The story of my PhD research | Dr. Bertalan Meskó

9 years ago, I wrote a wish list in my former childhood room in Rákóczifalva, taped above my desk on small pieces of paper.

After I recovered, I put some of my dreams into keywords on paper and pinned them at eye level. There were goals related to sports, studies, career, and private life.

I experienced early on that life can end at any time, and that it's not time that heals, but what I do with it.

So I didn't wait for the right moment; instead, I started realizing my dreams.

One of my goals was to obtain a doctoral degree,

and as a step zero, one of the notes back then simply said:

"Meet medical futurist Dr. Bertalan Meskó."

I wanted to deal with this topic and reach an international level under the guidance of Berci Meskó.

He was already a great role model for me back then: starting from a village in Szabolcs county, he had an international career, and his research area is the future of medicine.

I listened to his lectures on YouTube, and whenever I could, in person at Semmelweis University.

It was my unconcealed intention to follow in his footsteps, but not by "copying" him, as that would neither be original nor my life.

Moreover, he is a doctor, a geneticist with a PhD degree.

I am a biomedical engineer, immersed in the world of medical technology and biosensors.

This is like Kossuth and the railway.

Now, almost a decade later, in May 2025, we met before a corporate lecture – we were right after each other in the program.

We talked and laughed in the backstage.

My lecture was coming up soon at the Telekom Headquarters, followed by the other Berci's.

After this, the next time I visit my parents and step into my childhood room in Rákóczifalva, I will check off the "Meet Dr. Bertalan Meskó" note on my wish list from 9 years ago with a calm heart –

not only because of the meeting,

but also because he has been my doctoral supervisor for a year now, and our first joint international publication is in the works on my favorite topic:

we are researching the theoretical and practical knowledge of how we can live healthily for even 100–120 years, in the hope of a full life.

Real life, of course, is different from theory – it can end at any time.

In the end, the question is not how long we live.

And we don't need more years of life either.

The question is much more,

what do we do with the time that was given to us?