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Nodar Gogebashvili

The Academician Nodar Gogebashvili’s passing on February 21, 2024 is a tremendous loss to the

Georgian medical community. Dr. Gogebashvili was one of the founders and the Vice President of

the Academy of Medical Sciences of Georgia. Dr. Gogebashvili’s medical area of focus was

immunology. During his career he has written about 500 scientific works, which have been published

in internationally recognized scientific journals and collections.

Nodar Gogebashvili actively participated in various international conferences, including those in

Georgia, Russia, France, Italy, Germany, and other countries. The development and organization of

many of these events were led by Dr. Gogebashvili. He also had a long tenure as the director of the

scientific-research institute of physiatry and pulmonology under the Ministry of Health of Georgia.

He was also the head of the scientific programs of the Institute of Critical Medicine of Georgia and

the chairman of the thesis board. In addition, Nodar Gogebashvili founded the Scientific Society of

Immunologists of Georgia, of which he was the first president for many years. Under his leadership,

157 scientific dissertations were successfully defended for obtaining the degree of candidate of

medical sciences and the Doctor of Medical Sciences. In addition, Nodar Gogebashvili raised

generations of young Georgian immunologists, whose representatives are successfully working in

leading scientific centers and clinics of Georgia and other countries today. Academician Nodar

Gogebashvili was a humble and noble person. He was known for being a devoted and loving friend,

husband, father, and a grandfather. Academician Nodar Gogebashvili's name will forever remain in

the memory of the medical community of Georgia and other countries, and his work will become an

example for the next generations of young doctors as the best example of selfless and impeccable

work.

Nodar Gogebashvili was born in Tbilisi on August 2, 1930. He completed his secondary education

with highest honors in 1948 and graduated from Tbilisi State Medical Institute in 1954. Per decision

of the Medical Institute Scientific Board, he began his post graduate study at the faculty of

Microbiology immediately following the graduation. From 1962 to 1996 he worked at the Georgian

Scientific Research Institute of Tuberculosis, where he advanced professionally, holding several

different positions, including Head of the Laboratory Department, Senior Scientist of the Clinical and

Immunological Department, and Director of Georgian Scientific Research Institute of Tuberculosis.

In 1995, Dr. Gogebashvili was elected as Chair of the Department of Immunology and Allergology

of Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy. After the reorganization of the Institute in 2005, he served as

a Professor at the Microbiology Department. In 1961, he defended his Candidate dissertation and in

1970, completed his Ph.D. dissertation titled “Histochemical and Immunological Factors during

Tuberculosis,” which was recognized as the best dissertation of the year and was also published as a

monograph. In the initial stage of his career, Dr. Gogebashvili studied and determined peculiarities of

bacteriophage during radial disease. Later on, he began wide-scale research in the area of the

immunology of tuberculosis. He was the first among scientists to characterize the cell structure

containing tuberculosis antigens and the dynamics of their distribution, as well as the cell origins of

antibody formation and cell transformations that took place not only in lymph tissues, but in lung

tissues as well. This research led to the development of the hypothesis on lungs being an

immunocompetent organ. Dr. Gogebashvili’s targeted and innovative research set apart various

phases of tuberculosis infections along with clearly defining their immunological and immune-

morphological changes, which significantly contributed to the immunology of tuberculosis. Among

Dr. Gogebashvili’s research, his work on the peculiarities of autoimmune processes in relation to

type 1 collagen during tuberculosis psoriasis, periodontitis, and other pathologies is of significant

importance. His works discuss current topics of practical and theoretical relevance in immunology

and infectious diseases and are published in different parts of the world. They are also often

referenced in a number of articles, monographs, and textbooks of Georgian and international

scientists and are cited as literature sources by other prominent researchers and scientists. Most

recently, Lambert Academic Publishing (LAP), academic book publishing company in Germany,

published Dr. Gogebashvili’s monography titled “Pathogenesis of Periodontitis: Molecular,

Subcellular, and Cellular Aspects”. This monography is based on the data analysis of research

illustrated in the dissertations of Dr. Nino Gogebashvili and Dr. Lali Jashi under. Dr. Gogebashvili’s

mentorship as well as various respective literature dated from 1965 to 2016. The monography reflects

data in periodontology about molecular, subcellular, and cellular mechanisms of immune reactions at

the time of inflammation. It illustrates a detailed discussion of various immune reactions, such as

phagocytosis, lysozyme, saliva bactericide, cytokines, interleukins, formation of antibodies, and cell

reactions. The monography discusses the role of collagen. More precisely, it addresses the

mechanisms of the autoimmune process formed as a result of type I collagen during periodontitis and

corrective measures. The work analyses data on cell metabolism affected by endogenous redox

system. It also talks about the role of reactive species (oxygen, nitrogen, and lipids) in redox

homeostasis and antioxidant gene transcription, which control the immune response, proliferation,

differentiation, and bioactive molecular activity (antioxidants, immuno-active peptides, NO-synthase,

etc) and determine physiological and pathological condition as a whole and in particular in oral

cavity (recurrent ulcers, cancers in oral cavity, leukoplakia, and periodontitis). The publishing

company appreciated an opportunity for a productive collaboration and published the book on April

10, 2016. It is included in the German national library catalog (https://portal.dnb.de) and is also

available in other parts of the world. Dr. Gogebashvili has organized and taken part in many

international conferences. In 1991 at a congress meeting in Budapest, per request of the Presidium of

International Association of Psychiatrists and Pulmonologists, he presented a lecture on the

significance of pathogenic, diagnostic, and prognostic changes in the immune system and respective

immunotherapy during specific and nonspecific lung diseases. In 1995, Dr. Gogebashvili received a

certificate from the International Olympic Committee for the lectures delivered to sports medicine

staff. In 1993, together with other prominent scientists, Dr. Gogebashvili took part in the

development of an international program promoting efforts against tuberculosis. In 1994, he led the

same effort in Georgia and developed a program against Tuberculosis. Dr. Gogebashvili is a founder

of immunological research in Georgia. He has dedicated over 55 years to the medical academia and

civil activity. He has educated several generations of immunologists and advised 157 Candidate and

Ph.D. dissertations. Dr. Gogebashvili is an author of 347 scientific works and 4 monographs. In

1983, he was elected as a member to the Scientific Board of Immunology of the USSR Medical

Academy Council. In 1984, Dr. Gogebashvili founded a Georgian Society of Immunologists and was

soon after elected as its President. From 1997 to 2006, Dr. Gogebashvili served as a Chair of the

Association of Allergologists and Clinical Immunologists. In 2006, he became the President

Emeritus of this association. In 1994, Dr. Gogebashvili was elected as an Academician of the

Academy of Medical Sciences of Georgia. He simultaneously served as a member of the Academy

Council and the Head of the Department of Theoretical Sciences. In 1994 and 1995, Dr.

Gogebashvili was elected as the Academician of the Academy of Medical Biology and the Academy

of Ecological Sciences, respectively. In 1998, Dr. Gogebashvili was elected as the member of the

International Association of Immunorehabilitologists. In 1991, for the outstanding success achieved

in his scientific, social, and academic career, Dr. Gogebashvili was awarded the title of Designated

Emeritus Research Fellow. For his active participation in enforcing peace, Dr. Gogebashvili was

awarded the Golden Medal of Soviet Peace Fund in 1989. In 1994, Dr. Gogebashvili was awarded

the Zaza Phanaskerteli Medal of the Association of Georgian Medical and Scientific Societies. In

1999, Dr. Gogebashvili was awarded with the Insignia of Honor. In 2021, he was elected as the Vice-

president of the Georgian Academy of Medical Sciences.