Profesor Mossakowski (1929-2001)

 Mirosław Jan Mossakowski was born on 23 September 1929 in Bereza Kartuska. In 1953 he graduated with honours from the Faculty of Medicine at Medical Academy in Gdansk. As a student he already worked in the capacity of a demonstrator and an assistant at the Department of Normal Anatomy, after graduation he was an assistant at the Clinical Department of Neurology. In 1954 he started his doctoral course at the Department of Nervous System Histopathology (later Neuropathology) Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw under the supervision of Prof. A. Opalski, where he later continued his work as an assistant and assistant professor. In 1954-1962 he was a volunteer at the Clinical Department of Neurology Medical Academy (MA)   of Warsaw headed by Prof. I Petrusewicz-Hausmanowa. He was I (1958) and II Degree (1961) Specialist in neurology.

 In 1959-1960 he completed his post-graduate internship in clinical neuropathology at Montreal Neurological Institute under the supervision of Prof. W. Penfield and Prof. J. Olszewski. He   was awarded the PhD degree (1960) and ‘doktor habilitowany’ degree (1966) in medical sciences by the Council of the Faculty of Medicine MA in Warsaw. He managed the Laboratory of   Nervous Tissue Culture at the Department of Neuropathology and after the transfer to the Department of Experimental Pathology PAS he was appointed the head of the Laboratory of   Morphology.

In 1966-1967 he completed his specialist training in experimental neuropathology at National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness (Bethesda, USA), where he worked with I. Klatzo.

Since 1 July 1967, i.e., the date when Medical Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences was established, he was the Head of the Clinical Department (later on the Department) of Neuropathology (until 1987) and the Deputy Director for Scientific Research (till 1968). In 1968-1980 he was a deputy Secretary at the Faculty of Medical Sciences PAS. In 1971 he was awarded the title of an associate professor and obtained the title of a full professor in medical sciences in 1979.

He was a corresponding member (1973), Actual Member (1986), Secretary of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (1981-1995), Vice President (1996-1998, till 1997 also Scientific Council Secretary) and President (1999-2001) of Polish Academy of Sciences. Prof. Mossakowski was a thesis promoter for 8 PhD students and the supervisor of  22 ‘habilitation’ theses, a member of Scientific Councils at Medical Research Centre PAS and the Institute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering of PAS, Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, the Centre for Molecular and Macromolecular Studies PAS, Institute of Psychoneurology, and the Scientific Council for Medicine and Pharmacy at the Ministry of National Defence. In 1973-1982 he was a member of Central Council of Science, Higher Education and Technology (in 1973-1975 he was the Vice Chairman of the Section of Medical Schools). In 1973-1999 he was a member of the Central Qualification Committee for Scientific Staff at the Prime Minister Office.

He was a co-founder (Chairman of the Executive Board in 1972-1978 and 1991-1999) of Polish Association of Neuropathologists, a Founding Member and President of the Polish Neuroscience Society for two terms, a member of the Polish Neurological Society, Honorary Member of Polish Society of Pathologists and Polish Society of Cyto- and Histochemists. He was also a Founding Member of International Neuropathology Society (a member of its Executive Board in 1972-1976). He held the office of Vice President of International Neuropathology Society in 1976-1980. He was a corresponding member of American Association of Neuropathologists since 1960 as well as a member of the Neuropathological Working Group of the World Federation of Neurology, International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), World Confederation of Neurology, Iberian Society for Neuroscience, Board of Trustees of the International Danube Neurological Symposia and the European Federation of Neurological Societies. He also belonged to the team of international consultants Ciba Foundation for Promotion of Medical and Biological Sciences for 15 years.

Prof. was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the Medical Academies in Lublin, Gdansk, Bialystok, and Collegium Medicum of Jagiellonian University in Cracow. He was also a corresponding member of the Institute Mexicano de Cultura, a foreign member of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and a member of European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities.