Colleagues

Prof. Zoltán Vokó MD MSc PhD DSC currently works as the director of Center for Health Technology Assessment at the Semmelweis University, Budapest and as the medical director of 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. In 2011-2020 he was the chair of the Public Health Division of the Hungarian Professional College of Health Care. In 2015 he was elected as 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 of Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. Before moving to Semmelweis University in July 2019 he was the founder and co-director of an international master program in Health Policy, Planning and Financing at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE). Dr. Kaló is also the founder and leader of Syreon Research Institute, an international research corporation specializing in health policy, health economic modeling and technology assessment. He received Bachelor of Economics degree from the Budapest University of Economics in 1993; Medical Doctor degree from the Semmelweis University in 1995; MSc in Health Economics degree from the University of York in 1996; PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences degree from the Semmelweis University in 2006; and DrHabil degree from the Doctoral School of Eötvös Loránd University in 2011. He was promoted to full professor in 2014. He has 25 years of international experience in academia and industry, specializing in health systems design, HTA implementation, health economics and outcomes research, patient access and pricing policies of healthcare technologies. Dr. Kaló serves as a policy advisor to public decision-makers and global health care corporations. He is a Scientific Committee member of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (IMI2 JU). He was a Director of the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) between 2012-2014, and the Chair of ISPOR Central and Eastern European Network Executive Committee between 2013-2015. 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

Dóra Czintula currently works as the office administrator of the Center for Health Technology Assessment at the Semmelweis University, Budapest. She is a graduate of the University of Szeged (2022, 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

Csaba Istvánfi works as office administrator of the Center for Health Technology Assessment at Semmelweis University, Budapest.
He is responsible for the Center’s administration, and for  the management of educational affairs. E-mail: istvanfi.csaba@semmelweis.hu

Zsuzsanna Petykó MD MSc graduated from the University of Szeged as a medical doctor in 2017, she spent her medical internships mainly abroad gaining experience in the United States and Germany. In 2019, she received her master’s degree in health policy with a specialization in health economics from the Health Policy, Planning and Financing MSc program at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. She joined the Syreon Research Institute as a trainee in 2018 and since 2019, she has been working at the institute as a researcher. She started her PhD in the fall of 2019 at Semmelweis University in the Center for Health Technology Assessment under the tutorship of Prof Zoltán Kaló and Dr. András Inotai. Her main research interests are in the methods of health technology assessment of innovative, special health technologies (pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical) with particular interests in diagnostic imaging, value-added medicines, and digital health solutions. 

Ildikó Ádám graduated from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics as an economist in 2014. In 2017 she received her master’s degree in health policy with a specialization in health economics from the Health Policy, Planning and Financing MSc program at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. She started her career as a tax advisor in 2014. Currently, she is a tax manager at EY and the professional leader of EY Hungary’s Health Sciences & Wellness Sector Group. She started her PhD in the fall of 2020 at Semmelweis University in the Center for Health Technology Assessment under the tutorship of Prof Zoltán Kaló. Her main research interest is in the system of R&D grants and incentives in health sciences with a special focus on the effectiveness of financial incentives in the pharmaceutical industry from a health policy perspective.
E-mail: adam.ildiko@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

Manna Tóth earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Eötvös Loránd University in 2013. She obtained her master’s degrees in Economy from Corvinus University of Budapest in 2017 and from Central European University in 2020. She joined Syreon Research Institute in 2020 and she also started her Ph.D. this year at Semmelweis University in the Center for Health Technology Assessment under the tutorship of Prof. Dr. Zoltán Kaló and Dr. Balázs Nagy. E-mail: toth.manna@phd.semmelweis.hu

Dominika Dudás MSc graduated from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics with an MSc degree in Management and Leadership in 2017 and in Marketing in 2018 as an Economist. She is holding a Public Administration BSc degree from the University of Public Service. Between 2016 and 2021, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a Market Access Specialist in a regional role, covering Europe, the Middle-East and Africa. Her background includes working on the pricing and reimbursement decisions of cardiovascular, hospital and acute care and vaccines products. Since joining Syreon Research Institute in 2021 as a Researcher, her work primarily focuses on conducting systematic literature reviews and health policy research. In 2021, she started her PhD studies at the Center for Health Technology Assessment at Semmelweis University in Budapest under the tutorship of Dr. András Inotai. Her research interests are the payment models of potentially innovative high-priced therapeutic health technologies. E-mail: dudas.dominika@phd.semmelweis.hu

Ágota Mészáros MD graduated from Semmelweis University in 2019 as a medical doctor. She has been working as a preventive medicine and public health resident since 2019 at Semmelweis University Department of Public Health. She joined the Centre for Health Technology Assessment at Semmelweis University as a Phd student in 2021, under the tutorship of Prof. Dr. Zoltán Vokó. Her main research interests are health technology assessment of public health interventions and planetary health. E-mail: meszaros.agota@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 

Attila Imre is a PharmD-PhD student at Semmelweis University and is working as a trainee at Syreon Research Institute from 2023. During his studies, Attila engaged in impactful research at the Department of Organic Chemistry, focusing on employing machine learning techniques to predict peptide properties. He’s also played key roles in the Hungarian Pharmaceutical Students Association, including Vice President, enhancing its digital outreach notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. He began his PhD doctoral studies in 2023 at Semmelweis University in the Center for Health Technology Assessment under the tutorship of Dr. Balázs Nagy. His main research interests are early health technology assessment of advanced digital health technologies. E-mail: imre.attila@stud.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

Barnabás Kiss, psychiatric resident doctor, with an interest and degree in Business Administration and Management. His PhD research topic is the Early Health Technology Assessment and Business Plan Development of Digital Healthcare Innovations. The essence of the research is basically to develop a method, that can be implemented by start-ups and small enterprises with digital healthcare innovations. This method is aimed to help the enterprises to launch their product on the healthcare innovation market, including value capturing, market research, technology assessment, business, and monetary planning, on a scientifically backed way. He defines the research as a healthcare-business boundary area, which uses interdisciplinary communication, regular exchange of views, that provides the innovative environment and basis of the work. The research runs in cooperation with Research, Innovation and Development Institution, Pharmaceutical Sciences Doctoral School and the Center for Health Technology Assessment. E-mail: kiss.barnabas@stud.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

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

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