Professor László Hunyady, a member of the Governing Board of the Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), has been elected to be one of the 30 inaugural Fellows of IUPS Academy of Physiology to acknowledge his exceptional contributions to physiological sciences. Professor Hunyady is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Academia Europaea, the Head of the Department of Physiology, Semmelweis University, and previously served as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University (2013-2019).
The International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) is a non-political world-wide scientific organization, and is the only body that represents the entire community of physiological researchers, teachers, and students. IUPS, founded in 1953, includes more than 60 physiological societies. IUPS and its member societies promote physiology as a valuable scientific discipline, emphasizing its relevance to medicine and health. IUPS organizes the IUPS Congresses, which have a long standing tradition, and its roots date back to 1889, when the first International Congress of Physiological Sciences was organized in Basel, Switzerland. IUPS established the IUPS Academy of Physiology in 2021 to celebrate and publicize the important contributions made by physiologists to science and health.
The newly established IUPS Academy of Physiology is composed of IUPS Honorary Fellows (Hon FIUPS) and Fellows (FIUPS). Membership is limited to 2-6 new Honorary Fellows and 30 new Fellows each year. IUPS has elected Nobel Laureates Professor Peter C. Agre (USA), Professor Dr. Stefan W. Hell (Germany) and Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Erwin Neher (Germany) as the first Honorary Fellows of the Academy. The newly elected IUPS Fellows represent 5 continents: Europe (12 members, including Professor Hunyady), Americas (8 members), Asia (5 members), Africa (4 members) and Australia & Oceania (1 member). Hon FIUPS Professor Neher, and eight of the European inaugural IUPS Fellows are also members of Academia Europaea, including Academia Europaea Vice President, Professor Ole Petersen, and Professor Hunyady.
The election of Professor Hunyady as one of the first 30 Fellows of the IUPS Academy of Physiology is an important recognition of the achievements of physiological sciences in Hungary.