September 8, 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the outstanding scientist and teacher, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Head of the Department of General Hygiene and Ecology of the Razumovsky Saratov State Medical University, Professor, Dr Sci. (Med.), Yuri Yu. Eliseev (figure).

The paper describes the main stages of the Professor's activities throughout the entire period of his scientific and pedagogical work. In different periods, the areas of the Yu.Yu. Eliseev's activities changed in accordance with the current demands and challenges of the time.

Our aim was to describe the Professor Yu.Yu. Eliseev's research and teaching activities in order to demonstrate their importance and relevance.

Yuri Yuryevich was born in Saratov on September 8, 1955 in the family of the military officer. On September 1, 1972, he entered his first year of the medical faculty of the Saratov Medical Institute (SMI). In 1978–1981, he studied full-time as a postgraduate student at the Department of Hygiene of SMI under the supervision of Professor Evgeny V. Shtannikov.

In those years, E.V. Shtannikov was Head of the Department of General Hygiene, the main areas of activity of which were water supply hygiene and scientific basis of environmental hygiene. Professor E.V. Shtannikov founded a novel research area: hygiene of ion exchange resins and economic importance of those for water supply hygiene. He developed the construction of domestic electrical deionizer desalination plants.

In 1981, Professor Yu.Yu. Eliseev defended his candidate thesis “Study of the hygienic Efficiency of Water Treatment Plants in Terms of Pesticide Transformation Products” ahead of schedule at the Erisman Moscow Research Institute of Hygiene. In 1981–1986, he was an assistant at the Department of Hygiene of SMI. In 1986, he was elected as a senior research fellow at the All-Soviet Research Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe”.  In 1990, he was awarded the academic title of senior research fellow in the specialty “Microbiology”. The same year, Yu.Yu. Eliseev was appointed Head of the Department of Preventive Drugs at the Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe”. In 1994, in the Research Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe” (Saratov), he successfully defended his doctoral thesis “Improvement of the Oral Tablet Cholera Vaccine”. In 1998, he was elected by competition to the position of Head of the Department of General Hygiene at the Saratov State Medical University (SSMU). In 1999, he was awarded the academic title of Professor of Hygiene. In 2002−2007, Yu.Yu. Eliseev worked as a Vice-Rector for Science, and then as a Vice-Rector for Public Relations and Educational Work at the Razumovsky Saratov SMU. Today, Professor Yu.Yu. Eliseev, Dr Sci. (Med.), is Head of the Department of General Hygiene and Ecology at the Razumovsky Saratov SMU.

When working at the Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe”, Yu.Yu. Eliseev was the first to demonstrate a considerable difference in estimates of the effects of parenteral and oral cholera vaccines on the development of the anti-cholera immune response in laboratory settings, then in pre-clinical and clinical trials. The immunological effectiveness, harmlessness and immunological safety of the new chemical bivalent tablet cholera vaccine were proven for the first time during vaccination and revaccination of adults, adolescents and children; the optimal vaccine doses necessary to develop the immunity were determined [1]. As a result, Yu.Yu. Eliseev together with the team under his direction ensured introduction of the novel bivalent tablet cholera vaccine into healthcare practice (invention patent RU 2159128 С1, 20.11.2000). Mass production of the vaccine was organized. Today, it is successfully used in the Russian Armed Forces.

The cycle of the research work on the sanitary and toxicologic assessment of the acetylacetonates of iron, cobalt, chromium used in the glass industry done at the Department made it possible to determine safe levels of those in environmental objects, to develop and introduce the “List of Estimated Safe Levels (OBUV) of Hazardous Substances” approved by the Ministry of Health of the USSR (№ 12-21а/198 dated 4.10.1983) [2, 3]. Among other research projects managed by Yu.Yu. Eliseev, the study focused on determining the levels of aflatoxin М1 in cow milk and safety of cow milk sales by the districts of the Saratov Region should be highlighted. It was found that the levels of aflatoxin М1 in milk in the region did not exceed its maximum permissible concentration (MPC = 50.0 ng/kg). However, in a number of districts of the Saratov Region the average aflatoxin М1 concentrations were 2−3 times higher than the MPC (20.0 ng/kg) regimented for dairy products produced for baby food [4, 5]. This research study was supported by grant of the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research.

