Colleagues

Zoltán Vokó MD MSc PhD DSC is a professor of epidemiology and currently works as the director of Center for Health Technology Assessment at the Semmelweis University, Budapest and is a lead partner at Syreon Research Institute. He is a graduate of the Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest (MD, 1994), the Erasmus University Rotterdam (MSc in epidemiology, 1996; PhD in epidemiology, 2000). In 2003 he got his license in preventive medicine and public health, and habilitated at the University of Debrecen in 2004. In 2014 he became a doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (DSc). He started his career as a trainee in neurology in 1994-1997 at the National Stroke Centre in Budapest. He has been working as an academic researcher and as a government official in the field of epidemiology and public health since 1998 in different positions: head of department of information policy (2003), director for public health (2004) in the Ministry of Health, director of the National Institute for Health Development of Hungary (2012-2013), course director of the postgraduate course in epidemiology between 2000-2008, associate professor and head of Division of Biostatistics & Epidemiology at the University of Debrecen (2005-2008), associate professor (2009-2014), professor of epidemiology and head of department (2014-2019) at the Department of Health Policy & Health Economics at the Eötvös Loránd University, medical director at Syreon Research Institute (2009-2011, 2013-2024). In 2011-2020 and 2023-2024 he serves as the chair of the Public Health Division of the Hungarian Professional College of Health Care. In 2015-2020 he was the chair of the Scientific Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on Preventive Medicine. Since 2017 he has been a member of the Presidential Health Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. E-mail: voko.zoltan@semmelweis.hu

Zoltán Kaló is a Professor of Health Economics at the Center for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of Semmelweis University in Budapest, where he is leading a PhD program in HTA. Previously he was the co-founder and co-leader of the first postgraduate training in health economics (MSc in Health Policy Finance and Planning with specialization in health economics) at Eötvös Loránd University. He is also the lead partner of Syreon Research Institute, an international corporation implementing research projects and capacity building initiatives in the fields of health technology assessment, health and food policy.

He has >30 years of international experience in academia and industry, specializing in health systems design, health care financing, health technology assessment, patient access and pricing policies of healthcare technologies.

Dr. Kaló serves as a policy advisor to public decision-makers, global health care corporations and scientific societies. Between 2016-2021 he was a Scientific Committee member of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), the largest public-private partnership of the European Union in the field of health care innovation. He was a Director and Board Member of ISPOR (the Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research) between 2012-2014, and received the Marilyn Dix Smith Leadership Award of ISPOR for his contribution to the society in 2021.

Selected list of publications:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/zoltan.kalo.1/bibliography/public/

 E-mail: kalo.zoltan@semmelweis.hu

András Inotai PharmD, PhD, DrHabil is a graduate of Semmelweis Medical University in Budapest (PharmD, 2007), the Eötvös Loránd Science University in Budapest (Diploma in pharmaceutical policy and pharmacoeconomics, 2008), the Semmelweis University School of PhD Studies in Budapest (PhD in Pharmacoeconomics, 2011) and the Eötvös Loránd Science University in Budapest (Habilitation in Sociology, 2018). Dr. Inotai is a principal researcher of Syreon Research Institute and the Head of Pharmaceutical Policy Research. He has more than 13 years of research experience in pharmaceutical policy, pharmacoeconomics, health technology assessment and patient reported outcomes. After being assistant professor at Eötvös Loránd University (MSc in Health Policy, Finance and Analysis) leading the modules of Patient Reported Outcomes, Pharmaceutical policy and Pharmacoeconomics, Dr. Inotai is now Associate Professor at Center for Health Technology Assessment at Semmelweis University. Dr. Inotai was the president of ISPOR Hungary Chapter between 2014-15 and member of the ISPOR Central Eastern European Network Executive Committee (2013-2017).  He was the coeditor of the ISPOR CEE Network Newsletter (2013-2017). He is author of 4 books, and nearly 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications in health economics and pharmaceutical policy. E-mail: inotai.andras@semmelweis.hu

