian-Taiwanese project on gastric premalignant lesions ( 2 consecutive projects), national principal investigator and international co-ordinator, 2004 - 201o, total funding (all countries) ~ 300 000 EUR.

International Collaboration in Research

M.Leja is involved in multiple international research groups relates to cancer prevention and gastroenterology. Within international teams he has been involved in elaboration of WEuropean and international guidlines, including European Guidelines for quality assurance in colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis, Maastricht/Florence IV guidelines (on H.pylori related disease), MAPS (Management of Precancerous Lesions in the Stomach) guidelines as well as quality indicators for colorectal screening under the International  Digestive Cancer Screening network. Regular international activities  include active participation in the screening team (groups on new tests, improvement of FOBT testing) of World Endoscopy Organization, as well as International Digestive Cancer Alliance (IDCA), European Society for Digestive Endoscopy, European Association of Gastroenterology, Endoscopy and Nutrition (EAGEN), European Helicobacter Study Group, Healthy Stomach Initiative and European Celiac Disease Study group, Eurasian Oncology program.

The group lead by M.Leja has regular international collaboration eith tht leading research groups in the field in many countries, including Lithuania, Germany, Swede, Finland, Norway, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Taiwan, Japan, Israel.

Publications, Presentations

Author of more than 120 research publications (out of these 22 PubMed cited), $ book chapters, more than 120 presentations in international conferences and symposia, 3 patent aplications have been submitted (2 approved so far).

    Selected  Publications 

• Xu Z, Ionsecu R, Boza Y, Tisch U, Ding L, Liu H, Song Q, Pan Y, Xiong F, Gu K, Sun G, Chen Z, Leja M, Haick H. The Breathprints of Gastric Cancer and Benign Gastric Conditions. 2013. Submitted.
• Zayakin P, Ancans G, Silina M, Meistere I, Kalnina Z,, Andrejeva D, Endzelins E, Ivanova L, Pismennaja A, Ruskule R,, Donina S, Wex T, Malfertheiner P, Leja M,  Line A.   Tumour-associated autoantibody signature for the early detection of gastric cancer. - Int J Cancer. 2013; 132(1): 137-147 (Impact factor 5.44)
• Leja M, Funka K et al. Interobserver variation in assessing gastric premalignant lesions: better agreement for intestinal metaplasia than atrophy. - Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013; In Press  (Impact factor 1.76)
• Leja M, Cine E, Rudzite D, et al. Prevalence of H.pylori infection and atrophic gastritis in Latvia. -   Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2012; 24(12): 1410-1417  (Impact factor 1.76)
• Leja M, Wex T, Malfertheiner P. Markers for gastric cancer premalignant lesions: where do we go? - Dig Dis 2012;30(3):268-276. (Impact factor 1.49)
• Agreus L, Kuipers EJ, Kupcinskas L, Malfertheiner P, Di Mario F, Leja M, et al., Rationale in diagnosis and screening of atrophic gastritis with stomach-specific plasma biomarkers. -  Scand J Gastroenterol 2012; 47: 136-47. (Impact factor 2.34)
• Kupcinskas J, Wex T, Bornschein J, Selgrad M, Leja M, Juozaityte E,   Kiudelis G, Jonaitis LV, Malfertheiner P. Lack of association between gene polymorphisms of Angiotensin converting enzyme, Nod-like receptor 1, Toll-like receptor 4, FAS/FASL and the presence of Helicobacter pylori-induced premalignant gastric lesions and gastric cancer in Caucasians. - BMC Med Genetics. 2011. 12; 112. 1-9. (Impact factor 2.44)
• Daugule I, Sudraba A, Chiu HM, Funka K, Ivanauskas A, Janciauskas D, Jonaitis L, Kiudelis G, Tolmanis I, Vanags A, Lin JT, Kupcinskas L, Leja M. Gastric plasma biomarkers and Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment gastritis stage. - Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011 Apr; 23(4):302-7. (Impact factor 1.7)
• Leja, M.; Kupcinskas, L.; Funka, K.; Sudraba, A.; Jonaitis, L.; Ivanauskas, A.; Janciauskas, D.; Kiudelis, G.; Chiu, H. M., and Lin, J. T. The validity of a biomarker method for indirect detection of gastric mucosal atrophy versus standard histopathology. - Dig Dis Sci. 2009 Nov; 54(11):2377-84. (Impact factor 1.84)
• Shirin, H.; Leja, M., Niv, Y. Helicobacter pylori and non-malignant diseases. - Helicobacter. 2008 Oct; 13 Suppl 1:23-7. (Impact factor 3.11)
• Silina, K., Zayakin, P., Kalnina, Z., Ivanova, L., Meistere, I., Endzelins, E., Abols, A., Stengrevics, A., Leja, M., Ducena, K., Kozirovskis, V., Line, A.  Sperm-associated antigens as targets for cancer immunotherapy: expression pattern and humoral immune response in cancer patients. - J Immunother, 2011. 34(1): p. 28-44. (Impact factor 3.2)
• European guidelines for quality assurance in colorectal cancer. 1st edition. Segan N, Patnick J, von Karsa L. eds. IARC, World Health Organization. 2010. 386 p.
• Leja, M. Gastric cancer epidemiology.- In: Gastric Cancer: Diagnosis, Early Prevention, and Treatment. V.Pasechnikov ed. Nova Science Publishers. New York. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-61668-313-9.
• Leja M, Kupcinskas L, Funka K, Sudraba A, Jonaitis L, Ivanauskas A, Janciauskas D, Kuidelis G, Chiu HM, Lin JT. Value of gastrin-17 in detecting antral atrophy. - Adv Med Sci 2011; 56(2): 145-150 (Impact factor 1)
• Sudraba A, Daugule I, Rudzite D, Funka K, Tolmanis I, Engstrand L, Janciauskas D, Jonaitis L, Kiudelis G, Kupcinskas L, Ivanauskas A, Leja M. Performance of routine Helicobacter pylori tests in patients with atrophic gastritis. - J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2011; 20(4): 349-354 (Impact factor 1.33)

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Last update 25.04.2013