The 18th annual Semmelweis Symposium, entitled “Cellular Signaling in Physiology and Pathology”, took place on November 5-7 at the University’s Basic Medical Science Centre. Dedicated in honour of Professor András Spät’s 70th birthday, the conference featured a special celebratory event to mark this occasion.
Rector Tivadar Tulassay opened the three-day symposium, which featured 28 absorbing presentations by both national and international professors and researchers. Many of the attendees also took advantage of the opportunity to present their own research at the conference’s poster sessions.
A special highlight of the second day of the symposium was the presentation of the title of Doctor Honoris Causa to Professor Dr. Roger Y. Tsien from the University of California, San Diego. (A distinguished scientist, Dr. Tsien was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry – along with Osamu Shomomurava and Martin Chalfie – for the discovery and development of the Green Fluorescent Protein.) After receiving his honorary doctor title, Dr. Tsien gave a fascinating lecture entitled “Breeding and building molecules to spy on cells and tumors”, about a revolutionary diagnostic procedure he is currently working on developing.
The Semmelweis Symposium attracted over 570 interested participants from more than ten countries around the world, and attendees departed from the Basic Medical Science Centre at the end of the three days greatly enriched with new knowledge and a great experience.
(Translated by Gina Gönczi)
