Egon Diczfalusy lecture

Commemorating a visionary researcher, humanist, and lifelong bridge between the University of Szeged and the Karolinska Institutet.

Professor Egon Diczfalusy was an outstanding physician–scientist, humanist, and bridge-builder between Hungary and Sweden. A graduate of the University of Szeged’s Faculty of Medicine in 1944, he belonged to that remarkable generation of Hungarian scholars who helped lay the foundations of modern biomedical research. The intellectual curiosity and humanistic spirit he absorbed in Szeged shaped his worldview and remained with him throughout his long and distinguished career.

After leaving Hungary, Professor Diczfalusy began his remarkable 41-year tenure at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm in 1946 — one of the world’s foremost medical universities and home to the Nobel Assembly, which awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. At Karolinska, he became a leading figure in reproductive endocrinology and steroid biochemistry, pioneering groundbreaking studies on the biosynthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones. When the new laboratory was completed around 1970 (and even earlier in the old hormone laboratory, although to a lesser extent) he built an extensive research programme that attracted young scientists from both high- and low income countries. Many research fellows spent between one and six years in his laboratory before returning to their home countries, USA, South America, China, Europe, and Africa, where they continued their scientific careers and often advanced to respected positions. This international mentorship environment was one of Egon’s most significant contributions, not to mention how warmly Egon and his wife Ann opened their home to all the fellows and PhD students. His research profoundly advanced the understanding of reproductive physiology and contributed to global developments in women’s health and fertility medicine. Beyond his scientific achievements, he played an instrumental role in the World Health Organization’s programmes on human reproduction, promoting evidence-based reproductive medicine and the responsible application of science in public health. He retired in 1987, after which he was honored as Professor Emeritus.

Despite his international renown, Professor Diczfalusy remained deeply connected to his homeland and his alma mater. To support young scientists and strengthen ties between Hungary and Sweden, he founded the Egon Diczfalusy Foundation at the University of Szeged, which continues to encourage excellence in medical and biological research. Through this foundation, he ensured that future generations could benefit from the same values of intellectual integrity, curiosity, and cooperation that guided his own life.

The University of Szeged has long been a cradle of excellence, counting among its distinguished affiliates Albert Szent-Györgyi, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (1937) for the discovery of vitamin C; Katalin Karikó, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (2023) for her pioneering work on mRNA technology; and László Krasznahorkai, the internationally acclaimed author and Man Booker International Prize laureate, who began his university studies in Szeged before graduating from another Hungarian institution. Professor Diczfalusy’s name stands proudly among these figures, representing the very best of Szeged’s scientific and cultural tradition and its enduring spirit of intellectual bridge-building between countries and universities.

Those who knew him remember not only his brilliance and integrity but also his warmth, courtesy, and generosity — the unmistakable qualities of a true gentleman. Through his scientific vision, mentorship, and humanity, Professor Egon Diczfalusy forged enduring links between Szeged and Karolinska, two universities united by their pursuit of knowledge in the service of humanity. His legacy continues to inspire all who strive to combine scientific excellence with compassion and dignity.