Viktória Barna, an international expert at the Centre for Translational Medicine (CTM), has been pivotal role in expanding Academia Europaea (AE) Clinical and Veterinary Science Section and fostering collaboration between AE and Semmelweis University. With a background as an agricultural engineer and a dietitian as well as a triathlete, she has a personal interest in sports research. Beyond 12-13 weekly training hours and her work, she is also pursuing a Ph.D. in the Sport & Space Pharmacology and Nutrition Research Group at CTM, led by the distinguished AE member Péter Ferdinandy. In May, Viktória Barna was named Staff Member of the Month.
After earning her degree in agricultural engineering, Viktória worked for nearly a decade in agricultural administration, playing a significant role in ensuring European Union funds reached Hungarian farmers. The skills and experience she gained in Hungarian and European public administration and project management have proven invaluable at Semmelweis University. “I learned how large organizations operate, the essentials of good project management, and how to build processes in a huge and complex environment. I am proud that I contributed to my country by helping farmers access essential resources.”
However, as a long-distance triathlete, her interest gradually shifted towards sports and sports nutrition. She graduated as a Dietitian at Semmelweis University. During her studies she joined the Translational Medicine Program first as a project student and later as a part-time international expert. “When I started to work at CTM in 2022, the section had around 120 members. Through systematic development, we now have about 360 members. We launched Eurostat project in collaboration with the distinguished researchers of AE, Semmelweis University and CTM PhD students. We accredited Semmelweis University as a research organization with Eurostat, granting us access to non-public microdata for research purposes. Currently, five projects are running there, each providing crucial background data for research topics that CTM researchershave also utilized, but the opportunity to join with new projects is open to any university researcher. I’m very proud of this project because Eurostat is a highly bureaucratic organization, and obtaining accreditation and research permissions wouldn’t have been possible without my nearly ten years of experience in European public administration and management.”
Her project management skills were also instrumental in writing and assembling the Marie Curie Cofound proposal. “This is another project I’m proud of. As far as I know, no other Hungarian university has been able to submit such a proposal. I successfully enlisted partners such as the University of Leuven, the University of Amsterdam, and several major pharmaceutical companies.”
What matters most to Viktória is synergy in her life. Having successfully completed six long-distance Ironman races (3,8 km swim – 180 km bike – 42 km run) and Balaton Supermarathon in pair (195 km run in 4 days), she understands the critical importance of nutrition and scientific research in sports. She starts her Ph.D. studies in 2023 in the Sport & Space Pharmacology and Nutrition Research Group, led by Péter Ferdinandy. “This is an incredibly exciting journey in the world of sports and space science and it’s an honour to work with such an esteemed scientist.”
(Szabó Emese)