Queen of Georgian Medical Science
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Queen of Georgian Medical Science 1 "...When you look at Mrs. Nino Javakhishvili – the world famous scientist, mentor of many clinicians and morphologists, director of the institute, academician of three academies, statesperson and public figure – you see the beautiful woman who irradiates goodness and still stands firmly." Teimuraz Ghibradze (Dedicated to Academician Nino Javakhishvili’s 85th anniversary) Everything was great in her! ... «... Nina Alexandrovna Javakhishvili – in these three words, there was focused epochal personality, combining with exquisite harmony the true innermost personal values: amazing femininity and beauty; refined elegance and absolute lack of narcissism; queenliness and simplicity; uncommon intelligence and boundless modesty; insatiability in scientific daring and accomplishment of instinctively appeared ideas without refuse; ascetic abstention in unallowed and extraordinary delicacy in calling for the observance of a similar abstinence – a rare combination of physical, moral and spiritual qualities. Her long haul has been an Queenof absolute confirmation of the well-known axiom – "All ingenious is simple!" Yes, it is! One had to be the truly outstanding scientist-morphologist, studying the anatomic structure of the human body on a daily basis, to come to a conclusion about the urgently ripened necessity of GeorgianMedical Science creating a qualitatively new direction in medicine – functional and clinical anatomy. All of her public speeches have been penetrated by a single red thread: more straightforward and easier presentation is, the deeper is the set forth thought, encouraging the listener to search for new scientific achievements. It was an immense happiness to be her contemporary, to see and hear her. Everything was great in her!... Vadim Saakadze (Dedicated to Academician Nino Javakhishvili's 100th Anniversary) Nino Javakhishvili was born on November 7 1914, in Moscow, in the family of Academician Alexander Javakhishvili - the famous scientist, founder of the Georgian school of Geography, the founder of the Institute of Geography named after Vakhushti of the Georgian Academy of Sciences and Department of Geography of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. Mother was Zinaida Mosurskaia - Mr. Alexander's former student in Lomonosov Moscow State University. She was a noble, generous woman, deeply in love with her family and husband. 2 The Javakhishvilis (family) Mrs. Nino Javakhishvili studied in the first experimental-model labor school (modern secondary school N.1) in 1920 -1930. Many prominent figures studied in her class, such as: the writer Ketevan Kuchukashvili, the professors George Vachnadze, Pavle Tchanturishvili, George Khimshiashvili, the corresponding members of Georgian Academy of Sciences Mzia Andronikashvili, Tina Kaukhchishvili, Ramaz Lagidze, the academicians George Tchoghoshvili, Vakhtang Beridze, Vakhtang Gomelauri, Leonide Gorgeladze, Otar Oniashvili, Archil Tsetskhladze, Shalva Khidasheli, Irakli Jorjadze and others. Queenof GeorgianMedical Science After graduating the school in 1930, Nino Javakhishvili continued studying at Tbilisi State Medical Institute and graduated it with honors in 1935. As a talented and hard-working student, she gained the attention of the professors and lecturers, and especially caught Academician Aleksandre Natishvili's interest. She became his beloved apprentice. Great teacher saw in Nino Javakhishvili the worthy successor to his activities, future follower. Immediately after graduating the institute, Nino Javakhishvili had started scientific- educational work at the Department of Human Anatomy of Tbilisi State Medical Institute by the invitation of Academician Aleksandre Natishvili since 1935 and later, in 1945-1949 she used to work as the assistant professor there. In parallel she worked part-time at the second nursing school in Tbilisi in 1936-1937, Mukhadze Blood Transfusion Research Institute of the Ministry of Health of Georgia in 1938-1939, at the Tbilisi Art Academy, Batumi Pedagogical Institute and other institutions in 1941-1945 years. Very young, 18-year-old Nino Javakhishvili married to Mamia Komakhidze, who later became famous surgeon, MD PhD, Academician. They shared not only great love, but also the professionalism and mutual respect. They worked together in the scientific field and were the co-authors of many outstanding scientific works, inventions and discoveries. Although they did not have children, they brought up many representatives of the great families of Komakhidzes and Javakhishvilis. 