About us

The first Hungarian Twin Registry was established in Budapest in 1970 through the mandatory reporting of multiple-births. In the 1980s a second, volunteer adult registry was also founded. Unfortunately, both registries ceased to exist in the 1990s. Efforts started in 2006 to revive a Hungarian twin registry. The team spearheading this effort reports here on this progress. Currently, the voluntary Hungarian Twin Registry consists of 310 adult twin pairs and multiplets. Current research focuses on cardiovascular and respiratory health and yielded multiple awards and publications. Efforts are on the way to expand into social, psychological, and obesity studies.Website of International Society for Twin Studies: http://www.ists.qimr.edu.au/
Source: Littvay L, Métneki J, Tarnoki AD, Tarnoki DL. The Hungarian Twin Registry. 
Twin Res Hum Genet. 2012 Oct 19:1-5. [Epub ahead of print] IF: 1.994   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23084033 
 
Researchers
 

  • Dr. Júlia Métneki, PhD 
 

Biologist, MZ twin, author of the book „Book of Twins", leader of numerous Hungarian and international twin studies, twin researcher. She was the colleague of Dr. Andrew Czeizel (between 1971-1998) and the leader of  the Department of Human Genetic and Teratology of the „Johan Béla” National Epidemiology Centre (until 2006); currently she works at National Centre for Healthcare Audit and Inspection. Her twin brother is dentist.
 
Published books:
Book of twins I.
Book of twins II.
One or two?
 
Contact:
Biologist, scientific advisor
National Institute for Health Development, Budapest, Hungary
Address: 2-6 Gyáli street, Budapest, H-1097
Phone.:+36-1- 476-1129
 
 

  • Ádám Domonkos Tárnoki, MD, PhD

 

He was born in 1983 in Budapest. He graduated at Semmelweis University in 2008 and works currently at the Semmelweis University as radiologist fellow and PhD student. He has English and German language exams. His hobbies are swimming, gardening and traveling. He is currently the leader of some twin studies in Hungary with his twin brother. He is member of the ISTS.
 
AREA OF INTEREST
Cardiovascular twin studies
 
PRESENTATIONS 
Over 100 presentatons
 
PUBLICATIONS
Over 60 publications
 
AWARDS
1. 1st prize, Conference of Student Scientific Association, 1st prize, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 2007 
2. Special award, Medal of South-Pest Hospital, Forum of Young Scientists, South-Pest Hospital, Budapest, Hungary (June 2009) 
3. 7th best lecture award, Bridges in Life Sciences US – CEE 5th Regional Networking Meeting, RECOOP HST Consortium. Lvov, Ukraine, April 2010 
4. Best lecture award (1st prize), 6th International Symposium on Arterial Stiffness. 15-17 April, 2010, Pécs, Hungary 
5. Alex Chao MD Young Investigator Award, Society for Vascular Ultrasound conference 2010, Boston, MA, USA 
6. European Atherosclerosis Society, Travel grant, 2010, Hamburg, Germany 
7. Annual Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy Grant, European Respiratory Society, 2010, Barcelona, Spain 
8. Outstanding Accomplishments in the name of the HMAA, Hungarian Medical Association of America, 2010, Balatonfured, Hungary 
9. 4th place of the CSMC – RECOOP HST Consortium Young Scientists Competition in Bratislava, during the the Bridges in Life Science 6th Annual Meeting, Bratislava, Slovakia, April 2011 
10. Best lecture award (among best 3 lectures in the oral presentation session; appreciate and award), PhD Scientific Days, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, April 2011 
11. Accomodation Grant, Annual scientific meeting of European Society of Hypertension (ESH). June 2011, Milan, Italy 
12. “Alberto Ferrari” Poster Prize, European Society of Hypertension (ESH), June 2011 
13. „Brigitte Laloux” Bursary award, Artery Society, October 2011 (David Tarnoki) 
14. Elected to be Member of the „Kerpel Frónius Talent Maintenance Program” and the „Excellent list of Semmelweis University” from 2011 
15. Markusovszky Award for the best articles published in Orvosi Hetilap (Hungarian Medical Journal) in 2011 (Jermendy G, Littvay L, Steinbach R, Jermendy A, Tárnoki A, Tárnoki D, Métneki J, Osztovits J.Heritability of the risk factors for the metabolic syndrome: a twin study. Orv Hetil. 2011 Aug 7;152(32):1265-71.), May 2012 
16. Special award for best lectures at FiRaFó (Forum of Young Radiologists) session at 26th Congress of Hungarian Society of Radiologists. Debrecen, Hungary, June 2012: for Tárnoki DL, Tárnoki ÁD, et al. Heritability of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a Hungarian twin cohort 
17. Special award for best lectures at FiRaFó (Forum of Young Radiologists) session at 26th Congress of Hungarian Society of Radiologists. Debrecen, Hungary, June 2012: for Tárnoki ÁD, Tárnoki DL, et al. Genetic background of carotid plaques in twins 
 
