Alla Vladimirovna Ovechkina

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Alla Vladimirovna Ovechkina was born on January 20, 1945, in Leningrad. She continued the professional legacy of her mother, a district pediatrician, by graduating from the Leningrad Pediatric Medical Institute in 1968. Dr. Ovechkina began a clinical residency at the Turner Research Institute for Pediatric Orthopedics in 1971, following three years of working at an outpatient clinic for children. Upon completion of her residency, she remained at the institute, where she has been employed for more than 50 years.

In 1982, she successfully presented her candidate dissertation entitled “Staged Correction of Scoliotic Spinal Deformity Using a Distractor: a Clinical and Experimental Study” and continued her studies in the field of prevention and conservative management of pediatric spinal disorders.

Between 1988 and 2025, Alla Ovechkina worked as an academic secretary. Her unending enthusiasm, diligence, and dedication to performing her duties with the utmost precision made her an invaluable assistant to several directors of the Turner Institute (later transformed into the H. Turner National Medical Research Center for Children’s Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery), including professors Fishchenko, Demyanov, Ovsyankin, Andrianov, Tikhonenkov, Pozdnikin, RAS Academician Baindurashvili, and RAS Corresponding Member Vissarionov. An academic secretary’s scope of work is inherently diverse and wide-ranging: preparing planning and reporting documents related to scientific activities, coordinating with the scientific departments of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Russian Academy of Sciences, and assisting the staff in diverse organizational and editorial matters. She has been instrumental in securing international and Russian recognition for the scientific achievements of the H. Turner National Medical Research Center for Children’s Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery.

Alla Ovechkina’s scientific research focuses on treating scoliosis conservatively. In her work, she serves not only as a clinician but also as a healthcare organizer. Many years of supervisory work at a specialized boarding school for children with scoliosis, along with the longitudinal observation of patients, enabled her to create diagnostic algorithms, conservative treatment guidelines, and rehabilitation plans for children with scoliosis of varying degrees of severity. Her research findings are presented in 170 scientific publications, including three monographs and four methodological guidelines for orthopedic surgeons.

Alla Ovechkina is a multidisciplinary professional with expertise in manual therapy and osteopathy. She possesses an exceptional understanding of the radiographic changes in growing children as well as the specifics of therapeutic exercise and physiotherapy for a diverse array of orthopedic disorders and the consequences of musculoskeletal injuries in pediatric patients.

At the H. Turner National Medical Research Center for Children’s Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Alla Ovechkina is an associate professor in the Department of Education and Methodology. Her sessions with clinical residents, discussions regarding the history of the institute and the biography of Heinrich Ivanovich Turner, as well as her lectures on medical ethics and deontology and scoliosis therapy, are consistently well-received.

Alla Ovechkina, as an experienced mentor, annually reviews papers linked to the defense of dissertations and the awarding of academic degrees and titles. She also edits scientific publications and reports authored by staff members, including those related to research projects conducted under the State Assignment of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

As a member of the editorial board of the journal Pediatric Traumatology, Orthopaedics and Reconstructive Surgery, Alla Ovechkina contributes to the peer review process, upholding rigorous standards for the quality and integrity of published articles.

The Russian government, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the institute’s management, and associates have all highly regarded Alla Ovechkina’s professional contributions. She has been awarded the honorary title “Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation,” the “Excellence in Healthcare” badge, the “For Merit to Healthcare” medal, the “For Merit to St. Petersburg” honor, and the Semashko medal. She has also earned multiple certificates and letters of appreciation. The Academic Council of the Institute has awarded her the title of Honorary Doctor of the H. Turner Institute.

Alla Ovechkina is renowned for her integrity, sense of duty, and commitment to her career. Her authority and diligence inspire the center’s staff to pursue new goals. She embodies a balanced integration of professional dedication and a profound appreciation for global culture, literature, and the performing arts.

We genuinely wish Alla Ovechkina excellent health and well-being, endless professional and creative success, and the enduring affection and respect of her friends and colleagues.

The team of the H. Turner National Medical Research Center for Children’s Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery.

Editorial Board of the journal Pediatric Traumatology, Orthopaedics and Reconstructive Surgery.

About the authors

Anna V. Zaletina

Author for correspondence.
Email: travmaortoped@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9838-2777
SPIN-code: 4955-1830

MD, PhD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)

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