Dr. Krisztián Kvell, vice-dean for General Affairs, Science and Innovation, places a large emphasis on encouraging and supporting the professional development of young educators. With this position, he can strengthen the integration of biotechnology education and research.
The leadership of the Faculty of Pharmacy underwent changes on October 1, 2023. Dr. András Fittler replaced dr. Lajos Botz as dean, and dr. Zsuzsanna Rozmer, dr. Krisztián Kvell and dr. Szilárd Pál will support his work as vice-deans. Their final appointment happened in May 2024.
“The leadership of the Faculty of Pharmacy is made up of the dean and his vice-deans (relations, education and science), and the employees of the dean’s office. I am the member of the team responsible for scientific and innovation tasks. Thanks to a thematically focused, almost 15 year-long scientifically active and productive time period, I was able to hand in my doctoral and university lecturer application to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) last year. I believe that the scientific dedication and endurance helped a lot in this. With this viewpoint, attitude and fresh experience in the field, I would like to support, encourage and promote the professional development of your educators at the faculty” – said dr. Krisztián Kvell about his position.
The vice-dean for general affairs, science and innovation has a medical degree, he has specialised in immunology and has a lot of experience in teaching biotechnology; this he does mostly at the Pécs Faculty of Pharmacy, mostly in English. As he explained, the education profile of the faculty has become wider and more colourful since the start of the Biotechnology BSc course in 2022.
“Aside from the usual tasks of vice-dean for science, practicing interdisciplinary sciences in foreign languages is a shared part of my former work and the expectation of the Biotechnology BSc course. With my appointment, the integration of biotechnology education and research can be strengthened at the Faculty. Naturally, specific goals can also be listed here on the goals- and indicator map of the University of Pécs” – he emphasized.
Dr. Krisztián Kvell is active as a research supervisor for multiple undergraduate research society (TDK) topics. About his field of research, he told us that his MTA application is about the molecular analysis and medical biotechnology influencing of the aging of the immune system (specifically the thymus).
“Aside from this, our workgroups are collaborating on other fields as well, for example in nanotechnology (UPFP), sports sciences (UPMS, UPCC, UPFNS) and food biotechnology (Soft-Flow). We can also stand our ground internationally, for example in the collaborative development of a diagnostic system (Thermo Fisher Scientific)” – he added.
The work of the vice-dean was recognised with an Innovation Award in medicine, health and physiology in 2023 by the University of Pécs. The award was for the results of complete immune status determination from dried blood; the national use-case of this diagnostic method was developed in collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“This is a very nice research field. Thermo Fisher Scientific has developed a highly sensitive tool, for which we have collaboratively adapted a newborn-diagnostic method. Thanks to the sensitivity of the equipment, we can determine the status of the immune system (the degree of operation of the thymus) even from a singular, dried drop of blood, allowing for early diagnosis of some rare genetic immune deficiency states (which could be life-threatening), that require early treatment. This method can also be used for the simple analysis and tracking of the working of the immune system (the thymus) in adults as well. The medical need for such a method was formulated at a professional forum in Autumn 2022, and it was completed by Spring 2023. The collaboratively developed method will soon be published as a ‘white paper’, and we are hoping for market opportunities” – summarised dr. Krisztián Kvell the research.