Science is about more than ideas, modern laboratories and precise measurements. It is also about the people we meet along the way. Una Riekstiņa, a tenured professor and leading researcher with a PhD at the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences of the University of Latvia (UL), acknowledges that inspiring teachers, supportive colleagues and international experience helped her choose a career in research. Today, she leads a research team, teaches students and works to ensure that knowledge gained in the laboratory can eventually be translated into new treatment options.
Una Riekstiņa studied biology at the University of Latvia, and her scientific career began even before she graduated. In the third year of her bachelor’s studies, she became involved in research at what was then the Institute of Molecular Biology. Her subsequent career choices were strongly influenced both by the open and supportive atmosphere at the Institute and by the people she met there, who welcomed the young student with genuine interest and encouraged her to explore research opportunities internationally.
“Science literally opened up the world to me. Latvia had only recently regained its independence, and I had a wonderful time as a student, discovering science and meeting fantastic colleagues,” she recalls.
After graduating from the University of Latvia, Una completed several research placements at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden before later enrolling there as a doctoral student. Under the guidance of experienced scientists, she had the opportunity to study immune responses to hepatitis-causing viruses and contribute to research into an innovative DNA, or gene-based, vaccine. This experience gradually led her from biology towards immunology and medicine and, after returning to Latvia, into the field of pharmacy.
After earning her doctoral degree, Una joined the University of Latvia’s pharmacy study programme, where she could apply her knowledge of biology and immunology to the education of future pharmacists, helping students understand the human body, disease processes and how medicines work. She continues to explain the connections between these fields to students today, teaching courses on biological medicines, cell and gene therapy, tissue engineering and the latest research methods.
The subjects Una teaches are closely connected to the research she and her colleagues conduct at the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences of the University of Latvia. The Faculty is currently developing several innovative research areas that could help improve our understanding of diseases and advance their treatment in the future. One example involves developing disease models that reproduce processes occurring in the human body as accurately as possible under laboratory conditions. These models help researchers investigate disease mechanisms and test the effects of different drug compounds and targeted therapies.
One such model is an organoid — a three-dimensional structure grown from cells in the laboratory that replicates certain characteristics of human tissue. Traditionally, cells are grown in a flat layer on the surface of a laboratory dish. However, in the human body, cells exist in a three-dimensional environment and interact with one another. Organoids therefore allow researchers to study disease development and the effects of medicines more accurately.
Another rapidly growing field of biomedical research worldwide is the development of so-called organs-on-chips, which University of Latvia researchers are also working with. An organ-on-a-chip is a small device in which human cells are grown and fluid flow is used to mimic processes occurring in the body, such as blood circulation. This allows researchers to observe whether a drug compound reaches tumour cells and whether it can act on them.
“We could say that we study not only disease but also health at the cellular level. We try to understand what is not working properly inside a cell and how we can help it become healthy again,” Una explains.
As part of the European Union-funded project “Development of Scientific Infrastructure at the University of Latvia in RIS3 Areas”, new research equipment has been acquired to support the development of the research area led by Una. This includes laboratory equipment for establishing a genomics platform, a modular protein analysis system and a confocal microscope. The new equipment enables more precise analysis of genetic information and proteins, as well as observation of how cells change in response to disease or treatment with medicines.
“Thanks to the acquisition of this equipment, our laboratory is now really well equipped, on a par with facilities used by scientists elsewhere in Europe. This also strengthens our ability to participate in joint international research projects as equal partners,” she says.
As her responsibilities as a professor and research group leader have grown, Una has gradually spent less time conducting experiments herself. Today, much of her work involves preparing and managing projects, collaborating with partners in Latvia and abroad, planning new studies and mentoring early-career scientists. Nevertheless, she still makes regular visits to the laboratory.
“My colleagues are doing so many new and interesting things that I simply want to see how they are coming together! It is exciting to observe the process firsthand rather than learn about it only through colleagues’ reports or completed scientific publications. That is why I am still a frequent visitor to the laboratory,” she says.
Una describes herself as a team player. Her research group also includes former students and doctoral candidates who have since become experienced researchers themselves. Some have completed research placements abroad and then returned to Latvia. She sees this as a form of continuity: experienced colleagues once supported her, and now she has the opportunity to give something back by supporting the next generation of scientists.
In her view, biology, pharmacy and biomedicine offer a wide range of career opportunities, from working in laboratories and universities to collaborating with hospitals, working with medicines regulatory authorities or pursuing a career in bioinformatics. For those who choose an academic career, becoming a tenured professor can also be an important professional milestone. It offers greater stability, allows researchers to plan their work over the long term and gives them more opportunities to focus on creative scientific challenges.
Her own experience demonstrates just how diverse a scientific career can be. At this stage of her career, one of her greatest sources of satisfaction has been the opportunity to apply her knowledge to help develop new treatment approaches in Latvia. Recently, she joined a precision medicine project implemented by the Children’s Clinical University Hospital, which is exploring the introduction of cell therapies for cancer treatment. Such therapies are already used in other parts of the world, and the project aims to establish the conditions needed to make these treatment options available to patients in Latvia in the future, including children with cancer.
“I think it is wonderful that the experience we have gained in science can be applied in close collaboration with clinicians, allowing us to contribute to the introduction of a completely innovative therapy in Latvia. It is fantastic and, in my opinion, a great example of how important a scientist’s work can be for society,” Una says.
Learn more about the project: Development of Scientific Infrastructure at the University of Latvia in RIS3 Areas
This story was produced with the support of European Union funds.
