Recognition of Achievements in Lithuanian Science: VU Professor Evaldas Kazlauskas Elected to the Board of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Professor of Psychology Evaldas Kazlauskas, the Vice-Dean for Science at the Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University (VU), was elected to the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) Board of Directors.

The ISTSS is one of the largest international organisations of psychotraumatology, whose worldwide mission is to advance science-based knowledge about traumatic stress. Prof. Kazlauskas was elected a Board Member of the ISTSS in recognition of his significant contribution to the research and treatment of trauma, post-traumatic stress, and stress-related challenges. The fact that a researcher from VU sits on the Board of an influential international organisation is also a testament to the high recognition of research performed at VU and an acknowledgement of Lithuanian science in general.

Being an ISTSS Board Member will enable Prof. Kazlauskas to participate in making strategic and scientific decisions that impact the organisation’s operations globally. Prof. Kazlauskas hopes that his activity on the ISTSS Board will contribute to promoting national research funding, strengthening research infrastructure, and collaborating with other countries.

The ISTSS Board shapes and implements strategies for treating and preventing traumatic stress in Europe. Therefore, this participation in the ISTSS Board’s activities will enhance VU’s position in the international academic arena.

Prof. E. Kazlauskas is the Head of the Center for Psychotraumatology of the Faculty of Philosophy of VU and one of the leading experts in Europe within the field of trauma and stress disorders. He is the author or co-author of over 100 scientific articles and a Full Member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (academician).

From 2010 to 2016, Prof. E. Kazlauskas was the President of the Lithuanian Psychological Association; from 2013 to 2020, he was the President of the Lithuanian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the President of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) from 2021 to 2022. In 2023, Prof. E. Kazlauskas was awarded the Lithuanian Science Prize for his research on psychological stress.

The ISTSS is a global organisation uniting researchers, clinicians, scientists, policy-makers, and other specialists of different professions and scientific fields who focus on research, training, and treating trauma, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other stress-related psychological conditions.

Recommendations made by the ISTSS often become the basis for the practice of national healthcare systems and individual therapists. The Society’s research and recommendations are used to inform public policy in the field of health, particularly in relation to the mental health issues caused by traumatic events, such as wars, natural disasters, or violence.

Published by the ISTSS, “The Journal of Traumatic Stress” brings together the latest research and discoveries. The ISTSS also organises international conferences, seminars, and training, thereby contributing to the dissemination of the latest methodologies and best practices.