Successful PhD Dissertation Defense within the Erasmus+ BERNICA Project

On May 12, 2026, the International Higher School of Medicine celebrated the successful PhD dissertation defense of doctoral graduate Yulia Shamilyevna Chyngyshpayeva.

The dissertation, entitled "Iodine Deficiency Disorders in Kyrgyzstan: Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Vulnerable Population Groups," was completed within the PhD programme in 561000 – Public Health and Medicine.

During the defense, the candidate presented the results of a comprehensive scientific study assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to iodine deficiency disorders among vulnerable population groups in the Kyrgyz Republic. The findings have significant practical implications for strengthening preventive interventions, improving public awareness, and developing evidence-based approaches to promoting public health.

The dissertation research was conducted within the framework of the Erasmus+ BERNICA (Building Educational and Research Capacities in Nutrition and Dietetics in Central Asia) project, which aims to strengthen educational and research capacities in nutrition and dietetics across universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The research closely aligns with the objectives of the BERNICA project by contributing to the enhancement of research capacity in Central Asian universities, advancing scientific research in nutrition and public health, promoting innovative educational and research approaches, and fostering regional and international collaboration through the exchange of best practices. The study also supports the project's overarching goal of promoting healthy dietary habits and preventing nutrition-related diseases to improve population health across the region.

The dissertation was supervised by:

• Keneshbek O. Dzhusupov, Candidate of Medical Sciences (PhD equivalent), Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Public Health, International Higher School of Medicine;

Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III, MD, PhD, Professor of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.