Metabolic Diseases and Cell Signaling Group

(MEDICS)

Group members

Staff scientists

Tamás Csont, MD PhD, associate professor, institutional “TDK” coordinator

· Curriculum Vitae

· Publication list (Google Scholar)

· Hungarian Doctoral Council

Csaba Csonka, MD PhD, associate professor

· Curriculum Vitae

· Publication list (Google Scholar)

· Hungarian Doctoral Council

Renáta Gáspár, MSc, PhD assistant professor

· Curriculum Vitae

· Publication list (Google Scholar)

Gergő Szűcs MD, PhD

· Curriculum Vitae

· Publication list (Google Scholar)

PhD students

Virág Demján, PharmD, 2^nd year

Petra Diószegi MSc, 2^nd year

Márton Szabó, MSc, 2^nd year

Andrea Sója, MSc, 3^rd year

Technician

Ilona Ungi

Undergraduate students

Mónika Kovács, 6^th year medical student

Zsuzsa Kovács, 6^th year medical student

Anna Vincze, 6^th year medical student

Vivien Csitkovics, 6^th year medical student

Fanni Magdolna Márványkövi, 3^rd year medical student

Dóra Halmi, 3^rd year medical student

Research interest

In the last few decades, there was an explosive increase in the number of people diagnosed with metabolic diseases including obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and chronic renal failure, worldwide. It is well known that metabolic diseases have adverse effects on the metabolism. Metabolic diseases significantly increase the incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases which are the leading cause of death amongst adults in the Western world. Thus, our research group is interested in the pathomechanisms of metabolic diseases at a molecular level in different organs. Our main focus is on the myocardium and its adaptive mechanisms. Additionally, we are interested in the development of cytoprotective and cardioprotective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies as well.

Techniques available in the lab

Induction and treatment of metabolic disease models (hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure etc.) in experimental animals, assessment of cardiac morphology and function (echocardiography, PV catheter), isolated heart perfusion according to Langendorff and working heart perfusion according to Neely, determination of infarct size, induction and maintenance of cell cultures, viability assays, transfection, general biochemical methods to determinate metabolites, proteins and nucleic acids (Western blot, ELISA, PCR, histochemistry, flow cytometry, spectroscopy etc.).

Research field and PhD thesis proposals

Topics for Student's Research Association (TDK) and MA thesis proposals

Best TDK awards of our students in the last decade

Pro Scientia Gold Medal

Márton Pipicz – 2011

Tímea Szegi – 2011

Tamás Baranyai – 2013

OTDT Presentation Award

Tamás Baranyai – 2013

OTDK Awards:

Zoltán Varga, Csaba Tölgyesi – 2007: Special Award, 2009: 3^rd Price

Márton Pipicz, András Boros, Miklós Nógrády – 2011: 1^st Price

Tímea Szegi, Domitilla Kovács – 2011: 1^st Price

Tamás Baranyai – 2013: 1^st Price

László Kis, Márton Pipicz – 2013: Special Award

Master Teacher Gold Medal of the National Scientific Students' Association

Tamás Csont MD PhD – 2011