As a science methodology supervisor, she supports the Gastroenterology Group, where students make great progress in their projects, and have already published papers. In addition to this work, she is also pursuing her own research in dentistry. In January, Dr. Eszter Szalai was named Science Methodology Supervisor of the Month.
Eszter Szalai joined CTM when the centre moved from Pécs to Semmelweis University. “At that time, I participated in a video meeting where Professor Peter Hegyi and Professor Gábor Varga presented the program to dentists. Right after that, I felt that this is the perfect place for me, and my later supervisor, Beáta Kerémi, also encouraged me to join. I initially joined the program as a PhD student, and later I took on the role of Science Methodology Supervisor.”
Although Eszter Szalai is a dentist, she assists the Gastroenterology Group as an SMS. She has group meetings with first-year students every week and with second-year students every two weeks. “I work with fantastic supervisors, and our work is also supported by junior supervisors. They are responsible for the gastroenterology part of the students’ research, while I focus on research methodology. I have to show students how to find and apply the best methods. My previous experience in dealing with this task is beneficial.” Most of the students’ topics are related to pancreatic diseases, but there are also topics related to triglyceride levels, prediabetes, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Two second-year students have had their articles accepted, and one has already been published. “Dorottya Tarján conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on identifying early predictors for infected necrosis in acute pancreatitis. The other student, Ruben Borbély, has a publication in the pipeline. His research focuses on the risk of developing splanchnic vein thrombosis in acute pancreatitis. His findings highlight the need for anticoagulation therapy and advanced imaging to become a routine component of acute pancreatitis therapy.” Eszter Szalai underlines the excellent teamwork of the Gastroenterology Group, and points out that the members, although all of them are working on huge projects, support each other.
In addition to her role as an SMS, Eszter Szalai also engages in her own research. She is currently summarizing her third project, a randomized, controlled trial protocol comparing two mouthwashes. “Our previous meta-analysis showed that chlorine dioxide mouthwashes are effective compared to a placebo, but we realized that few studies have examined their effectiveness against chlorhexidine. That’s why we want to compare this ingredient with chlorhexidine now. What I love most about translational medicine is that I can constantly develop, either with my own research or with students’ projects.”
(Szabó Emese)