Team

Lithuania | Germany | Poland |  For the Family Foundation

Prof. Dr. Linas Rovas

Prof. Dr. Linas Rovas is an obstetrician-gynecologist, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, and Head of the Women and Children’s Clinic at Klaipėda University Hospital (Lithuania). He has extensive clinical and academic experience in obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine. In the FASD-Bridge project, he acts as clinical lead, contributing expertise in maternal and fetal health and supporting interdisciplinary collaboration on prenatal risk factors affecting child development. He obtained his PhD at Lund University (Sweden) and has worked and trained in several European countries. He has authored numerous scientific publications and is involved in postgraduate medical education.
Research interests: fetal neurological development, fetal monitoring during labour, perinatal health.

Augusta Petruơaitė, MD

Augusta Petruơaitė, MD is an obstetrician-gynecologist and Head of the Obstetrics Centre at Klaipėda University Hospital (Lithuania). In the FASD-Bridge project, she contributes expertise in maternal and prenatal care, supporting activities related to the prevention and early identification of prenatal risk factors affecting child development. She has extensive experience in obstetrics and perinatal care and is actively involved in strengthening regional maternal health services. She is Chair of the Klaipėda Regional Branch of the Lithuanian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the Perinatology Committee of the Lithuanian Ministry of Health.
Research interests: neonatal neurological disorders and neurological changes in newborns related to prenatal risk factors.

RĆ«ta Ć uipienė, MD

RĆ«ta Ć uipienė, MD is a neonatologist and Head of the Neonatology Centre at Klaipėda University Hospital (Lithuania). In the FASD-Bridge project, she contributes expertise in neonatal health and the early identification of developmental risks in newborns, supporting collaboration between obstetrics, neonatology, and child health specialists. She has more than eight years of clinical experience in neonatology and newborn intensive care. Dr. Ć uipienė is a board member of the Lithuanian Neonatology Association representing the Klaipėda region in Lithuania.
Research interests: ultrasound diagnostics in neonatology and early detection of neonatal neurological conditions.

Darius Martinkus

Darius Martinkus is a project management and strategic planning specialist with extensive experience in public sector development and investment planning. In the FASD-Bridge project, he serves as project administrator, supporting implementation, documentation management, financial monitoring, and administrative coordination. He has many years of experience in strategic planning and the administration of EU-funded projects, contributing to regional development and investment initiatives.

Professional interests: strategic planning, EU-funded projects, regional development, and project management.

Violeta Smiley

Violeta Smiley is a project manager with more than 10 years of experience in project management, financial analysis, and risk management. In the FASD-Bridge project, she serves as project coordinator, supporting project planning, implementation, reporting, and coordination between project partners. She has experience managing complex international projects across different sectors and focuses on effective collaboration, financial oversight, and successful delivery of strategic initiatives.

Professional interests: project management, organizational development, healthcare innovation projects, and international collaboration.

Lithuania | Germany | Poland |  For the Family Foundation

Team | Germany:

Prof. Dr. Matthias Heckmann

After serving as a senior physician in neonatalogy and paediatric intensive care at the university of Giessen for a decade, Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Heckmann has been W3 Professor and head of Neonatalogy and padediatric Intensive care at the university Medicine Greifswald, since 2012. He is board-certified in paediatrics, neonatalogy, paediatric intensive care and paediatric pulmonology and is a prominent expert in adrenal steroid metabolism in critical illness and birth cohort research. At Greifswald, he is the principal investigator of the “Survey of Neonates in Pomerania (SNiP I and II)” birth cohort studies where he has further developed their database and biobank. Owing to passion for translational research, he – in close collaboration with experimental neuroimmunology – has established laboratory research on neuroprotective effects of sex steroids in the immature brain and on the neonatal immune system.

Prof. Heckmann is the board member of the Research Association Community Medicine, PI of the DZKJ partner site Greifswald/Rostock, former president of the 2018 GNPI annual meeting, and work package leader in the FASD-BRIDGE (Interreg South Baltic). He is also committed to supporting early-career researchers and has supervised numerous doctoral candidates in his scientific journey.

Dr. Sabrina Koop

has been a specialist in paediatrics and adolescent medicine since 2021, with a focus on neonatology since 2024, and is currently undertaking further training to qualify as a specialist in paediatric intensive care medicine. In addition, she is the head of the Neonatology Breast Milk Bank and the child protection officer for the Centre for Paediatrics at the University Medical Centre Greifswald (Germany).

In addition to her specialist expertise in neonatology, she brings to the FASD Bridge project experience from her work in child protection and the associated skills required for effective crisis communication. As a link between the various departments, she also promotes collaboration between obstetricians, neonatologists and paediatricians.

Other professional interests: Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Antibiotic Stewardship.

Dr. Sharif Mortoga

Before taking the role as scientific coordinator for FASD-Interreg Project at University Medicine Greifswald (UMG), Dr. Sharif Mortoga worked as a scientific officer at the German Federal Institute (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute) where he coordinated an EU-funded project focused on Animal Welfare with partners from Germany, Denmark, Netherlands and Spain. Following his Ph.D in Cancer Biology, he pursued his first post-doctoral fellowship also at UMG, where he pursued exclusively wet lab-based research. After several years away, the dynamic colorful Hanseatic city; Greifswald- that sits on the Baltic Sea shore – coincidentally drew him back😊.

