Visiting Professor Program by the Head of the Department of Nervous Diseases of Asfendiyarov KazNMU in Yaroslavl
As part of the academic mobility program, Saule Tleubergenovna Turuspekova, Head of the Department of Nervous Diseases of Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, conducted master classes and delivered lectures to 1st- and 2nd-year residents and junior faculty members at Yaroslavl State Medical University.
Within the framework of the Memorandum of Cooperation between Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University and Yaroslavl State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, an educational program was implemented, covering educational, clinical, and research activities. This program was carried out by Visiting Professor Saule T. Turuspekova — Head of the Department of Nervous Diseases and Chief Neurologist of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The visit to Yaroslavl took place at the invitation of the Rector of YSMU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, MD, Professor A.L. Khokhlov.
The Visiting Professor Program of Professor Turuspekova was conducted in person from June 24 to June 30, 2025. It included lectures, master classes, seminars, and scientific-methodological sessions for residents, postgraduate students, instructors, and practicing physicians.
Professor Turuspekova delivered a series of lectures and practical sessions on cognitive impairments in chronic cerebral ischemia and dementia, focusing on early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of various types of dementia — including Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. In addition to current theoretical insights and recent research findings, she presented up-to-date key recommendations from the WHO and the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI). These emphasized the growing role of primary care physicians in both pre-diagnostic assessment and long-term management of dementia to ensure timely diagnosis and early access to cost-effective interventions aimed at slowing cognitive decline and improving quality of life for patients and their families.
Health systems must invest in and improve diagnostic capacity to enable accurate diagnosis and eliminate the high rate of misdiagnosis in patient care. Even in cases of severe chronic illness, early diagnosis and a comprehensive treatment approach significantly improve patient prognosis and life expectancy.
The outcomes of the Visiting Professor Program include the implementation of joint scientific projects, enhancement of collaborative publication efforts, development of joint educational materials and manuals, participation in international scientific and practical conferences, co-supervision of student research projects, and continuing professional development.
In particular, a training cycle titled “Demyelinating Diseases of the Nervous System in Children and Adults” was delivered for healthcare professionals. A joint scientific project — “Cognitive and Psychoemotional Disorders in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders: Epidemiology and Biomarkers” — was carried out, culminating in a joint presentation and publication of abstracts at the 9th Middle East and North Africa Congress for Multiple Sclerosis held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The leadership of Yaroslavl State Medical University — including Rector A.L. Khokhlov, Vice-Rector D.S. Kasatkin, and Head of the Department of Nervous Diseases with Courses in Neurosurgery and Medical Genetics, N.N. Spirin — expressed their sincere gratitude to Professor Saule T. Turuspekova for her significant contribution to the development of productive international collaboration between the two universities.
