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Tribute to E. Reiner
Chemico-Biological Interactions 203 (2013) 36
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Chemico-Biological Interactions journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chembioint
Tribute to Elsa Reiner (1930–2011)
At the opening of the XIth International ChE Meeting we gave the tribute to Dr. Elsa Reiner in honor of her important contributions to not only to the field of cholinesterases but also in organization of a series of international meetings. Dr. Reiner initiated and organized the first meeting in Split in 1975 and previous meeting in Šibenik, Croatia in 2009. Dr. Reiner was one of the central persons in our cholinesterase family having personal and scientific relationships with most of us. Elsa Reiner was born in Osijek (in 1930), but has lived in Zagreb since early childhood. She graduated (in 1953) and obtained her PhD degree in chemistry (in 1962) from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. In 1954 she joined the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, where she stayed until retirement (in 2000). Her research was primarily directed towards mechanism of cholinesterase catalysis and their inhibition by organophosphorus compounds. Studies of paraoxonases concerned their phenotypes particularly in the hydrolysis of organophosphates. Part of her interest was also monitoring of organochlorine compounds distribution in humans and environment. During her long scientific career, Elsa Reiner was often a visiting scientist in institutes outside Croatia. At the beginning of her career, Elsa Reiner spent one year as a fellow at the Medical School of the University of Ljubljana, and there after two years as a fellow at the University of Heidelberg where she received a scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Many years later,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2013.03.003
Elsa Reiner obtained the ‘‘Alexander von Humboldt Medaille’’ award from the same Foundation for her contribution to scientific and cultural collaboration between Croatia and Germany. Almost seven years, Elsa Reiner spent at the Medical Research Council Laboratories in Carshalton, UK, working with Norman Aldridge. This stay resulted also in writing a book ‘‘Enzyme Inhibitors as Substrates: Interaction of Esterases with Esters of Organophosphorus and Carbamic Acids’’ (North Holland Pub. Co. Amsterdam, 1972) with N. Aldridge, which is still considered a standard textbook by many who study enzyme kinetics and interaction between cholinesterases and organophosphorus compounds even many years after its publication. Elsa Reiner published about 100 scientific papers, 40 chapters in books or proceedings, and edited 13 books. Elsa Reiner was an associate member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She was a member of the WHO Expert Panel on Vector Biology and Control for almost three decades. Elsa Reiner greatly promoted the development of biochemistry in Croatia, and was a key person in founding the Croatian Biochemical Society. Among numerous obtained awards and recognitions, two awards will be singled out here. The Croatian Parliament honoured her with the ‘‘Award for Life-Long Contributions to Science’’ in 2001 - Boškoviæ and the Croatian Ministry of Science with the ‘‘Ruder Award for Natural Sciences’’ in 1973. Elsa Reiner left us on 5th July 2011, which resulted in a bouquet of immediate expression of condolences in the social network of the cholinesterase community when e-mails came from all over the world, proving the deep sympathy to the highly respected and beloved lady. She was a happy person who loved and enjoyed fully the work she excelled in. Even the last months of her life she dedicated her thoughts to organization of the meeting in Kazan. She would be pleased that her cholinesterase family gathered again and that communication she initiated almost 40 years ago is vivid and productive as one can see in this special issue on cholinesterases. We will remember and greatly miss her for her unstoppable enthusiasm, perfection and support. Dr. Zrinka Kovarik Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Chemico-Biological Interactions journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chembioint
Tribute to Elsa Reiner (1930–2011)
At the opening of the XIth International ChE Meeting we gave the tribute to Dr. Elsa Reiner in honor of her important contributions to not only to the field of cholinesterases but also in organization of a series of international meetings. Dr. Reiner initiated and organized the first meeting in Split in 1975 and previous meeting in Šibenik, Croatia in 2009. Dr. Reiner was one of the central persons in our cholinesterase family having personal and scientific relationships with most of us. Elsa Reiner was born in Osijek (in 1930), but has lived in Zagreb since early childhood. She graduated (in 1953) and obtained her PhD degree in chemistry (in 1962) from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. In 1954 she joined the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, where she stayed until retirement (in 2000). Her research was primarily directed towards mechanism of cholinesterase catalysis and their inhibition by organophosphorus compounds. Studies of paraoxonases concerned their phenotypes particularly in the hydrolysis of organophosphates. Part of her interest was also monitoring of organochlorine compounds distribution in humans and environment. During her long scientific career, Elsa Reiner was often a visiting scientist in institutes outside Croatia. At the beginning of her career, Elsa Reiner spent one year as a fellow at the Medical School of the University of Ljubljana, and there after two years as a fellow at the University of Heidelberg where she received a scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Many years later,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2013.03.003
Elsa Reiner obtained the ‘‘Alexander von Humboldt Medaille’’ award from the same Foundation for her contribution to scientific and cultural collaboration between Croatia and Germany. Almost seven years, Elsa Reiner spent at the Medical Research Council Laboratories in Carshalton, UK, working with Norman Aldridge. This stay resulted also in writing a book ‘‘Enzyme Inhibitors as Substrates: Interaction of Esterases with Esters of Organophosphorus and Carbamic Acids’’ (North Holland Pub. Co. Amsterdam, 1972) with N. Aldridge, which is still considered a standard textbook by many who study enzyme kinetics and interaction between cholinesterases and organophosphorus compounds even many years after its publication. Elsa Reiner published about 100 scientific papers, 40 chapters in books or proceedings, and edited 13 books. Elsa Reiner was an associate member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She was a member of the WHO Expert Panel on Vector Biology and Control for almost three decades. Elsa Reiner greatly promoted the development of biochemistry in Croatia, and was a key person in founding the Croatian Biochemical Society. Among numerous obtained awards and recognitions, two awards will be singled out here. The Croatian Parliament honoured her with the ‘‘Award for Life-Long Contributions to Science’’ in 2001 - Boškoviæ and the Croatian Ministry of Science with the ‘‘Ruder Award for Natural Sciences’’ in 1973. Elsa Reiner left us on 5th July 2011, which resulted in a bouquet of immediate expression of condolences in the social network of the cholinesterase community when e-mails came from all over the world, proving the deep sympathy to the highly respected and beloved lady. She was a happy person who loved and enjoyed fully the work she excelled in. Even the last months of her life she dedicated her thoughts to organization of the meeting in Kazan. She would be pleased that her cholinesterase family gathered again and that communication she initiated almost 40 years ago is vivid and productive as one can see in this special issue on cholinesterases. We will remember and greatly miss her for her unstoppable enthusiasm, perfection and support. Dr. Zrinka Kovarik Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health