Balázs Nagy MSc PhD, DrHabil graduated in Economics and Business Administration at University of Debrecen (MSc in 2000; PhD in 2009). Between 2000-2004 he worked at the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund and the Hungarian Ministry of Health, specialized in the field of managed care and health care finance. He spent the 2003-2004 school year with a doctoral fellowship at the University of Sheffield, ScHARR, followed by a 4-year joint research fellowship at the Corvinus University of Budapest and the University of Sheffield. He joined Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in 2009 where he was a leading lecturer of MSc in ‘Health Policy, Planning and Finance’ program over 10 years. He completed his habilitation at ELTE in 2019. Now he is an associate professor at the Semmelweis University, Center for Health Technology Assessment. He is an honorary research fellow at the University of Sheffield. Balazs has been a member of Syreon Research Institute since 2011; he is an owner and as the head of the Modelling Division, taking the lead in economic modeling-related activities. His further research interests are health technology assessment, health insurance, health policy, healthcare financing and risk-adjusted capitation payment. E-mail: nagy.balazs1@semmelweis.hu

Nagy Dávid MSc is a graduate of Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest (Sociology, 2017 and Survey Statistics, 2020 with specialization in biostatistics). He is a researcher of Syreon Research Institute focusing mainly on health economic modeling and data analysis. He is now a statistician at the Center for Health Technology Assessment at Semmelweis University. His main interests are related to innovating the data collections in the healthcare system, enhancing validity and reliability. E-mail: nagy.david@semmelweis.hu

Balázs Babarczy MA PhD graduated from the Paris Institute of Political Science (SciencesPo), with a Master’s in public affairs (specialization: health policy). He also holds a PhD in social policy from Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest), where he conducted research in the field of health policy reforms. He held various positions in Hungarian public health administration, leading evidence synthesis, data analysis, indicator development and policy development projects, before joining Syreon Research Institute as a senior researcher in early 2022. He is a regular consultant of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Structured Operational Research and Training IniTiative (SORT IT) programme. E-mail: babarczy.balazs@semmelweis.hu

Dora Czintula is the chief administrative officer of the Center for Health Technology Assessment at the Semmelweis University, Budapest. She is a graduate of the University of Szeged (2002, 2003). She holds a Master’s degree in French Language and Literature and in English Language and Literature; with a specialization in European Studies and Civilization. She holds a Master’s degree in Foreign Language Teaching. She is responsible for the Center’s administration, and for  the management of educational affairs. E-mail: czintula.dora.cecilia@semmelweis.hu

Said Wani Said Al-Rashdi is an Omani, professional with experience in the healthcare sector. He has held various roles within the Ministry of Health, specializing in medical supplies and procurement. Said’s career progression includes positions such as Director of Medical Supplies, Head of Medical Device Receiving Section, and Purchasing Officer.Said has also been actively involved in tender processes, comparative analysis, supplier communication, and international procurement collaborations.

Said holds a BSc in Pharmacy from Sindah University, a Master’s degree in International Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics from Cardiff University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Technology Assessment at Semmelwies University. His additional skills include health technology assessment, quality management, medication safety, and pharmaceutical care.

In addition to his professional achievements, Said demonstrates social skills through lecturing at Oman College of Health Sciences, involvement in the Oman Pharmaceutical Association, and leadership roles in health education and charity initiatives. email: said.rashdi@phd.semmelweis.hu

Dalma Erdősi graduated in 2017 with a degree in midwifery from Semmelweis University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing and Patient Care. After that, she obtained a master’s degree as a health care manager at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Pécs. She has been employed by University of Pécs since 2017, and has been working at the Health Technology Assessment Center since May 2019. She began her PhD doctoral studies in 2020 at Semmelweis University, as an employee of the Center for Health Technology Assessment, supervised by Dr. András Inotai. Her main research interest is the applicability of real-world data in improving medication adherence. E-mail: erdosi.dalma@phd.semmelweis.hu

Kristóf Gyöngyösi (PharmD) graduated from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Semmelweis University in 2023. Starting from September 2023, he is participating in the PhD program at the doctoral school of Semmelweis University, supervised by Dr. András Inotai. Since January 2022, he has been working and participating in research projects at the Syreon Research Institute. E-mail: gyongyosi.kristof@stud.semmelweis.hu