The large-scale study of the environmental and hygienic situation in districts of the Saratov Region in terms of the possibility of the presence of ecotoxicants in environmental objects made it possible to determine the priority pollutants of water objects, soil, and air of 38 studied districts of the Saratov Region [6−8]. The data obtained during implementation of this research project provided the basis for a number of further promising research works focused on the objective hygienic assessment of the impact of environmental factors on public health and the development of the system of preventive measures.

Professor Yu.Yu. Eliseev still conducts large-scale research work. Under the leadership of Yuri Yuryevich, a new scientific hygienic school was founded, which is based on the priority areas of fundamental and experimental medical and preventive research in the field of hygiene, ecology, and immunology. Under the direct supervision of the professor, more than 50 doctoral and candidate theses have been prepared and successfully defended. Among his dissertators there are directors and deputy directors of the research institutes (A.N. Mikerov, Dr. Sci. (Med.), I.V. Kutyrev, Cand. Sci. (Med.)), Heads of the Rospotrebnadzor directorate, their deputies, heads of departments (N.N. Pavlov, Cand. Sci. (Med.), S.V. Sergeeva, Cand. Sci. (Med.), N.A. Merkulova, Cand. Sci. (Med.)), heads of university departments (Professor I.N. Lutsevitch, Dr. Sci. (Med.), S.Yu. Chekhomov, Cand. Sci. (Med.)). Modern research managed by Professor represents a priority corresponding to the area of science 3.4 ”Preventive Medicine” and is part of the fundamental and exploratory research (3.4.1) aimed at developing health preservation technologies in accordance with the “Programme for Basic Scientific Research in the Russian Federation for the Long-Term Period (years 2021−2030)” (Order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 31.12.2020 № 3684-r).

Yu.Yu. Eliseev is the author of more than 530 scientific works, including 76 monographs, textbooks, and teaching aids [9, 10]. He contributed to introduction of 32 copyright certificates for inventions, Russian Federation patents, certificates for registration of electronic databases, computer programs [11−13]. Professor is the author and co-author of a number of production regulations, pharmacological articles, and instructions for the use of new preventive medical immunobiological drugs (vaccines and diagnostic serums) that are used or included in the country’s mobilization reserve, hygienic regulatory documents — OBUV (estimated safe levels of hazardous substances) approved by the Ministry of Health of Russia.

For 15 years, Yuri Yuryevich was a member of the expert council for medical and preventive sciences of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Russian Federation, representing the following specialties: “Hygiene” (3.2.1) and “Allergology and Immunology” (3.2.7). Professor Yu.Yu. Eliseev worked in dissertation councils at the Orenburg State Medical University in the specialty "Hygiene"; Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe” of Rospotrebnadzor in the specialty "Epidemiology”. He is currently a member of the dissertation council at the Volgograd State Medical University in the specialty "Hygiene".

Yu.Yu. Eliseev initiated the launch and became an active Head of the Department of General Hygiene and Ecology at the Razumovsky SSMU, two postgraduate courses in the specialties “Hygiene” and “Allergology and Immunology”.

Yuri Yuryevich is a member of editorial boards of seven journals, among which six are in the list of HAC RF: Russian Bulletin of Hygiene (Moscow), Saratov Scientific Medical Journal, Postgraduate Bulletin of the Volga Region (Samara), Volgograd Scientific Medical Journal, Science and Innovation in Medicine (Samara), Archives of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (Donetsk).

Significant research carried out under the leadership of Yuri Yuryevich, high achievements in scientific and teaching areas, and his leadership talent were recognized with state awards at various levels. Professor Yu.Yu. Eliseev has honorary titles “Honored Inventor of the Russian Federation”, “Honorary Worker of Higher Education of the Russian Federation”, “Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation”, medals “For Strengthening Military Cooperation”, “Participant in the Emergency Situation Liquidation”, “100^th Anniversary of the Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute “Microbe”, “100^th Anniversary of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Russia”, “Silver medal named after P. Ehrlich”. Numerous diplomas, certificates of honor and letters of gratitude emphasize the impeccable work, the enormous creative contribution to preventive medicine, and the great social work.

The results of the Professor Yu.Yu. Eliseev’s work presented have made it possible to respond to numerous challenges faced by scientific community in different years, and the vector of the research and teaching work he has set is promising in terms of solving hygienic problems and resolving the issues of training and education.

On behalf of our colleagues, we congratulate Yuri Yuryevich on his next anniversary and wish him strength and health to continue his creative, scientific and pedagogical work for many, many years.