Within the FASD-BRIDGE project, his overarching goal is to bridge together the fields of clinical research with natural sciences and foster true interdisciplinary collaboration

Lithuania | Germany | Poland |  For the Family Foundation

Team | Poland:

Dr. Aleksandra Lewandowska-Walter
– psychologist, Assistant Professor at the Department of Family and Quality of Life Research at the Institute of Psychology, University of GdaƄsk. She specialises in the psychology of family relationships, particularly in crisis situations, which she analyses from a systemic perspective. Her research focuses on the bonds between children and parents in conflict, and on the dynamics of family relationships and sibling relationships following parental separation. She is the author and co-editor of numerous academic publications and a co-developer of diagnostic tools for assessing family relationships. She has experience in providing expert opinions on family and juvenile criminal cases for the courts, as well as in providing systemic counselling for couples and families.

Dr. Anna JarmoƂowska

is a psychologist, psychodynamic psychotherapist, and assistant professor at the Department of Family and Quality of Life Research, University of GdaƄsk. She is a member of the International Academy of Family Psychology and the International Association for Relationship Research. Her work focuses on developmental and family psychology, with particular interest in adoptive families and couples experiencing infertility. She collaborates with organizations including the Adoption and Care Center in GdaƄsk, the GdaƄsk Center for Psychological Support for Children and Youth, and the Pomeranian Center for Psychotraumatology. She integrates research with clinical practice and serves as a court expert at the District Court in GdaƄsk.

Dr hab. Maria KaĆșmierczak, prof. UG

is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the Institute of Psychology, University of GdaƄsk, and Head of the Division of Family Studies and Quality of Life. Her research centers on empathy, couple relationships, and psychological processes during the transition to parenthood, integrating developmental, social, and health psychology perspectives. She has extensive international and interdisciplinary research experience, including projects on empathy, parental responsiveness, perinatal mental health, and childbirth. Her work advances understanding of parental adaptation, prenatal bonding, and family wellbeing. She has published widely in leading international journals on relationships, parenting, and perinatal mental health.

Prof. dr hab. MaƂgorzata Lipowska,

professor of psychology in Institute of Psychology at University of Gdansk in Poland. From 2009 licensed as a clinical child psychologist, from 2019 licensed as children and youth psychotherapist, by the Minister of Health, since 2014 also a Provincial Consultant for Clinical Psychology in Pomerania Voivodeship on behalf of the Minister of Health. Director & Lecturer of the post-graduate programs in Early Support, Education and Therapy for Children and Youth with Developmental Disorders and Applied Behavior Analysis: teaching children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the University of Gdansk. Her research interest focus on Developmental Psychology, Clinical Child Psychology and Body Image from developmental and clinical perspective.

Jolanta Mrozek-Kwiatkowska,

coordinator of international R&D projects. In recent years, she has been mainly involved in projects under the Interreg South Baltic program. She supports their preparation and implementation. Particularly, she deals with projects related to sustainable development. Master of Science, certified project manager with extensive experience in research, development and educational projects carried out in cooperation with the socio-economic environment. She has been implementing EU-funded projects for 20 years, working at the University of GdaƄsk since 2016. Currently holds the position of chief specialist at the Faculty of Social Sciences. In the past, she used to work in business and also ran her own company.

Monika WielgĂłrska

has been working at the Institute of Psychology for three years. Her responsibilities include administrative and organizational support of the Institute office, handling financial matters, and preparing class schedules. In the FASD-Bridge project, she provides administrative support and co-creates the project’s Facebook profile.

 

Lithuania | Germany | Poland |  For the Family Foundation

Team | For the Family Foundation - Poland:

Joanna Skurska

– Director of the Adoption Center, holds a Master’s degree in Pedagogy, trainer of the PRIDE and FAMILY programs, completed training in systemic family therapy, and certified mediator.

Joanna Berdys-KochaƄska

– Director of the “For the Family” Foundation, completed postgraduate studies in pedagogy (teaching qualifications) and postgraduate studies in Care and Educational Pedagogy with Social Prevention; trainer of the PRIDE – Family Foster Care and PRIDE – Adoption programs; currently undergoing training in psychotraumatology.

Alicja Kasica-Nowakowska

– holds a Master’s degree in Psychology, trainer at the School for Parents, psychotraumatologist, and psychotherapist working in systemic family therapy. She has experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families, as well as in crisis intervention.

Anna Kulka-Dolecka

– holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and is a psychotraumatologist. She is currently completing a four-year comprehensive Gestalt psychotherapy training program (having completed the second year). She completed postgraduate studies at the Academy for the Development of Coaching Skills and a basic course in Solution-Focused Therapy. She is also a trainer at the School for Parents. She supports individuals experiencing grief at the eMOCja Holistic Support Center after Loss. She has experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families.

Joanna Mudra

– graduate of Social Work (specializing in family assistance) and Care and Educational Pedagogy. She has professional experience as a social worker at the Municipal Family Support Center (MOPR) in GdaƄsk, where she supported adults and their families in social and professional activation. She also has experience working with families and children.

Aleksandra Obuchowicz

– holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and has experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. She completed Level I and Level II training in Solution-Focused Therapy. She also works at St. Wojciech Hospital in GdaƄsk, where she supports patients in crisis and conducts psychoeducational workshops for families.

Agnieszka Zwara

– holds a Master’s degree in Psychology with a clinical specialization in psychotherapy and is also an art therapist. During and after her studies, she worked in a preschool and primary school operating in the spirit of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Her work in educational settings provided her with experience not only in working with children, but also with parents and the entire family system. She completed a psychology internship at the eMOCja Center, supporting individuals who experienced the loss of loved ones.

Katarzyna Ɓytkowska

– holds a degree in Marketing and Management. She has experience in administrative work, organizing training courses and conferences, as well as in promotional activities and project management.

Lithuania | Germany | Poland |  For the Family Foundation