Prof. Dr. György Fekete Bursary supports genomic research trip of young geneticist to Lisbon, Portugal
In 2025, the Robert Burns International Foundation proudly supported young Hungarian geneticist Dr. Anna Lengyel through its prestigious Prof. Dr. György Fekete Bursary.
This bursary, established to honour the legacy of the Foundation’s long-time medical adviser Prof. Dr. György Fekete, aims to help paediatricians with a focus on genetics deepen their expertise through international study visits, ultimately benefiting Hungary’s paediatric care.
Dr. Lengyel’s two-week study visit took place at the Genomics Department of the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge in Lisbon, Portugal. Under the expert guidance of Dr. Dezső Dávid and bioinformatics specialist Dr. Joana Fino, she gained hands-on experience with advanced genomic diagnostic techniques focused on neurodevelopmental disorders and structural chromosomal variants.
During her visit, Dr. Lengyel practised the use of internationally recognised clinical databases and learned to map patient symptoms to genetic syndromes using sophisticated statistical similarity scores. She observed the complex bioinformatics pipelines involved in processing whole genome sequencing data and explored emerging research on the three-dimensional structure of DNA, topologically associated domains (TADs), and their impact on gene regulation.
Dr. Lengyel also studied the application of a free online bioinformatics tool (SVInterpreter) designed for detailed analysis of chromosomal rearrangements and positional effects. Additionally, she gained familiarity with virtual exome analysis used to screen gene coding regions for clinically relevant variants.
Beyond the scientific benefits, Dr. Lengyel embraced new cultural and personal challenges during her first solo international trip, appreciating Lisbon’s vibrant multicultural environment and natural beauty.
The Robert Burns International Foundation congratulates Dr. Lengyel on this enriching professional and cultural experience, reflecting the bursary’s goal to cultivate internationally trained geneticists who will advance paediatric genetic medicine in Hungary.
