Dr Barbara Tomik, who died on November the 12th, 2010, was an assistant professor of Neurology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.
She graduated in medicine in 1986 from the Jagiellonian University, and afterwards joined the Department of Neurology where she decided to devote herself to motor neuron diseases. Fifteen years ago she established the first Clinic for ALS patients in southeast Poland. During that time she became a well known expert in comprehensive diagnostic service for these patients.
Dr. Tomik's research interests are reflected in 41 publications. These include a number of studies focused on clinical aspects of ALS, in particular dysarthria and dysphagia. She was a member of an international working group who established clinical guidelines for ALS.
Her interest in ALS genetics began with a population genetics study carried out with Dr. Nigel Leigh and colleagues. She subsequently collaborated with Drs. Agnieszka Slowik, Andrej Szczudlik, and Denise Figlewicz, undertaking molecular genetics studies of the Polish ALS patient population to identify risk genes—most notably the paraoxonase gene family. In recent years, she contributed to a number of genetics studies as part of international collaborations or consortia.
She was married to Jerzy and had two sons.
“Basia“ will be remembered as a cherished colleague, a loving wife and mother, and as a woman with great intelligence, a wonderful sense of humor, and a profound passion for living. She is greatly missed by all those who knew her.