The Roots
Once upon a time, neither in the Wild West nor in North Carolina, but around a corner of the Karolina street in Budapest, when the high-speed internet was 64Kbit/s, ordinary people formed a fellowship to make fun and to investigate phenomena associated to various diseases. Their fight with resistance of cancer cells, cystic fibrosis, and national laws transformed them to extraordinary humans (they possibly can be called heroes, but sometimes they were called simply outlaws) and they made a significant impact on their fields at the international level. Importantly, the environment provided a safe place for discussions on any scientific and non-scientific topics in spite of the pretty different views on religious, philosophic, political, and scientific issues. They also put emphasis on training scientists for and people of the next generations.
They have also realized the importance of the Connection, therefore they built an own network, when the default connection was regularly overflowed from 10 AM. Balázs Sarkadi suggested biomembrane.hu as the name for their domain. Lajos Kalmár and me (Tamás Hegedűs) launched a linux server, which was hacked in 24 hours. Then Gábor Tusdnády helped in securing and also became a system administrator, when the internet speed reached 512Kbit/s. Finally, after the era of Zoltán Ondrejó, the responsibility of the system fall back to me.
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| Sarkadi, Balázs |
Váradi, András
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| Balázs Sarkadi, MD, Ph.D., spent several years as a post-doc and then as a visiting scientist at major universities in the United States and Canada. He is research professor at Semmelweis University, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, past president of FEBS, member of several international research societies including the Academia Europeae. His research has been focusing on membrane proteins, including the investigation of ABC membrane transporters, which play a major role in the multidrug resistance of cancer, in general pharmacology, and in stem cell function. His recent work is related to transporter regulation in pluripotent stem cells and in stem-cell derived differentiated tissues. He has published more than 280 papers in international scientific journals, with a citation number over 13,000 and a h-index of 60. He has several international patents already in commercial applications. | |
| PERSONAL INFORMATION | |
| Family name, First name: | Sarkadi, Balázs |
| Nationality: | Hungarian |
| Date of birth: | May 30, 1948 |
| URL for web site: | www.ttk.mta.hu |
| EDUCATION | |
| 1972 | MD, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary |
| 1976-77 | Medical Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Physiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, USA |
| 1980 | PhD, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary |
| 1983-84 | Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada |
| 1986 | Doctor of Sciences (DSc) Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary |
| CURRENT POSITIONS | |
| 2012- | Research professor, Head of Biomembrane Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary |
| 2007- | Research professor, Semmelweis University, Department of Biophysics, Budapest, Hungary |
| PREVIOUS POSITIONS | |
| 1972-2014 | Research Associate (1972-1992), Research Professor (1992-2004), Director of Research and Diagnostics (2004-2008), National Institute of Haematology, Budapest, Hungary |
| 1976-1977 | The University of Chicago, Dept. Physiology, Postdoctoral Research Associate |
| 1982-1983 | The Hospital for Sick Children, Dept. Cell Biology, Visiting Postdoctoral Associate |
| 1990-1991 | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Visiting Professor |
| 2000-2001 | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Fulbright Visiting Professor |
| 1996-2012 | Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Head of Membrane Biology Research Group |
| FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS | |
| 1982,1986 | Research Award of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences |
| 1995-2004 | Howard Hughes International Scholarship (two five-year terms) |
| 1995 | Bela Tanko Award (Hungarian Biochemical Society) |
| 1996- | Professor habilitation, Semmelweis University, |
| 1996 | Genius Award in Biotechnology, |
| 1997-2000 | Szechenyi Research Professorship, Hungary |
| 2000 | Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship Award |
| 2002 | Pro Scientia Award, Semmelweis University |
| 2003 | Academy Award, Hungary |
| 2004- | Corresponding Membership, Hungarian Academy of Sciences |
| 2005- | Membership, Academia Europaea |
| 2006 | Denis Gabor Award |
