Dr. Ferenc Ötvös | Drug Development | Research Excellence Award
Biological Research Centre | Szeged | Hungary
Dr. Ferenc Ötvös is a highly experienced chemist and senior research fellow with more than three decades of sustained contributions to molecular modelling, organic chemistry, and biomedical research. Currently serving at the HUN-REN Biological Centre in Szeged, Hungary, he has built a distinguished career characterized by methodological rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation in drug discovery–oriented research. His scientific work demonstrates a strong integration of experimental chemistry with advanced computational approaches to enhance reliability, predictive power, and translational impact. Dr. Ötvös possesses specialist expertise in tritium labelling of existing and candidate drug molecules, particularly in the opioid research field, including the synthesis of complex precursors. His research portfolio also encompasses peptide design and synthesis, QSAR studies of opioid peptides, and the calculation of peptide–protein and protein–protein interactions using state-of-the-art docking methodologies. Notably, he has developed novel algorithmic approaches for docking to predict the pharmacological profiles of G-protein coupled receptor ligands, contributing significantly to structure–function understanding in molecular pharmacology. Beyond laboratory and computational research, Dr. Ötvös has played a pivotal role in advancing collaborative science. He has established strong international research networks, consulted with industry partners on practical applications of interaction energy calculations, and contributed to multiple interdisciplinary projects. His commitment to knowledge transfer is reflected in his teaching of advanced bioinformatics courses and in mentoring junior researchers through successful PhD completion. Earlier in his career, as a research assistant at the University of Szeged, Dr. Ötvös conducted IR spectroscopic studies of CO and CO₂ on supported noble metal catalysts and engaged in biochemical investigations of cardiac protein phospholamban, laying a strong foundation in both physical and biological chemistry. Dr. Ötvös holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Szeged and is fluent in English. He is highly proficient in molecular modelling software, statistical analysis (R), and research design, and is widely recognized for his diligence, problem-solving ability, and excellence in grant proposal development and scholarly publishing.
Featured Publications
Synthesis and In Silico Profile Modeling of 6-O-Fluoroalkyl-6-O-desmethyl-diprenorphine Analogs
– International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025
Correction: Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Applied to the Peptaibol Folding Problem
– International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021