The Hungarian Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology celebrated its 50th anniversary with a three-day international conference held between September 19 and 21, 2012. The Society’s president, Dr. Zsuzsanna Fürst, is professor emeritus at Semmelweis University’s Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy.
The opening day of the jubilee conference was held at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Six internationally recognised scientists, all of whom have nurtured an intensive and highly successful scientific collaboration with the Hungarian Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, were elected honorary members of the Society: Dr. Thomas Griesbacher, Dr. Dirk van Helden, Dr. Pál Pacher, Dr. Patrizia Romualdi, Dr. Vinod P. Shah and Dr. Sándor Szabó.
The first day of the conference continued with a series of invited lectures from three outstanding scientists: Dr. József Knoll, honorary president of the Hungarian Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Dr. Szilveszter Vizi, former president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and of the Society, and Dr. Ingolf Cascorbi, Chair of the Pharmacogenetics Section of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology.
A series of opera arias performed by pupils of the internationally acclaimed soprano Éva Marton brought a marvellous end to the day’s programme.
The conference’s main patrons were Dr. József Pálinkás, president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Dr. Miklós Szócska, state secretary for Health, while Dr. László Vécsei, President of the Section of Medical Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Dr. Ágoston Szél, rector of Semmelweis University served as its patrons.
Pálma Dobozi
Translated by Gina Varga-Gönczi
