He is drawn to physiology, pharmacology, and especially psychopharmacology, and he sees himself becoming a psychiatrist who combines research with clinical practice. Despite being a fifth-year medical student, he has exhibited exemplary knowledge on his topic and has made significant progress with his project. Amit Lucatz was honored with the Excellent Student Award by the Centre for Translational Medicine.
Amit Lucatz, a fifth-year medical student at Semmelweis University, joined the MD-Ph.D. program at CTM this academic year. He had already been interested in research work in previous years, prompting him to apply to become a TDK student. “I joined the Cognitive Translational Behavioural Pharmacology Group as a TDK student, where I worked with rodent models and was introduced to foundational translational medicine literature. That experience broadened my perspective and sparked my interest in translational psychiatry. I see myself becoming a psychiatrist who integrates research with clinical practice.”
Amit is currently working with a great team investigating the role of D2 and D3 partial agonists, specific types of antipsychotic medication, in substance use disorders. This topic is highly important because these problems affect approximately 200 million people globally. Current therapies are not effective enough for this problem, and patient adherence is poor. In addition, relapse rates are estimated at 40-60%. Therefore, it is particularly good news that D2/D3 partial agonists have shown potential in reducing craving and substance use, especially in dual diagnosis scenarios. Amit aims to investigate their efficacy in these problems. In his second project, he is comparing the efficacy of different pharmacotherapies in PTSD. This topic is also of great importance because post-traumatic stress disorder affects 4-6% of the global population, and its prevalence is increasing due to ongoing conflicts and climate-related disasters that are increasing trauma exposure. In light of this, it is particularly concerning that current therapies show modest efficacy, with only a 39% response rate.
Amit says that conducting research alongside medical studies is challenging and requires flexibility from both the medical curriculum and his PhD commitments. With adaptability, proper planning, and the support from close friends, it is doable. In this regard, he receives valuable support from his supervisors and from the team of CTM. “I am extremely honored to be joined on this journey by my professional and kind supervisors, Anna Szűcs and János Réthelyi, and to receive the methodological guidance and support of my SMS, Amir Makolli. I am also grateful to work with our dedicated project student, Hasika Parthasarathy, and our professional statistician, Karen Fazekas. Working with such a supportive team is the greatest achievement. I hope our early steps will one day translate into patient benefit.”
(Emese Szabó)