She is an excellent student from the Gastroenterology & Endocrinology Group, known for her hard work and dedication, which helps her to make impressive progress in her projects. She is always proactive and eager to learn, and demonstrates strong independence in her studies. In October, Zsófia Németh was named Best First-Year Ph.D. Student at the Centre for Translational Medicine.
Zsófia Németh graduated as a psychologist this year and started her Ph.D. studies straight away. “In my final year of university, I was wondering whether I wanted to do research or get some experience as a psychologist first, and I was delighted to be informed that the CTM program would give me both. I work as a psychologist at the Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, where my main responsibility is to help patients to change their lifestyles and also to help them to quit smoking. My research is also related to the field of gastroenterology.” Zsófia Németh's first research project is based on the assumption that patients with eating disorders are more likely to have various gastrointestinal diseases. She aims to clarify this question by assessing the prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases in patients with eating disorders. If the risk of certain diseases is confirmed to be higher, it is important to help prevent and screening them. It may also be necessary to always involve a psychologist in the treatment of patients who develop gastrointestinal diseases due to eating disorders.
“In my second project I want to clarify the efficacy of different weight loss interventions after pancreatitis. I would also like to launch a group for patients at the Institute of Pancreatic Diseases and help them to change their lifestyles and lose weight. I want to investigate how psychological interventions and dietician consultations can help patients to lose weight. I have also started my third project, which will investigate the impact of social support on health-promoting behaviors, such as maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise, and getting good quality sleep.”
Zsófia Németh envisions her future as a clinical psychologist, and wants to start her training next September. Until then, she wants to focus only on her work as a psychologist and on her research. “I am very grateful to my fellow Ph.D. students in the Gastroenterology & Endocrinology Group, my two supervisors, Prof. Dr. Peter Hegyi and Dr. Andrea Szentesi, and our Scientific Methodology Supervisor Jimin Lee, for the inspiring environment in which I can work and learn. The team is always very supportive, which helps me to progress well with my research.”
(Szabó Emese)