Péter Csermely

Biography

He graduated at ELTE Apáczai Csere János Secondary School. In 1977 he began his studies at Eötvös Loránd University, where he gained his honours MSc degree in chemistry. One year later he got a dr. univ. rer. nat. title in colloidal chemistry. In 1988 he received a PhD in biochemistry. In 1994 he obtained a Doctor of Science in cell biology and medicine.

Scholarships and other activities

Between 1984 and 1985 he was a researcher at New York State University; in 1986 and 1987 he continued his studies at the Hannover Medical School. From 1989 to 1991 he worked as a Fogarty Fellow at the Harvard. After his postdoctoral fellowship years he became an assistant, associate and full-time professor at the Semmelweis University. Between 1993 and 1997 he spent almost a year with research in Tokyo. In 2000 he was a visiting professor of the Paris Diderot University. In 2012 he was a scholar of the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center.[5] From 2012 he is a member of the Academia Europaea from 2013 he is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

He was and is a member of several boards and committees of the Hungarian Science Foundation and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Between 2007 to 2009 he was the member of the Hungarian National Public Education Council. Between 2008 and 2010 he was a member of the Wise Persons' Council of the President of Hungary. He is a Fellow of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public.

His area of research area is related to the adaptation and learning of complex systems and their network descriptions. He is the author of 15 books and 250 scientific papers having more than 13,000 Google Scholar citations [6]. He serves as an Editor of Cell Stress and Chaperones, PLoS ONE, Oxford University Press Journal of Complex Networks, and (Nature) Scientific Reports.

Education

Master of Science (honours degree) 1982 Eötvös Loránd Univ. Budapest (chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry)

Ph.D. (summa cum laude) 1983 Eötvös Loránd Univ. Budapest (colloidal chemistry, cell biology)

Ph.D. (summa cum laude) 1988 Hungarian Academy of Sciences (biochemistry, immunochemistry)

Habilitation: 1994 Semmelweis University (medicine, biochemistry)

DSc.1994 Hungarian Academy of Sciences (cell biology, medicine)

Commissions and Boards

1986 - 96 Member of the Board of the Hungarian Society of Cell Biology (87-88, Acting Secretary; 93 - 96, Secretary of the Society)

1992 - 2001 Member of the Board of the Sümeg Membrane Symposia

1993 - Member of the Committee on Cell and Developmental Biology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

1994 - 97, 2007-10 Board member of the Hungarian National Science Foundation

1994 - 1999 Chairman of the all-European COST network B5 on non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)

1995 - 2001 Trustee of the Hungarian National Academy of Sciences

1995 - 2015 Hungarian Biochemical Society (secretary general 1995-2005, vice-president, 2005-2015)

1996 - 2008 Trustee of the Pro Renovanda Cultura Hungariae Fund

1996 - 2005 Member of the Committee on Clinical and Experimental Oncology of the Hungarian Council of Health Sciences

1997 - 2002 Member of the Cell Biology Review Panel of the Hungarian Ministry of Education Science Fund, 2000-2002 chairman of the Panel

1998 - 2000 Member of the Research Council of Gedeon Richter Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Budapest

1999 - 2001 Founding Secretary/ Treasurer of Cell Stress Society International

1999 - 2007 Editorial Board member of Biogerontology

2000 - 2007 Executive Board member of the Hungarian National Student Research Council

2000 - 2005 Chairman of the all-European COST network B17 on diabetes, obesity and aging

2000 - 2010 Member and the Editorial Board of the journal "Physician Education"

2002 - 2008 Member of the Hungarian UNESCO Committee

2004 - 2008 Elected participant of the sessions of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

2005 - 2007 President-elect, president and past-president of Cell Stress Society International

2005 - Member of the Committee on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

2006 - 2016 founding president of the Hungarian Talent Support Council

2006 Member of EU Young Scientists High Level Expert Group

2007 - 2008 Member of the Hungarian National Council of Education

2008 - 2010 Member of the Wise Persons' Committee of the President of Hungary

2010 - Editor of PLoS ONE

2011 - Editor of Cell Stress and Chaperones

2011 - Editor of (Nature) Scientific Reports

2012 - Editor of Systema

2012 - Editor of Oxford University Press Journal of Complex Networks

2012 Guest Editor of Seminars in Cancer Biology

2012 Guest Editor of Current Topics of Medical Chemistry

2012 - 2020 president of European Council for High Ability (2 terms)

2012 - 2014 Editor of PeerJ

2012 member of Academia Europaea

2013 member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

2013 - 2015 co-founder and member of the Advisory Board of Dzzom Co.

2014 - 2016 member of the Advisory Board of CX-Ray Co [7].

2015 - co-founder and member of the Advisory Board of Turbine Co [8].

2015 - 2018 member of the selection committee for the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center's resident fellows program

Honors and Awards

1976 Apáczai Commemorative Medal

National Chemical Competition, 2nd place

1977-1980 1st-3rd National Competition of Organic Chemistry, 2nd, 3rd places

9th, 10th International Competition of Analytical Chemistry, 2nd, 3rd places

1980-1982 National Scholarship of Higher Education

1981 Outstanding student of the Eötvös Loránd University

1983 Outstanding student of the Hungarian Higher Education

1986 Tankó Award of the Hungarian Biochemical Society

1988 Celebrity of the Week – Hungarian TV, channel 1

1989 Presidential Silver Medal of Outstanding Work

1996 Niveau Prize of the Hungarian journal, Nature

1996 Tivadar Huzella Award for the best science investigator of the Semmelweis University

1997 Széchenyi Award of Outstanding Hungarian Professors

1998 Best Science Educator of the Semmelweis University

1998 First BioTul Young Scientist Award

1999 Niveau Prize of the Hungarian journal, Nature

2002 Peter Pazmany Award (Pro Cultura Hungariae Fund)

2002 Anyos Jedlik Award (Hungarian Patent Office)

2002 Markusovszky Award for the best 2001 paper of the Hungarian Medical Weekly

2004 Best science communicator of the year (science journalist prize of Hungary)

2005 The Order of the Republic of Hungary, Knight’s Cross

2005 Golden Owl Award of the Hungarian National Student Research Council

2006 Példakép Award for being a role model in Hungary

2009 Master-teacher, an award for being an outstanding mentor of undergraduates

2009 Pro Talento (a golden pin for outstanding talent support)

2010 the talent support activity becomes a part of the national heritage of Hungary

2010 Széchenyi Society award

2011 Spirit of Budapest Award of the Cell Stress Society International

2011 Márai Award: the Hungarian translation of Weak Links has been selected as one of the best 250 non-fiction books in Hungary recommended to all Hungarian libraries

2011 Prima Award

2012 Merit Award of the Semmelweis University

2012 In memoriam Denes Gabor Award

2013 International Award for Creativity of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

2016 For Serving the talented people (life time achievement award of the Hungarian Talent Support Council)

2017 Cell Stress Society International: Senior Fellow

Current research support

National Science Foundation (Hungary, OTKA F5534; T17720; T25206; T37357, K69105, K83314, K115378) Adaptation of biological networks. 34000 EUR/year, 1992-2019, principal investigator.