Head of the center Prof. dr. Rimantė Čerkauskienė, pediatric nephrologist in the Pediatrics Centre and head of the Clinical Unit of the Coordinating Center for Rare Diseases.
Coordinator Assoc. prof. Vilma Dženkevičiūtė, cardiologist in the Centre of Cardiology and Angiology.
Sub-coordinator Prof. Žaneta Petrulionienė, cardiologist and head of the I Department of Cardiology and Angiology.
Administrators:
- Urtė Aliošaitienė, cardiologist in the Centre of Cardiology and Angiology
- Viktoras Sutkus, pediatrician in the Coordinating Centre for Rare Diseases
Members of the multidisciplinary team:
- Prof. Zita Aušrelė Kučinskienė, head of the Centre of Laboratory Medicine
- Cardiologists:
- Dr. Milda Kovaitė, cardiologist in the Centre of Cardiology and Angiology
- Dr. Egidija Rinkūnienė, cardiologist in the Centre of Cardiology and Angiology
- Sandra Kutkienė, cardiologist in the Centre of Cardiology and Angiology
- Assoc. prof. Vilma Dženkevičiūtė, cardiologist in the Centre of Cardiology and Angiology
- Urtė Aliošaitienė, cardiologist in the Centre of Cardiology and Angiology
- Eglė Skiauterytė, cardiologist in the Centre of Cardiology and Angiology
- Marija Jakutovič, cardiologist in the Pediatrics Centre;
- Vilija Černiauskienė, cardiologist in the Pediatrics Centre
- Gastroenterologist:
- Prof. Vaidotas Urbonas, senior gastroenterologist in the Pediatrics Centre
- Endocrinologists:
- Dr. Robertas Kemežys, senior endocrinologist in the Pediatrics Centre
- Dr. Agnė Abraitienė, endocrinologist in the Centre of Endrocrinology
- Geneticist:
- Violeta Mikštienė, geneticist in the Center for Medical Genetics
- Transfuziologist:
- Prof. Laimonas Griškevičius, head of the Clinical Apheresis Unit of Hematology, Oncology and Transfusion Medicine Centre
- Dietologist:
- Assoc. prof. Edita Gavelienė, dietologist in The Centre of Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Dietetics
Rimantė Čerkauskienė is a professor of Pediatric Nephrology at Clinic of Pediatrics, Vilnius University, and a senior nephrologist in The Paediatrics Department of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics.
Prof. R. Čerkauskienė obtained her MD degree at Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine in 1986 and completed her training in pediatric nephrology in 1999. In 2006, she defended her PhD thesis „Pediatric steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome and changes in lipids and homocysteine when it is treated by omega-3 fatty acids“.
In 1994 and 1998 she has trained in The Pediatric Nephrology and Metabolism Department of Hannover Medical School, Nephrology and Dialysis Clinic of Trier University, in 2000 – in The Pediatric Nephrology Clinic of The University of Rostock and conducted research in The Clinical Chemistry and Pathologic Biochemistry Central Laboratory of The University of Rostock (Homocysteine concentration in healthy Lithuanian and German children). In 2003, she has trained in The Pediatric Nephrology Clinic of The Heidelberg University, in 2009 – Pediatric Nephrology Centre of The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (pediatric kidney diseases, transplantation, rare kidney diseases)
She studied rare pediatric diseases and participated in the preparation of guidelines, (International Course “Health care guidelines on rare diseases: quality assessment”), Istituto Superiore di Sanita in Rome, Italy; Karolinska Institute Biobank and Science for Life, „SciLifeLab“ in Stockhold Sweden; 13th International Postgraduate Course on Lysosomal Storage Disorders in University Medical Center Mainz (Interactive event, multidisciplinary Fabry disease course for international experts); Nordic Countries Angiomyolypomas Expert Forum in Oslo, Norway; 2nd Seminar on Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs Registries in Rome, Italy.
Prof. R. Čerkauskienė is a vice-chair of Lithuanian Pediatric Nephrology Society, a member of European Pediatric nephrology Society, International Pediatric Nephrology Association, “National Rare Diseases Plan” task force, since 2013 – a member of “Rare Diseases Activities Coordination Commision”. Member of the editorial board of journals “Pediatrija”, “Medicinos teorija ir praktika”.
Prof. R. Čerkauskienė participates in several international scientific projects as an investigator or sub-investigator. She has published over 50 scientific articles, gives lectures at both national and international conferences.
Professor is the head of the task force of Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (ICD-10-AM E76.2) diagnostics and treatment guidelines and algorithm (available online); Rachitis diagnostics and treatment guidelines; Pediatric nephrolithiasis diagnostics and treatment guidelines. She is part of the conference organizing committee (since 2014 – international conferences), lectures. She has written An Internship Booklet for Pediatrics (2012-2015)
She is also a member of the Treatment Reimbursement for Very Rare Health Conditions Commission of the National Health Insurance Fund.
Her areas of interest are: pediatric nephrotic syndrome, pediatric dyslipidemias, pediatric nephrolithiasis, tubulopathies, rare diseases affecting kidneys (lysosomal storage diseases, tuberous sclerosis)
