Executive Board
Oleg Polnjak, DPharm - CEO & Company Director
Dr Oleg Polnjak is Founder and CEO of the Clinical Research Foundation EEU and has over 25 years working experience in the pharmaceuticals and clinical research industry. The Organisation has been created to advance pharmaceuticals and biotech industry in a more clinically and scientifically orientated approach of clinical trials implementation and conduct.
His previous appointments include positions of Senior Regional Director of Operations and Executive Director of Regional Development at ICON Plc. major global CRO where he worked for over 15 years. Dr Polnjak has also gained extensive experience in clinical pharmacology and military medical services organisation fields.
Dainis Krievins, MD, PhD - Executive Chairman of Scientific Board & Company Director
Professor Dainis Krievins is a professor in Vascular and Endovascular surgery at P. Stradins Clinical University Hospital in Riga. He is Co-Founder and Director of the Board of the Clinical Research Foundation EEU. On top of it Professor Dainis Krievins is the Leader of Clinical Research Foundation EEU Corporate Think Tank involving the elite group of highly renowned scientists and medical research professionals.
Professor Krievins has Graduated Medical Academy of Latvia and hold Research fellowship at Stanford University  1995. Professor Dainis Krievins is a Director of Institute of Research and Chief of Endovascular Program at Pauls Stradins Clinical university hospital. He has more than 80 publication in international journals and has been participating as a Principal investigator for more than 45 clinical trials. He served as a principal investigator for numerous FIM and CE mark/FDA clinical trials. His academic research focuses on the process of innovation for development of novel medical technologies to treat aneurysms and peripheral arteries, etc.
Christopher K. Zarins, MD - Advisory Board Council
Dr. Christopher K. Zarins founded HeartFlow, Inc. and serves as its Chief Medical Officer and Director. Dr. Zarins served as the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the University of Chicago from 1978-1993. In 1993 he joined Stanford University as the Walter Clifford and Elsa Rooney Chidester Professor in Surgery and served as the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Stanford University Medical Center from 1993-2005. Dr. Zarins served as President of the Society of Vascular Surgery in 1999. He received his B.A. from Lehigh University and M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has been appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board Council of the Clinical Research Foundation EEU to lead, develop and accommodate overseas contacts and to bridge scientific and professional collaboration between US and EEU medical and clinical research societies.
Scientific Operations Management
Professor Valdis Pirags – Scientific Operations & Digital Health Think Tank Board Chairman
Dr. Valdis Pirags, is Professor of Medicine at the University of Latvia and the Head of the Clinic of Internal Medicine at the Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital in Riga, Latvia. He first became interested in genetics of multifactorial diseases while undertaking studies on molecular pathogenesis of late diabetic complications under supervision of Professor A.F.H. Pfeiffer. He continued his work on molecular medicine and genetics of endocrine diseases at the Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital. These studies embrace the effects of hyperglycaemia on cellular signalling pathways and genetics of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Professor Valdis Pirags served as an independent expert for the evaluation of the 6th and 7th Framework Program projects at the European Commission, a member of the Working Party on Research on Stored Human Biological Materials at the Steering Committee on Bioethics (CDBI-CO-GT2biomat) at the Council of Europe, member of the Forum of Research Managers in the Field of Genome Research at the European Commission. He was member of the Executive Committee of the European Society of Endocrinology and Council member of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) for 2006-2009. His is the director of the Latvian National Research Programme on Clinical Medicine and Public Health since 2009. On top of it Professor Pirags is an active Freemason since 1993, he was Grand Master (GM) of the Grand Lodge of Latvia in 2003-2009, Deputy Grand Master (GM) of the Grand Lodge of Latvia in 2009-2012. He is also now the Inspector General (330) of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Latvia and member of the Royal Arch Chapter in Tallinn, Estonia.
Ahmed Sakr, MD, MSC, FEIN, BCAGF, IDFSF – Scientific Operations Board Member
Dr. Med. Ahmed Sakr is a Vascular and Endovascular surgeon of the Department of Saudi German Hospital Groupe (MENA Region) and Coordinator of the endovascular unit in the Saudi-German Hospital in Jeddah. He has gained advanced training and acquired high level specialization and expertise in the following Universities worldwide: Clinical Fellowship of peripheral Intervention from Kiel University Germany (FEIN); Clinical Fellowship of aortic grafting from Cologne University Germany as well as Clinical Fellowship in Diabetic foot Salvage from Chennai University India. Dr Sakr is a member of the prestigious Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the Critical Limb Ischemia Global Society (CLIGS). He is also a licensed Registrar by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) and the Scientific Secretary of the VascularArt – The Global Conference for Advanced Revascularization Technologies in Jeddah, KSA. Dr Ahmed Sakr is licensed as the Consultant for vascular endovascular surgery from Ministry of Health of Egypt .
Boris N. Mankovsky, MD, PhD – Senior Scientific Fellow
Professor Boris Mankovsky is a Professor of Endocrinology and a Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Medical Science. He is the chief of the Department of Diabetology of the National Medical Academy for Postgraduate Education in Kiev, and an attending physician-endocrinologist and the chief of the Department of Prophylactic Diabetology at the National Scientific Institute of Endocrine Pathology. He holds a number of memberships in various Global and European medical scientific associations and commissions for diabetes and other endocrine pathologies. Professor Mankovsky is the Editor-in-Chief of the medical journal “Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome”. Science 2013, Professor Mankovsky is the Scientific Fellow and Independent Scientific Chairman of the Clinical Research Foundation EEU. He holds a Fellowship in the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Diabetic Neuropathy Study Group. Science 2013, Professor Mankovsky is the Senior Scientific Fellow and Indication Board Chairman of the Clinical Research Foundation EEU. Being internationally acknowledged key opinion leader in endocrinology and other associated pathologies during the last 25 years, Professor Mankovsky is responsible for coordination of for numerous of international clinical research and scientific projects conducted in the region.
Professor Guna Laganovska – Scientific Operations Board Member
Dr Guna Laganivska, is Professor of Ophthalmology, Head and the Chair of Departments of Ophthalmology of Riga Paul Stradins University and University Hospital in Riga, Latvia since 1996. She is the Member of Board of Association of Optometrists and Optitions of Latvia, Council Member of European Society of Ophthalmologists since 1999 and the President of Association of Ophthalmologists of Latvia since 1997.
Professor Guna Laganovska is the author of a large number of scientific publications in international journals and has been participating as a Principal investigator and national indication leader for more than 40 clinical trials.
Principal CONSULTANTS
John Shillingford, PhD - Consultant
Dr John Shillingford, is an Independent Consultant whose career in both the Pharmaceutical and CRO industries has stretched over 45 years. John has both lived and worked in a number of European Countries as well as the USA. His wide experience of Drug Development in Europe and the USA has been acquired during the management of both Clinical and Data Operations for major Global Programmes.