Attila Imre PharmD graduated as a pharmacist from Semmelweis University in 2024 and currently works as a Health Economist at the Syreon Research Institute. During his studies, he conducted research at the Department of Organic Chemistry, focusing on the application of machine learning methods in chemical and biological domains. In parallel with his academic work, he served as Vice President of the Hungarian Pharmaceutical Students’ Association, where he played a key role in strengthening the organization’s outreach, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attila began his PhD studies in 2023 at Semmelweis University’s Center for Health Technology Assessment under the supervision of Dr. Balázs Nagy. His main research interests include early-phase health technology assessment and data science. E-mail: imre.attila@stud.semmelweis.hu

Yelena Khegay is a family physician and public health specialist from Almaty, Kazakhstan with experience in clinical medicine and medical education. She graduated from medical school in 2007 with honors. She also holds an MPH from the Kazakhstan School of Public Health (2019) and an MSc in Health Policy, Planning, and Financing from Corvinus University of Budapest (2023), both with distinction. She has worked as a family doctor at the International Medical Center Almaty and has served as a consultant and educator for the Kazakhstan Association of Family Physicians (2017-2023). She began pursuing a PhD at Semmelweis University in the Center for Health Technology Assessment under the tutorship of Professor Zoltán Kaló and Dr. Sándor Kovács in 2025. E-mail: yelena.khegay@phd.semmelweis.hu

Ágota Mészáros, MD is a preventive medicine and public health specialist. She graduated as a medical doctor from Semmelweis University in 2019 and completed her specialist training in preventive medicine and public health at the Department of Public Health between 2019 and 2023. Since 2021, she has been a PhD student at the Centre for Health Technology Assessment, Semmelweis University, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Zoltán Vokó, and since 2024 she has been collaborating with the Technical University of Munich, Professorship of Public Health and Prevention. In parallel with her PhD studies, she has been involved in real-world data research at Semmelweis University since 2021. In 2024, she worked as a researcher at the Syreon Research Institute. Her main research interests include the health technology assessment of public health interventions, planetary health, and real-world data. 
E-mail: meszaros.agota@phd.semmelweis.hu

Thanh Tu Nguyen graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing Degree from Hanoi Medical University and a Master’s degree in Health Care Policy, Planning and Financing (with health economics specialization) from Eotvos Lorand University. She has professional experience in several roles, such as a teaching assistant at the Nursing faculty and the Public Health faculty, Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine, and a researcher at the Health Financing and Health Technology Assessment Department of the Health Strategy and Policy Institute, Vietnam Ministry of Health. She started her PhD in the fall of 2023 at Semmelweis University in the Center for Health Technology Assessment under the tutorship of Dr. Balazs Nagy. Her main research interests are in health technology assessment of cancer treatments and mental health treatments. E-mail: tu.nguyen@phd.semmelweis.hu

Zsuzsa Réka Pozsár graduated from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration (now Corvinus University) in 2003 as an economist and a business English teacher. She started her career in the pharmaceutical industry in 2006 and held different positions at various companies. In the fall of 2023, she began her PhD studies at Semmelweis University in the Center for Health Technology Assessment, supervised by Dr. Tamás Ágh, and she joined Syreon Research Institute as a policy researcher. Her main research area is the consideration of patient input in healthcare decisions. E-mail: pozsar.zsuzsa@phd.semmelweis.hu

Judit Somogyi graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest with a degree in Corporate Finance and Applied Statistics in 2007 as an Economist. In parallel to university, she started to work as a data scientist and consultant at a Hungarian-owned consulting company specializing in the pharmaceutical industry, where she gained extensive experience in using Real-World Data to drive and support business decisions. Between 2014 and 2024 she held different positions at pharmaceutical companies focusing on data utilization, combination and insight generation. Currently, she is working at Novo Nordisk in the regional Market Access Team. She joined the Centre for Health Technology Assessment at Semmelweis University as a Phd student in the fall of 2024, under the tutorship of Prof. Dr. Zoltán Vokó. Her main research interest is the utilization and harmonization of Real World Data coming from different sources in epidemiological research. E-mail: somogyi.judit@phd.semmelweis.hu

Judit Tittmann  MD graduated from Semmelweis University in 2006 as a medical doctor. She has been working as a family physician since 2011 and as a sport medicine doctor since 2017. She joined the Centre for Health Technology Assessment at Semmelweis University as a Phd student in 2022, under the tutorship of Prof. Dr. Zoltán Vokó. Her main interests are public health interventions, cancer prevention and control strategies. E-mail: aghne.judit@phd.semmelweis.hu