Wilhelm Einar Stellan Hjertén

Garbės daktaras / Honorary Doctor (Suteiktas vardas 2001-05-30)

Prof. Wilhelm Einar Stellan Hjertén is one of the most prominent contemporary authorities in the field of separation sciences, a student of Nobel Prize Winner Arne Tiselius. He has studied and worked at Uppsala University in Sweden and has contributed significantly to the establishment of modern chemical analysis laboratories at the VMU Faculty of Natural Sciences. He was awarded the title of VMU Honorary Doctor in 2001.

The rapid progress in biochemistry and related scientific fields is for the most part based on advancements in separation science, without which globally recognised projects such as The Human Genome Project would not have been possible. Molecular-level separation, molecular recognition, and the utilisation of intermolecular interaction differences to develop new separation methods are the key areas in which Prof. Hjertén has actively engaged.

Widely used methods such as zone electrophoresis, hydrophobic protein chromatography, and electrokinetic separations in capillary format—essential today for analysts and manufacturers in organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, food industry and technology, biochemistry, clinical chemistry, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, forensic science, and environmental research—were developed by Prof. Hjertén.

The collaboration between Dr. Audrius Maruška’s research group and Prof. Hjertén began in 1997. Since then, one to three university researchers and students have continuously worked at the Uppsala Biomedical Center. When Dr. Maruška started working at Vytautas Magnus University in 1999 with the goal of establishing instrumental analysis laboratories, Prof. Hjertén actively supported this initiative. Through joint efforts, three teaching and six research laboratories were opened at the VMU Dept. of General and Biological Chemistry.

In the autumn of 2000, Prof. Hjertén visited VMU, where he inspected the newly established laboratories, familiarized himself with the university, met with the leadership of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and the university administration, gave lectures, and participated in scientific seminars. Prof. Hjertén also agreed to deliver lectures on separation sciences for master’s and doctoral students at Vytautas Magnus University.

Based on information provided by VMU Library.