Professor Rastislav Dzúrik: the Man and the Scientist

Rastislav Dzrik, finished his medical study at the Medical School of Comenius University in Bratislava in 1953. After graduation he began to work at the Institute of chemistry and biochemistry of the Medical School and in 1957 he continued working at the IIIrd Internal Clinic of this faculty, which became later the base of "Internal School of Professor T. R. Niederland" with biochemical focusing. In the year 1967 ProfessorDzrik in cooperation with ProfessorJan Brod founded the Nephrological Section of the Slovak Internal Society and then the postgraduate scientific-research activity in nephrology began. The main topics of his scientific activity, in which he received many priority results, were: Isolation and characteristic of inhibitor of glucose utilisation and of inhibitor of renal gluconeogenesis; Effect of "middle molecular substances, especially in the development of renal insufficiency; Isolation and identification of hippurate and pseudouridine. His publishing activity was manifested in more than 500 scientific papers, several monographs and many chapters in various textbooks and manuals of internal medicine and clinical biochemistry, and more than 1,000 citations. The most important success of Professor Dzrik was the textbook "Nephrology which was published in 2004 and he was its main editor. Rastislav Dzriks impact on the field of Nephrology in Slovakia was manifold. It included his complex work of clinical nephrology, his pedagogical activities, and last but not least his excellent organizing abilities.