Debrecen4U
May 26, 2026
Associate Professor at University of Debrecen Receives Hungarian Neurological Society Award
Tünde Csépány, associate professor at the University of Debrecen and head of the Multiple Sclerosis Centre, has been awarded this year’s prestigious Kálmán Sántha Memorial Medal by the Hungarian Neurological Society. The award recognises the Debrecen specialist’s pioneering work in establishing a professional school of thought and her outstanding achievements in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
The award commemorates Kálmán Sántha, who took over leadership of the Clinic of Psychiatry and Neurology (predecessor to today’s Neurology Clinic) in 1938, and under whose direction the institution developed into one of the country’s leading neurological centres. As dean, Kálmán Sántha was a pioneer in uniting patient care, education, and research.
This year, the Kálmán Sántha Memorial Medal was awarded by the Hungarian Neurological Society to Tünde Csépány, associate professor at the University of Debrecen and head of the Multiple Sclerosis Centre at the Neurology Clinic, in recognition of her outstanding professional achievements.
“Kálmán Sántha left a lasting legacy as an exceptional researcher, dedicated clinician, and outstanding neurosurgeon. His work fundamentally contributed to the academic approach and values that continue to define our institution today. It is a great honour that, as his intellectual successor in some ways, I got to receive the award named after him. In doing so, I have joined the ranks of professors who belong among the profession’s most distinguished representatives. I am especially proud that, in the history of the award, I am only the second female recipient,” Tünde Csépány told unideb.hu.
Alongside the Neurology Clinic’s traditional stroke profile, Tünde Csépány is also the founder of neuroimmunology care services and head of the Multiple Sclerosis Centre. She considers the launch of the neuroimmunology outpatient clinic to be one of the most significant achievements of her professional career, as it has since become one of the country’s leading centres.
The associate professor at the University of Debrecen explained that therapeutic options for MS patients have developed enormously since the beginning of her career. The first immunological medicine appeared in 1996, representing a major breakthrough in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Today, more than fifty preparations exist, and personalised treatments now offer a realistic chance for patients to live full, active, and balanced lives.
“It gives me great joy to have been an active participant in this development and to have personally witnessed this extraordinary process. We have now reached the point where, if disease-modifying treatment begins even before symptoms appear, there is a realistic opportunity for patients to live a full life without their illness becoming visible or creating an unbearable burden for them. However, it is important to emphasise that every case is highly unique, so we are increasingly striving to ensure that each patient receives the care best suited to them personally. This requires proper knowledge: a thorough understanding of both the patient and the disease, as well as an assessment of the expected course of the illness,” highlighted Tünde Csépány.
Looking to the future, Tünde Csépány plans to strengthen links with international registries and continue the evaluation of clinical data in her scientific work. However, she regards her primary task as ensuring the highest possible standard of patient care, the most effective application of modern therapies, and the transfer of acquired knowledge.
As she noted, dedicated young doctors work alongside her at the clinic, meaning that the future of neuroimmunology in Debrecen and the highest level of patient care are guaranteed in the years ahead.
Tünde Csépány has also played an active role in both Hungarian and international professional organisations. She served as vice-president (2006–2009) and later president (2009–2012) of the Medical Advisory Board of the National Association of MS Patients, president of the Hungarian Neuroimmunology Society (2013–2016), council member of ECTRIMS (2005–2011 and 2014–2019), and since 2017 has been a member of the scientific MS platform of the European Academy of Neurology. Between 2017 and 2020, she also served as a delegated scientific adviser to the European leadership of the European Medicines Agency regarding the approval of several new MS medicines.
She is currently a member of the executive board of the Hungarian Neurological Society. One of the organisation’s most prestigious awards, the Kálmán Sántha Memorial Medal – founded by Klára Majerszky, wife of Kálmán Sántha – was presented to her at the society’s most recent congress in Pécs.
Source: dehir.hu | Photo credit: Debrecen városa (Facebook)
