Young Scientist Award was given to Jaak Kals

Senior research specialist in biochemistry and vascular surgeon Jaal Kals received the Young Scientist Award from the Head of State.

President Ilves stated that Jaak Kals is working in a very serious and highly useful sphere, both as a doctor and a research specialist. "The incidences of cardiovascular diseases are very high globally and, regrettably, the estimates given by the World Health Organisation are rather bleak – the respective figures are to grow over the next decade. Unfortunately, Estonia is not a positive exception here, rather the opposite. People who have reached their most productive, creative age are hit by the disease, causing their families, next of kin and society in general to suffer the consequences," admitted President Ilves.

According to the specialists who put forward the candidacy of Jaak Kals, the Head of the Institute of Biochemistry of the University of Tartu, Mihkel Zilmer, and the Head of Neurological Clinic of the University of Tartu, Toomas Asser, Mr. Kals represents a rare example of a situation in which a young individual has been able to link a research speciality (endothelial and arterial studies) that represents one of the greatest clinical challenges in international research space with his everyday successful work as a vascular surgeon. He has mostly worked in Estonia and his contribution to developing a close-knit co-operation network, involving many pre-clinical and clinical units in the sphere of modern vascular research in Estonian medicine, at the medical faculty of the University of Tartu, has been considerable.

The Young Scientist Award is presented, once a year, by the Cultural Foundation of the President of the Republic and Funded by Väino Kaldoja. The award money is 4,800 euros.

Read more about the award here.

Also see interviews Jaak Kals has given (in Estonian) in „Terevisioon“ and "Aktuaalne kaamera" (interviews starts at 27:34).