Prof. Dr. Ákos Mesterházy
Cereal Research Institute, Szeged, Hungary

Prof. Dr. Ákos Mesterházy was born on January 14th, 1945 in Deutsch-Krone, Germany. He studied at the University of Agriculture in Keszthely, from which he graduated in 1967. His numerous places of work include: State Farm Lábod (1967-1968), the Institute for Plant Breeding in Gross-Lüsewitz, Germany (1968-1969), Research Institute Nyírség, Nyíregyháza (1969) and the Institute of Plant Protection in Budapest (1970-1971). Since January 1972 he works at the Cereal Research Institute of the University of Szeged. Prof. Mesterházy has earned the scientific degrees of Dr. agr. univ. (1971), Cand. Sci. (1979) and Dr. Sci. (1989). He is Head of the Wheat Resistance Laboratory of the wheat breeding department of the Cereal Research Institute at Szeged since 1972. Since 1992 he was Assistant Professor at the Szent István University, Gödöllő, and, following his postdoctoral lecture qualification (Habilitation) in 1996, is full professor since 1999. From 1998 to 2001 he held a Szechenyi Professor Scholarship at Szeged University. He teaches resistance genetics and methodology at the Szent István University, Gödöllő and the Szeged University. His main research area is the resistance of wheat to diseases. Major research projects addressed Fusarium head blight resistance, basic and applied research, development of resistant materials, methodical problems and molecular work in pathogens and resistance genes. He also did toxicological research, investigating in the influence of toxins on human health and antifungal proteins. Additional working areas are: Leaf rust and stem rust resistance in wheat, basic and applied research on gene expression, forms of resistance, methods of selection and breeding. Prof. Mesterházy governs the virus resistance work at the Cereal Research Institute at Szeged and also participates in a program for breeding commercial cultivars. Various research programs are run under his supervision. These include: breeding wheat for Fusarium resistance (OMFB), fundaments of virus resistance in wheat in collaboration with the Plant Protection Institute (OTKA), human effect of Fusarium toxins together with the Medical University in Szeged (OTKA), British Council/OMFB project on leaf rust resistance, COST Action 817 for cereal leaf pathogens where Prof. Mesterházy is the Hungarian representative of the project. A MFB project on wheat Fusarium was finished in 1997 and renewed again until the end of 2000. Another project is the research on fungicide efficiency against Fusarium head blight in wheat (BAYER). Three EU projects in toxicology, Fusarium head blight resistance and wheat quality are still ongoing. Prof. Mesterházy has taken study trips to many countries worldwide. He also was invited to lecture in China, the USA, Canada, Norway and Sweden. He organized the 5th European Fusarium Seminar in September 1997. Prof. Mesterházy received numerous awards and is a member of several societies and committees as well as member of the editorial board of the journal Genetics and Plant Breeding, Prague.