Contact:
Department of Radiology and Oncotherapy, Semmelweis University 
78/a Ulloi street, Budapest, H-1082, Hungary
Cell: +36-30-6401183
 
 

  • Dávid László Tárnoki, MD, PhD

 

He was born in 1983 in Budapest. David graduated at Semmelweis University in 2008 and works currently at the Semmelweis University as radiologist fellow and PhD student. He has English and German language exams. His hobbies are swimming, gardening and traveling. He is currently the leader of some twin studies in Hungary with his twin brother. He is the member of the ISTS.
 
AREA OF INTEREST
Respiratory twin studies
 
PRESENTATIONS 
Over 100 presentatons
 
PUBLICATIONS
Over 60 publications
 
AWARDS
1. 1st prize, Conference of Student Scientific Association, 1st prize, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 2007 
2. Special award, Medal of South-Pest Hospital, Forum of Young Scientists, South-Pest Hospital, Budapest, Hungary (June 2009) 
3. 7th best lecture award, Bridges in Life Sciences US – CEE 5th Regional Networking Meeting, RECOOP HST Consortium. Lvov, Ukraine, April 2010 
4. Best lecture award (1st prize), 6th International Symposium on Arterial Stiffness. 15-17 April, 2010, Pécs, Hungary 
5. Alex Chao MD Young Investigator Award, Society for Vascular Ultrasound conference 2010, Boston, MA, USA 
6. European Atherosclerosis Society, Travel grant, 2010, Hamburg, Germany 
7. Annual Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy Grant, European Respiratory Society, 2010, Barcelona, Spain 
8. Outstanding Accomplishments in the name of the HMAA, Hungarian Medical Association of America, 2010, Balatonfured, Hungary 
9. 4th place of the CSMC – RECOOP HST Consortium Young Scientists Competition in Bratislava, during the the Bridges in Life Science 6th Annual Meeting, Bratislava, Slovakia, April 2011 
10. Best lecture award (among best 3 lectures in the oral presentation session; appreciate and award), PhD Scientific Days, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, April 2011 
11. Accomodation Grant, Annual scientific meeting of European Society of Hypertension (ESH). June 2011, Milan, Italy 
12. “Alberto Ferrari” Poster Prize, European Society of Hypertension (ESH), June 2011 
13. „Brigitte Laloux” Bursary award, Artery Society, October 2011 (David Tarnoki) 
14. Elected to be Member of the „Kerpel Frónius Talent Maintenance Program” and the „Excellent list of Semmelweis University” from 2011 
15. Markusovszky Award for the best articles published in Orvosi Hetilap (Hungarian Medical Journal) in 2011 (Jermendy G, Littvay L, Steinbach R, Jermendy A, Tárnoki A, Tárnoki D, Métneki J, Osztovits J.Heritability of the risk factors for the metabolic syndrome: a twin study. Orv Hetil. 2011 Aug 7;152(32):1265-71.), May 2012 
16. Special award for best lectures at FiRaFó (Forum of Young Radiologists) session at 26th Congress of Hungarian Society of Radiologists. Debrecen, Hungary, June 2012: for Tárnoki DL, Tárnoki ÁD, et al. Heritability of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a Hungarian twin cohort 
17. Special award for best lectures at FiRaFó (Forum of Young Radiologists) session at 26th Congress of Hungarian Society of Radiologists. Debrecen, Hungary, June 2012: for Tárnoki ÁD, Tárnoki DL, et al. Genetic background of carotid plaques in twins 
 
Contact:
Department of Medical Imaging, Semmelweis University 
78/a Ulloi street, Budapest, H-1082, Hungary
Cell: +36-30-6401183
 
 

  • Dr.  Levente Littvay, PhD

 

Statistician
Central European University
 
Levente (Levi) Littvay is Associate Professor of Political Science at Central European University, Budapest Hungary, where he teaches MA and PhD courses in applied statistics with an a topical emphasis in electoral politics, voting behavior, political psychology and American politics. He received his MA and PhD in Political Science and an MS in Survey Research and Methodology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has taught numerous research methods workshops and is a member of the European Consortium for Political Research Methods School Academic Advisory Board. To date, he has secured over half million EUR in research grants to conduct research on survey and quantitative methodology, twin and family studies (as the co-director of the Hungarian Twin Registry), and, most recently, the psychology of radicalism and populism, and has publications in numerous journals, including The Journal of Politics, Political Psychology, Politics and Gender, Social Science Quarterly, Journal of Theoretical Politics, PS: Political Science & Politics, BMC Medical Research Methodology, Behavior Genetics and Twin Research and Human Genetics along with several medical research journals.
 
