German neurosurgeon Uwe Kehler - doctor honoris causa of Nicolae Testemitanu University

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy awarded the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa to Uwe Kehler, university professor, Doctor Habilitated in medical sciences, Lubeck Medical University, Main Consultant at the Department of Neurosurgery of Asklepios Altona Clinical Hospital from Hamburg, Germany. The ceremony took place on December 14, 2021, in the presence of the management team and the Department of Neurosurgery of our university.

Uwe Kehler is a prominent figure, a nationally and internationally recognized authority in the field of neurology and neurosurgery. The scientific, didactic and professional contribution of the distinguished professor determined the University Senate to award him the highest honorary title of Nicolae Testemitanu University.

The collaboration on the neurosurgery segment between our institution and the German expert has been successfully developing for over 24 years, remarked the rector of the University, Professor Emil Ceban, in Laudatio. Professor Uwe Kehler's scientific interests and research priorities focus on the surgical treatment of head trauma, intracranial hemorrhage, normal pressure hydrocephalus, malignant glioma, etc.

Professor Kehler is one of the well-known personalities who contributed to the founding of the Department of Neurosurgery of Nicolae Testemitanu University and to the implementation of residency as a superior form of training for future neurosurgeons.

In the context of this partnership, in 1999 the first brain operation to remove a brain tumor was performed on a child from the Republic of Moldova, in the city of Lubeck, Germany. Subsequently, over the years, reciprocal visits followed, workshops in Chisinau, during which Professor Uwe Kehler gave more than 20 lectures on the most topical neurosurgical issues, the last four - in 2020. During multiple visits to Moldova, Professor Kehler performed, together with our specialists, surgeries on patients with complicated neurosurgical pathologies.

As a result of this fruitful cooperation, the level of theoretical knowledge and dexterity of specialists from the Department of Neurosurgery of our university has significantly increased, as well as that of the quality of healthcare for the benefit of patients and the national health system.

The honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa was bestowed upon Professor Uwe Kehler for his prodigious work at the national and international level, as a sign of deep gratitude and high appreciation for his substantial contribution to the joint conduct of scientific research, training of neurosurgeons and highly qualified scientists, joint development of national and international projects and considerable contribution to enhancing the image of Nicolae Testemitanu University in the world.

Grigore Zapuhlîh, professor at the Department of Neurosurgery of Nicolae Testemitanu University, made a presentation on the development of neurosurgery in the Republic of Moldova, emphasizing the contribution of Professor Kehler in training residents in neurosurgery, highlighting the qualities of the world renowned neuroscientist. Grigore Zapuhlîh emphasized the impact of the neurosurgeon in the training of resident doctors, his contribution to the training of young neurosurgeons, as many of them became leaders in the field in our country and abroad. The first teaching materials, clinical protocols, and the greatest part of practical skills were provided by Professor Kehler. The current operating room at Diomid Gherman Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery of the capital was also created thanks to German colleagues, one of them being Professor Kehler. "He worked a lot with us. Each time he responded promptly to our invitations and performed very complicated surgeries, without pay, out of sheer pleasure and altruistic feelings. Today we are able to perform many of the surgeries, based on the equipment we have," stated Professor Zapuhlîh.

Professor Keler gave a presentation entitled Between Hamburg and Haiti, in which he elucidated surgical aspects for the treatment of hydrocephalus and intracranial hemorrhage. Finally, the German doctor Uwe Kehler expressed his extraordinary feeling of joy for being awarded DHC honorary title. "This gesture does not mean the end of collaboration, on the contrary, it inspires and offers a new motivation for its intensification. Laudatio was a big surprise, things being presented better than they really are. It was very nice," specified Prof. Kehler.