Ph.D., Dipl. ECZM Gál János
Ph.D., Habil., DipECZM (Wildlife Poulation Health)
Department of Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine
Position: associate professor, head of department+361 478 4100
+361 478 4100 / 8232, 8927
Rottenbiller street 50
I was born on 13th June 1972 in Hódmezővásárhely. I started my studies at the University of Veterinary Medicine in 1990 and at the Faculty of Forest Engineering of the University of Sopron parallelly. I completed the course of Wildlife Engineer BSc and Fishery Management Degree MSc after my veterinary studies. After graduation in 1995 I started to work at the Department of Pathology and Veterinary Forensic of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest. There I was responsible for diagnostic pathology and started the pathological investigation of exotic animals. I have successfully defended my PhD thesis in 2006 and achieved my habilitation degree in 2010. Since 2009, I am member of the European College of Zoological Medicine. I have been working and teaching at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest since 1996. Between 2012 and 2013 I was the head veterinarian of a wildlife reservation in Morocco.
After the years spent in Morocco, I have founded the new Department of Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine at the University, and managed and developed the Unit as the head of the Department. The Department contains the following divisions: Division of Hunting, Game and Wildlife Management, Division of Aquaculture and Fish Hygiene, Division of Apiculture and Honeybee Medicine and Division of Zoo Animal Health Management. Numerous graduate PhD students are continuing their academic or clinical careers at the department. I am currently leading several veterinary expert courses, besides teaching graduate courses related to the health management and prevention of exotic animals.
From 2018 I am participating in the training of the students at the University of the United Arab Emirates. I am organizing and teaching exotic animal and falcon health lectures. I have been a lecturer at the Universitá di Padova in Italy as visiting professor in 2019. Between 2000-2007 I have participated in the educational and research work of the University of West Hungary in Sopron as an additional university assistant professor at the Institute of Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry Engineering. I gave lectures and practicals in the topics of anatomy of wild species, wildlife health, fishing and fish management.
During my work I mainly focus on non-infectious and infectious diseases occurring in the herds of game farms (mainly pheasants, partridges and hares), ostriches and poultry farms, as well as herd health advice. In addition, I basically deal with the pathological examination of forensic cases as a forensic expert (in the fields of animal health and indoor animal husbandry). I am a founding member of the Association of Hungarian Wildlife and Zoo Veterinarians. I have participated in the work of the European Freshwater Turtle Breeder’s Association between 2009-2011, and since 2015 I have been a member of the European Society of Arachnology. Since 2008 I am an active member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences public body, and since 2010 I am a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Forestry Committee, Wildlife Management Subcommittee. I participate as an expert member in the African Swine Fever Risk Analysis Working Group from 2016.
I have published more than 300 publications during my career, several books or book chapters were published also. Over the years, my publishing and teaching activities have been recognized with numerous prizes and awards. One of my hobbies is investigating the arachno-fauna of the North African region and the Middle East, which resulted in several scientific publications and the description of a new spider species.