 
Email: littvayl@ceu­.edu
 

  • Dóra Melicher, M.A., M.D., Ph.D.


She obtained her Ph.D. degree in 2018, followed her research in the Ph.D. School of Molecular Medicine, Semmelweis University in the Human Molecular Genetics and Gene Diagnostics Program, with research topic: Twin studies - Genetic and epigenetic trends in telomere research, immuno-epigenetics, mitochondrial epigenetics.
She is a doctor at Semmelweis University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, candidate for specialisation in clinical genetics. Since 2017 she works as research associate in the MTA-SE Immunproteogenomics Extracellular Vesicle Research Group at Semmelweis University, Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, led by Prof. Dr. Edit Buzás.
She has been an active researcher of the Hungarian Twin registry since 2010, board member since 2015, author of several scientific publication.
She obtained her Medical Doctor degree at the Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University with Summa cum laude qualification in 2019.
In 2009 she graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest and obtained her Master's degree with excellence as a specialist of international relations. She is fluent in English, German, Russian and also speaks French.
Her focus of interest include epigenetics, human genetics, twin studies, systems biology, network research, innovation technologies and health education.
Email: melicher.dora@med.semmelweis-univ.hu
 
 

  • Anita Hernyes, M.D., PhD student


Dr. Hernyes graduated as a general medical doctor at the Faculty of Medicine at Semmelweis University, Budapest in 2017. She speaks English, German, Spanish and French. During her university studies, she worked as a medical nurse at the Intensive Care Unit of the Heart and Vascular Centre of Semmelweis University. After graduating she completed an internship at the Department of Neuroradiology at Christian Doppler Klinik in Salzburg, Austria.
She is a Ph.D. student of the Doctoral School of Theoretical and Translational Medicine at Semmelweis University since 2017. She spent half a year in Seoul (Seoul National University) and Houston (Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center) within the framework an Erasmus+ fellowship, where she participated in projects such as learning the usage of the SOLAR genetics statistical program, analysis of echocardiography and carotid ultrasound images. She also observed CT-ultrasound fusion imaging, transcranial doppler, and other vascular radiological examinations.
She started to work as a radiology resident at the Medical Imaging Centre of Semmelweis University in 2019.
She has been participating in twin research under the supervision of the Tárnoki twins since 2014, she is the co-author of several scientific publications.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  • Dr. Helga Szabó, PhD student

I am Dr. Helga Szabó, I graduated as a general practitioner at the Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary in the spring of 2018. I am a PhD student at the Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. My topic is the radiological aspect of twin cardiovascular examinations, mainly by ultrasound, my supervisors are Dr. Dávid László Tárnoki and Dr. Ádám Domonkos Tárnoki. Since spring 2019 I have been a member of the Kerpel-Fronius Ödön Talent Care Program. I speak English and Italian at the advanced level. During my studies I have had the opportunity to study abroad several times: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna (Bologna, Italy), Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie Tîrgu Mureș (Tîrgu Mureș, Romania), King's College London (London, UK), Osaka University (Osaka, Japan).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  • Zsófia Jokkel, M.D., PhD student


She works as PhD student at the Hungarian Twin registry.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

  • Márton Piroska, M.D., PhD student

He graduated at Semmelweis University as Doctor of Medicine in 2019. During his medical studies he also took several mathematical and programming courses on Pázmány Péter Molecular Bionics Engineering BSc. In 2020 he attended the ECPR Winter School where he received courses in scientific methodology. Currently he is a PhD student in Medical Imaging Centre of Semmelweis University, his supervisors are Dr. Ádám Domonkos Tárnoki and Dr. Dávid László Tárnoki. His primary focus is to develop the statistical aspects of the research projects. His main research topic is cardiovascular and other types of twin studies with radiological relevance. He speaks English fluently, his hobbies include music, especially guitar and sports.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

International advisory board

Prof. Dr. Nicholas G. Martin (Australia)
Prof. Dr. Sarah Medland (USA)
Prof. Dr. Michael C. Neale (USA)
Prof. Dr. Jennifer Harris (Norway)
Prof. Dr. Maria Antonietta Stazi (Italy)
Prof. Dr. Falus András (Hungary)
Prof. Dr. Nancy Segal (USA)
Prof. Dr. Dorret Boomsma (Netherlands)
Prof. Dr. Catherine Derom (Belgium)
Prof. Dr. Jaakko Kaprio (Finland)
Prof. Dr. Jeff Craig (Australia)
Prof. Dr. Joohon Sung (South Korea)

HUNGARIAN TWIN REGISTRY FOUNDATION
Address: 29 Erdélyi street, Budapest, H-1212, Hungary
Tax number: 18727913-1-43

AttachmentSize
PDF icon cv_dora_melicher_eng_2023_.pdf665.66 KB