| 2009 | Ipolyi Arnold Award, Hungary |
| 2010- | Full Membership, Hungarian Academy of Sciences |
| SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS | |
| 1992- | 12 PhD students (10 graduated), Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary |
| 1996- | 9 MD-PhD students (7 graduated), Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary |
| 1996- | 11 Master Students, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary |
| + numerous postdoctoral fellows | |
| TEACHING ACTIVITIES | |
| 1972-1982 | Department of Physiology, Semmelweis University, Hungary |
| 1983-1984 | Lecturer, The University of Toronto, Canada |
| 1996- | Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Department of Biophysics, Semmelweis University, Hungary |
| 1990-1991 | Lecturer, CF Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS | |
| 1982 | International Congress of Haematology, Congress Secretary |
| 1990 | 20th FEBS Meeting, Secretary of Scientific Program Committee |
| 1989,1993,1995,1998 | FEBS/ICRO Advanced Courses on "Biochemistry of Membrane Transport" |
| 2005 | President of the Scientific Committee, FEBS-IUBMB Congress, Budapest |
| INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES | |
| 1996-2012 | Head of Membrane Biology Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University |
| 1998- | Funding member of Doctoral School, Semmelweis University |
| 2004-2008 | Director of Research and Diagnostics, National Institute of Haematology, Budapest, Hungary |
| 2007 | Research professor, Semmelweis University, Department of Biophysics, Budapest, Hungary |
| 2007-2017 | Member of the Doctoral Council, Eotvos Lorand University, Hungary |
| 2014- | Head of Biomembrane Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary |
| COMMISSIONS OF TRUST | |
| Editorial board member: | |
| 2003- | Current Cancer Drug Targets |
| 2009- | Central European Journal of Biology |
| 2010- | Word Journal of Stem Cells |
| 2011- | American Journal of Stem Cells |
| Frequent Reviewer: | |
| Biochimica Biophysica Acta, J. Biol. Chem., Cancer Res., Cell Calcium, J. Membrane Biology, Biochemistry, Drug Metabolism and Dispositions, Stem Cells, etc. | |
| Scientific advisory board member: | |
| 1998-2010 | Head of Scientific Advisory Committee, SOLVO Biotechnology LTD, Hungary |
| 2010- | Review panel member, Hungarian Research Fund (OTKA), Hungary |
| 2002- | Scientific Evaluations, Swiss Research Fund, Switzerland, Polish Res. Fund, Poland |
| 2009- | Committee member, European Medicines Agency, Commette for Advanced Therapies, (EMA-CAT) |
| 2012- | ERC Life Sciences Panel Member |
| MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES | |
| 1982- | Hungarian Society of Biochemistry (vice-president) |
| 1988- | Member, American Physiological Society |
| 1992- | Member, American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
| 1992- | Member, American Association of Cancer Research |
| 1996- | International Cell Research Organization, Panel Convener, Vice President |
| 2000- | Member, American Society of Cell Biology |
| 2006-2007 | Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), President |
| SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AND TEACHING ACTIVITY | |
I have been mostly working in biochemical and physiological research in Hungary, but spent several years as a post-doc and then as a visiting scientist at major universities and research centers in the United States and Canada. During the past 10 years I was heading the Membrane Research Group as professor at Semmelweis University, while also working at the National Institute of Haematology, performing both research and diagnostic activities. In 2005 I became member of the Academia Europeae, in 2007 served as president of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), in 2010 became full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. I am currently member of several international research societies, and vice president of the International Cell Research Organization (ICRO-UNESCO). My research has been focusing on the investigation of ABC membrane transporters, which play a major role in the multidrug resistance of cancer, in general pharmacology, and in normal and cancer stem cell function. With my colleagues we have devised new methods for the functional analysis of ABC transporter proteins, and developed compounds that modulate their function. My current work is still partly focusing on studying ABC membrane transporters and the complex regulation of protein expression and cellular signaling in stem cells, and recently I have initiated a project for membrane protein diagnostics.We have a current project focusing on the regulation of membrane transporters in normal and cancer stem cells, including the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells and directed tissue differentiation. I have published more than 280 research papers in international scientific journals, with a citation number over 15,000 (Google Scholar), or over 12,200 (WoS), and an h-number of 65/60. In the past 10 years my 91 publications received over 1650 citations (WoS). I am a Research Professor of Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, actively participating in the education of graduate and postgraduate students. I served as a supervisor for 17 Ph.D. students, who already successfully obtained their doctoral degrees, while I currently supervise 5 Ph.D. students. | |
