“Following in my father’s footsteps, I graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry in 1983, but already during my university studies I became interested in teaching, anatomy, and related nervous system research, so I embarked on this career path and continued my dental practice in the family office, a private practice,” recalled Dr. Gábor Gerber.
After completing his research period in the United States, the dean continued his work in Hungary at Semmelweis University, taking up teaching in addition to his research. He taught anatomy, histology, and embryology, which were still part of a single subject at the time, to dental students as well as medics attending the Faculty of Medicine (ÁOK).
In 2010, he was elected vice-dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, and in 2015, he became dean. “During this period, we significantly developed PhD programs to train the next generation of scientists and launched the translational medicine program. My nephew Peti (Assistant Lecturer Dr. Péter Tajti) also began his scientific training at this time,” the dean recalled, adding that the roots of dentistry as a family tradition spanning several generations could be traced back to the family’s private practice in Újpest, currently run by his sister and brother-in-law. This practice was founded by his grandfather in 1921 as a dental laboratory, and every member of the family involved in dentistry has worked or continues to work here. The dean, who has three specialized exams, also provides dental care himself, happy to treat patients who have been under his care for decades.
In addition, they have had connections spanning several generations with the district dental clinic on Madách Square. This was the workplace of Dr. Alajos Gerber, and it also served as an external teaching site for Semmelweis University, where the dean’s father treated patients besides teaching students and dental assistants from the Faculty of Dentistry. “I also completed most of my first summer internship there,” the dean said, emphasizing that his father was passionate about teaching, which he did at a very high level.
“He was full of innovative ideas and thoughts. In the 1980s, when periodontology was still in its infancy, he established the first periodontal disease department here and was the first to assess the dental health of the district’s residents with his colleagues,” the dean recounted, noting that it was the stories and experiences shared at the dinner table that ultimately convinced him to apply to the Faculty of Dentistry.
“Later, however, I turned my attention to neuroscience, anatomy, and education, as I found this field more exciting. What’s more, I had first-hand experience of how exhausting it was to spend the entire day standing at the dental chair, as my parents worked at the district dental clinic while also seeing patients at their practice in Újpest until the evening. This is how I chose what used to be called the Department of Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine after graduation (where I still teach today) and obtained an academic degree in neuroscience. It was a fortunate combination of opportunities and desires, as I was able to further develop my dental skills through various courses,” Dr. Gábor Gerber pointed out.
The dean also mentioned that his commitment to active sports comes from his family. His mother persistently accompanied him to various training sessions: As a child, he skated, then pursued swimming and kayaking competitively, later turning to running, completing a marathon at the age of 50, then an Ironman. He currently competes in triathlons and is also head of the Semmelweis University Sports Club Leisure Sports Section.
He worked with his father in the family practice until 2000, when Dr. Alajos Gerber, who had also earned a degree in theology in the meantime, started devoting all his time and energy to religious education. In 2019, nineteen years after they had finished working together, Dean Dr. Gábor Gerber presented his father with his diamond jubilee degree. As he said, remembering the solemn moment:
It was touching and uplifting when my father and I embraced each other at the presentation of the diamond jubilee degree. – Dr. Gábor Gerber
The Semmelweis thread runs through the family in many layers. Dr. Gábor Gerber’s wife originally started her career as a computational mathematician, then completed the Specialist Training Course in Mental Health at Semmelweis University. Of their four children, two chose teaching and the other two engineering, but the family’s ties to the university were further strengthened when the dean’s daughter-in-law graduated from Semmelweis as a dietitian and his sons-in-law as a physical education teacher and a doctor. His niece also became a doctor here, but he is particularly pleased that his nephew, Dr. Péter Tajti, remained at the university after graduation.
“I have always been interested in biology, medicine, and healing, but the fact that I ultimately chose the Faculty of Dentistry was largely due to my insight into the work of my aunt and uncle. They also treated my teeth. In addition, my mother and I did a lot of crafts together, and dentistry is a meticulous field that requires manual dexterity, so my personal interest in biology and healing, my manual dexterity and family background, and the knowledge that dentists also heal and create, all came together,” recalled Dr. Péter Tajti, Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Prosthodontics, speaking about the circumstances surrounding his career choice. If it was going to be dentistry, then his choice was clearly to be Semmelweis University – a decision in which the university’s good reputation and the personal experience of his family members weighed heavily.
During his studies, he focused on bone replacement in his thesis as part of his Students’ Scientific Conference (TDK) work. “After graduation, I definitely wanted to obtain a professional qualification, and I saw that Semmelweis would give me the most comprehensive knowledge, so I stayed at the university. When I joined the Department of Prosthodontics, I got the hang of teaching and grew to love it,” explained Dr. Péter Tajti, adding that in the long term, he considered the combination of teaching and private practice to be the most attractive path. He chose prosthodontics and implant prosthetics as his PhD research topic, examining various materials science aspects and prosthetic design elements. “Gábor helped me a lot, both professionally and personally. He inspired me to pursue scientific work, and it meant a lot to me then and still does now that we can discuss professional dilemmas together,” Dr. Péter Tajti noted.
He never felt disadvantaged by being the dean’s nephew, and no one ever made disparaging remarks about how he had it easier. In fact, as he mentioned, his family connection is not widely known in his circle. “I am proud that Péter overcame the obstacles very well and earned his position as an assistant lecturer under Professor Péter Hermann on his own merits,” added Dr. Gábor Gerber.
As is evident throughout the conversation, strengthening family and university ties is a priority for both of them.
We are all proud to have graduated from Semmelweis University, we understand each other, we know what we are talking about when it comes to university and professional matters. – Dr. Péter Tajti
Dr. Gábor Gerber stressed the value of togetherness and belonging to a community, as well as the joint effort to enhance the university’s reputation, pointing out that the solidarity among alumni greatly promotes the reputation and recognition of major Western universities as well. “This trend is also becoming increasingly strong at our university and in our family,” he concluded.
Anita Szepesi
Translation: Dr. Balázs Csizmadia
Photos by Boglárka Zellei – Semmelweis University; Zoltán Tuba – Képszerkesztőség
