The University of Latvia (UoL), Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine, with its 17,000 students, 13 faculties and more than 20 research institutes is one of the largest comprehensive and leading research universities in the Baltic States. The integral and essential part of studies is exercises and practice for students of UoL in the affiliated university hospitals with the largest of them Riga East University Hospital containing several specialized clinical centers including Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Center. Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of UoL is established to support medical research, translation of research into practice and promote evidence-based medicine and medical education. There is also a wide collaboration in the field of scientific work with several scientific institutions of Latvia, which gives an opportunity to strengthen the academic knowledge and motivates to focus upon the favoring the development of science and take part in the scientific research projects.
Main tasks attributed in the A-PATCH project:
UoL will be committed to the demonstration of the A-Patch, i.e. recruitment of patients with tuberculosis, verification of the disease state, obtaining clinical information in a structured way and obtaining samples for tuberculosis confirmation tests. The tasks assigned to UL within the project are:
- Lead WP6
- Participate and contribute to WP1, WP2, WP6, WP7, WP8
- Legal approvals for the demonstration work, including approval by the ERB
- Selection of the relevant group of tuberculosis patients and control group individuals, validation of the diagnosis and clinical information, referral for additional investigations
- Investigating the feasibility and efficiency of A-Patch for detecting active tuberculosis and monitoring tuberculosis treatment efficiency.
- Performance and applicability of A-Patch communication platform for disease progress and transmissibility evaluation.
UoL will be involved in the evaluation of the obtained results, with respect to the clinical issues.

Research interests: Use of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in the early detection of cancer and pre-cancerous conditions, screening diagnostics and prevention options; H.pylori infection and related diseases; new diagnostic methods, functional diagnostics.

Research interests: Improvement of tuberculosis diagnostics, tuberculosis epidemiology, TB diagnostics and new TB drug clinical trials.