| Dr. Varadi is the director of the one of the leading laboratories in ABC protein research, especially in basic biochemistry of these type of transporters. His research group has been organized in the Institute of Enzymology in 1989 focusing on the molecular mechanism of active transport protein. He started to investigate the molecular mechanism of human multidrug ABC-transporter (eg. MDR1 multidrug resistance protein or P-glycoprotein) and to study the membrane topology and functional domains of the second multidrug transporter, MRP1/ABCC1. He elaborated the membrane topology of ABCC1/MRP1, and identified its intracellular regulatory domain. In 2001 he initiated a project to study the function of ABCC6 protein; mutations in ABCC6 gene are associated with pseudoxanthoma elasticum. He established various in vitro ABCC6 expression systems for the very first time, demonstrated its ATP-dependent transport activity and showed that loss of activity is the cause of PXE in the case of certain mutants. He published the first study on the transcriptional regulation of the human ABCC6 gene, and determined the corresponding signal transduction pathway. In collaboration with Dr. Le Saux’ laboratory (Univ. Hawaii), he developed a preclinical animal model for pharmacological correction of disease-causing ABCC6 mutants. Currently, together with the laboratory of Drs. Koen van de Wetering (TJU Philadelphia) and with Le Saux his group is also focusing on exploiting the knowledge that low plasma pyrophosphate levels underlie the clinical manifestations of pseudoxanthoma elasticum to develop new treatment strategies to treat this and related mineralization disorder. His group very recently demonstrated the oral availability of pyrophosphate, the endogenous inhibitor of soft tissue calcification thus opening avenues for its therapeutical application. Dr. Varadi has been a regular invited speaker at the FEBS Special Meetings on ABC Proteins, Innsbruck (Austria in 2006, in 2008 in 2014 and in 2018), and at the Gordon Research Conference “Elastin and Elastic Fibers” in 2005, and the Meeting of European Physiological Societies (2014 and 2016). He organized special symposia on the molecular background of PXE in Budapest in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and in 2017. | |
| EDUCATION | |
| 1967-72 | MS, Chemistry, Eotvos University of Budapest |
| 1972-75 | PhD, Chemistry, Eotvos University of Budapest |
| 1975-83 | postdoc, Biochemistry, Inst. Enzymology, Hung.Acad.Sci. |
| 1983-85 | postdoc, Biochemistry, Cornell University/Ithaca N.Y. |
| POSITIONS AND EMPLOYMENT | |
| 1985-88 | Research fellow (assistant professor level) in the Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences; |
| 1988-91 | Visiting scientist, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, School of Medicine (three 2 months’ visits); |
| 1989-2000 | Group leader (associate professor level) in the Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences; |
| 2000- | Head of Laboratory (full professor level) in the Institute of Enzymology, RCNS, Hungarian Academy of Sciences; |
| 2008 | Fulbright visiting research professor at the Department of Dermatology, Thomas Jefferson University. |
| OTHER EXPERIENCE AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS | |
| Member of the Molecular Biology-Biochemistry Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; | |
| Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health; | |
| Member of the Foreign Advisory Board of The Biochemical Journal (London). | |
| Head of Grant Committee, Functional Genomics Programme, European Science Foundation, 2003-2007 | |
| Member of the PXE Science Discussion Panel organized at NIH, Bethesda, USA by the PXE International | |
| RESEARCH AWARDS | |
| 2002 | PXE International Research Award for support |
| 2004 | Award of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences |
| 2013 | Member of Academia Europaea |
| 2014 | PXE International Life Science Award for achievment |
| 2017 | Friedrich Peter award of the RCNS, Hungarian Academy of Sciences |