Marcis Leja

Prevention of mortality caused by gastrointestinal cancer has been in the focus of my research interests for decades. Having received qualification of a gastroenterologist - H.pylori-related disease, timely identification of precancerous lesions of the stomach and digestive cancer screening in general are among my key research interests. Being the Board member of the European Helicobacter and Microbiota Study Group (EHMSG), member of various European (three reviews of the Maastricht/Florence and both versions of the MAPS guideline) and international (IARC expert group) guideline committees, I have elucidated the controversies of the previous guidelines and the gaps in the knowledge to be addressed prior population-based strategies can be recommended at the European level. Since 2013 our group is recruiting study subjects to the population-based, randomised gastric cancer prevention study GISTAR (www.gistar.eu), the only of its type in Europe. The protocol of the study was designed by involving the globally leading specialists in epidemiology research from Sweden, France (IARC), The Netherlands, USA. Further analysis to be conducted on the GISTAR participants (currently>10,000 subjects recruited) will be an integral part of the current project. I have developed extensive global collaboration in the field of early gastric cancer detection and prevention, part of the collaborators is involved in the current consortium. Still our research collaboration is extending far beyond the borders of the EU, and is involving countries like U.K., Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, US (National Cancer institute, Vanderbilt University), Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Taiwan and China. I am continuously participating in the work of multiple international organizations, including the Screening Committee of World Endoscopy Organization (WEO), International Colorectal Cancer Screening Network (ICRCSN), International Digestive Cancer Alliance (IDCA), European Society for Digestive Oncology (ESDO), European Association of Gastroenterology, Endoscopy and Nutrition (EAGEN), Healthy Stomach Initiative (HIS) and Eurasian Oncology Program (EAFO). I have served as a member of Scientific Committee of the United European Gastroenterology (2014-2017) and a Cancer Mission Board member (2019-2021), currently holding a position of a Research Committee of the United European Gastroenterology (since 2020). Being the group leader in the field of cancer prevention and H.pylori, I have been regularly involved in supervising research projects in the institution either with external funding or managed with internal funds. Research support has been received from Latvian Research Council, well as European Structural Fund grants and European Commission.