Imre Kacskovics was re-elected for another five years as the Dean of the Faculty

2024.04.16.

With the current dean's term coming to an end, a call for applications for the position was announced, to which the current dean of the faculty, Imre Kacskovics, has applied. The Faculty Council of ELTE TTK supported his application by a majority vote in their meeting on March 27, 2024. Following the vote, the dean will be appointed by the rector of the university, allowing Imre Kacskovics to continue his leadership duties at TTK for another four years starting from August 1.

In his application, Imre Kacskovics reported on the period of the current dean's cycle. He discussed the creation of the faculty strategy, reforms established through collective work and consensus, the development of TTK's performance evaluation, and the results of the faculty strategy. Imre Kacskovics also outlined his leadership work plan in his application, regarding the review of TTK's strategy and the implementation of goals not yet achieved.

Imre Kacskovics graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest in 1987, where he also earned his doctoral degree in 1998, and habilitated in 2005. He worked at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest from 1987. Between 1991–1994, he researched at the Department of Microbiology at the University of Iowa in the United States, and from 1995–2004 at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. He joined ELTE in 2006, where he became involved in the work of the Department of Immunology. He became a doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2013, and served as the head of the department from 2015 to 2020. He has been a member of the ELTE Senate since 2013. He was the secretary-general of the Hungarian Society of Immunology from 2001 to 2007, vice-president from 2010 to 2013, and president from 2013 to 2016. He has been the dean of ELTE TTK since August 1, 2019.

His main research areas include FcRn-mediated IgG metabolism (transport and catabolism, maternal immunity) in transchromosomal and transgenic models, the genetics of certain immunoglobulin isotypes, gene expression regulation, particularly in genes involved in immune processes, and the evolution of FcRn. In 2007, he developed a new, patented procedure that significantly increases antibody production in genetically modified animals. His research group currently investigates issues related to human antibody production and antibody-mediated immune response, including the development of COVID-specific therapies and modern diagnostics of a hematological tumor (multiple myeloma). Together with his colleagues, Imre Kacskovics developed a new international patented procedure in 2007 that significantly enhances the efficiency of antibody production in genetically modified animals. He and his colleague, Zsuzsanna Bősze (Agricultural Biotechnological Research Center), founded ImmunoGenes Ltd in 2007 to commercialize their procedure. Their method was utilized by a Japanese pharmaceutical company Kyowa Hakko Kirin in 2014. Since 2011, ImmunoGenes has been involved in various research and diagnostic projects, creating both antibodies and genetically modified model animals.

Key awards and recognitions include: 1998 - János Bolyai Research Scholarship; 2001 - István Széchenyi Scholarship; 2006 - Gold Medal of Szent István University; 2010 - ELTE Innovative Researcher; 2012 - Academy-Patent Level Award; 2015 - Professor Peter S. Freudenthal; 2019 - Civilian Division of the Hungarian Order of Merit; 2020 - Gábor Dénes Award.