Unica Sport Science International Conference / Personal archive photo
From June 19 to 21 this year, Valentina Ginevičienė, an associate professor at the Department of Human and Medical Genetics of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University (VU MF), and Margarita Olga Sivačiova, a third-year undergraduate student in the Physiotherapy program, presented their research results at the Unica Sport Science International Conference (USSIC) at the University of Cagliari (Università degli Studi di Cagliari) in Italy (Sardinia).
The UNICA Sport Science International Conference is an annual event aimed at bringing together sports science professionals and researchers from Europe and around the world. One of the main parts of the conference focused on the genetics of physical activity, discussing molecular adaptations and risk factors for sports injuries.
During the conference, the Sports Genetics Symposium took place, where prominent scientists from around the world discussed current trends and issues in sports practice, medicine, and genetics. In the plenary session of the Sports Genetics Symposium, Assoc. Prof. Valentina Ginevičienė delivered an oral presentation titled “Genetic Profile of Elite Sprint and Endurance Athletes,” while the physiotherapy student M. O. Sivačiova presented a poster titled “New Insights about the Role of Myokines in the Context of Physical Performance: A Bibliometric Analysis” in the Young Researchers’ Sports Medicine and Health section. The student was awarded 2nd place for the best poster presentation in this section.
Overall, the conference consisted of 4 main sessions, 6 poster presentation sessions, and practical workshops, with approximately 60 scientific works presented. These were evaluated by top-level scientists and specialists from Italy, South Africa, Japan, Poland, and Lithuania.