3 Academicians Nino Javakhishvili and Memed Komakhdize Nino Javakhishvili inherited, as well as she had matures and developed in her such qualities, which gained her the distinguished place in academic (and not only academic) society: high morals, straightforwardness, talent of communication, staidness, attractiveness, thirst for investigation, ability to work, analytical thinking. These properties determined the success of her scientific and public activities. At first glance, she seemed to pass an ordinary path of life: 26-year-old Nino Javakhishvili defended PhD thesis (dissertation) on "Changes of Angioarchitecture of Anterior Cruciate Convolution After Bundling Carotid Artery" and Queenof became the candidate of medical sciences the same year. In 1948, she defended doctoral thesis on the topic - "Формы спиномозговых нервных сплетений, симпатического ствола и их взаимоотношения» (The forms of spinal nerve plexus, sympathetic trunk and their GeorgianMedical Science mutual relation) and at the age of 34 she was awarded the title of Dr. of Medical Science. At the age of 38 Mrs. Nino Javakhishvili became the first female professor in the field of anatomy, at the age of 45 yearsshe was elected as a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, at the age of 64 she became the full member of the academy, And in 1965, Mrs. Nino Javakhishvili was awarded the title of honoured master of sciences. How many sleepless nights and hard work stood behind this exciting success! Nino Javakhishvili's scientific work is associated with Aleksandre Natishvili Institute of Experimental Morphology. Together with Aleksandre Natishvili she made great contribution to the creation of the Institute of Experimental Morphology and from the very first day of its establishment to her death, was its unchangable employee: She worked as the senior research fellow in 1946-1951, Head of the Department in 1951-1958, Deputy Director in 1958-1959. Since 1959, after the death of Academician Aleksandre Natishvili, Nino Javakhishvili headed the Institute of Experimental Morphology, which she had led for a half of a century. She has further developed and strengthened Georgian anatomical school and took it to the international arena. In the consciousness of the Georgian doctors and scientists, mentioning Aleksandre Natishvili and the Institute, named after him, is associated with the name of Academician Nino Javakhishvili and vice versa. Nino Javakhishvili was gifted with an amazing ability of proper determination of the new scientific directions. She together with her disciples, took the experimental & morphological studies to the new levels of development, improved Georgian anatomical, histological, 4 embryological terminology, had published about 300 scientific papers and 9 monographs, including 43 publications abroad. Under her guidance and consultations, there were defended 27 candidate and 20 doctoral theses. The experimentally simulated studies of the pathologies by Mrs. Nino Javakhishvili as well as their significance subsequently had been confirmed many times by the international recognition of the works of Nino Javakhishvili and other scientists of the Institute of Morphology. Queenof GeorgianMedical Science With the personnel of the Institute of Experimental Morphology Researches Nino Javakhishvili's scientific works concern two major problems: the nervous system and the cardiovascular system. Namely, they are related to the development of blood vessels (angiogenesis) and the structural formation of peripheral nervous system. As Mr. Teimuraz Ghibradze notes: "Nino Javakhishvili is a brilliant experimenter. She, as the highest-ranking cardiac surgeon, neatly connects the smallest blood vessels and carries out heart transplantation". While studying spinal plexus and the sympathetic trunk, Nino Javakhishvili has revealed the fact of asymmetry and concentration, as the progressive index of the nervous system. The concentration reaches the highest rates in the innervational area of the right upper extremity. In addition to the general biological significance, these data have practical value for studying the pathologies of peripheral nervous system and for carrying out the recovery operations. The large part of Mrs. Nino Javakhishvili’s researches are dedicated to the development of the vascular system in ontogenesis and phylogenesis, in pathology and experiments. She has also studied the development of the capillary blood vessels of the brain of the human fetus 5 and in the first year of life. In the process of individual development, she has showen the conversion of the brain blood vessels from radial into the striatal. While studying changes of the angioarchitecture of the cerebral cortex, following knotting carotid artery, she has revealed that in spite of good collateral blood supply, the capillary network of the cerebral cortex is significantly different from the norm. She has also studied the angioarchitecturic changes following the cerebral cortex