Researcher Spotlight: Edgars Kuka

Ph. D. Edgars Kuka, Researcher at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry. Edgars Kuka is a researcher at the Wood Degradation and Protection Laboratory of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry.

His work is dedicated to understanding how various environmental factors, including moisture, microorganisms, and solar radiation, affect the properties of wood materials and how innovative solutions can extend their service life, making the use of biomaterials broader and more sustainable. His research promotes more efficient use and protection of wood as an environmentally friendly material.

Dr. biol. Ingrīda Andersone, Head of the Experimental Hydrobiology Department

Ingrīda Andersone is working at the Institute for 30 years, since its establishment. Most of this time has been devoted to studying underwater habitats and marine ecosystems. Her work involves analysing living resources, biodiversity and the human impact on the Baltic Sea, with particular attention to ecological processes beneath the water surface.

Mg. art., Mg. soc. D. Baltiņa is Director of the National Library of Latvia.

The scientist is also a lecturer at the Latvian Academy of Culture, former Secretary General of the UNESCO National Commission of Latvia, an internationally recognized cultural heritage expert with extensive experience at UNESCO. Her professional interests focus on the role of libraries in societal planning, well-being and development. Since 2018, she has led the Special Collections Department of the National Library of Latvia, developing scientific research work and the organization and management of special collections, leading the largest research projects and grants, for which high national and international recognition has been received, ensuring international representation at UNESCO, CERL, LIBER, Europeana, cooperation with other world libraries, and leading the National Library of Latvia event series "500 Years of Latvian Books".