Professional Profile

Dr Ádám Kerek is a veterinarian, PhD, specialist veterinarian in porcine health management, and animal breeding engineer. He is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest.

He obtained his BSc degree in Animal Breeding Engineering from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of Szent István University in 2010. He subsequently studied veterinary medicine at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree summa cum laude in 2020. In the same year, he joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. He obtained his postgraduate qualification as a specialist veterinarian in porcine health management in 2023 and was awarded his PhD degree in 2024.

His research focuses on the veterinary and One Health dimensions of antimicrobial resistance, the rational use of antimicrobial agents, and the phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of bacterial pathogens. His work integrates conventional microbiological and pharmacological methods with whole-genome sequencing, resistome and virulome analysis, molecular epidemiology, phylogenomics, and microbiome-based approaches. His research programmes encompass multiple animal species and production sectors, including poultry, swine, companion animals, pigeons, waterfowl, and honey bees. Particular emphasis is placed on the mechanisms underlying the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance, the relationship between antimicrobial use and resistance, and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance genes in animal, environmental, and food-chain-associated samples.

Together with his research group, he conducts phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing, minimum inhibitory concentration determination, epidemiological cut-off-based interpretation, whole-genome sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses. His research also addresses bacterial evolution, co-selection, quorum sensing, and horizontal gene transfer, including the use of Microbial Evolution and Growth Arena, or MEGA-plate, experimental systems. Another major area of his research is the evaluation of antimicrobial alternatives, including propolis, bacteriophages, probiotics, plant-derived bioactive compounds, and antimicrobial peptides. His protozoological studies focus primarily on the drug susceptibility of Trichomonas gallinae, Tritrichomonas foetus, and Histomonas meleagridis, as well as the identification of novel therapeutic approaches against these pathogens.

His research in honey bee health investigates the microbiome and resistome of honey bees and apicultural products, bee-associated pathogens, the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance genes, and environmental, management-related, and geospatial risk factors affecting colony health. His teaching activities focus on veterinary pharmacology, antimicrobial therapy, and antimicrobial resistance. He supervises undergraduate research students and doctoral candidates and regularly participates in national and international scientific collaborations, conferences, peer review, and journal editorial activities.

From 2022 to 2024, he served as President of the Doctoral Student Council of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest. Since 2024, he has served as Secretary of the University’s Doctoral School of Veterinary Science. In 2026, he was awarded a three-year János Bolyai Research Scholarship to investigate the relationships between antimicrobial resistance and bacterial communication.

Main Research Areas

• phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of antimicrobial resistance;
• minimum inhibitory concentration determination, epidemiological cut-off values, and clinical interpretation;
• veterinary antimicrobial pharmacology and PK/PD analysis;
• whole-genome sequencing and resistome and virulome analysis;
• molecular epidemiology, phylogenomics, and pangenome analysis;
• One Health-oriented antimicrobial resistance surveillance in animal, environmental, and food-chain-associated samples;
• bacterial evolution, co-selection, and MEGA-plate experiments;
• quorum sensing and horizontal gene transfer;
• microbiome and metagenomic analysis;
• alternatives to antibiotics, particularly propolis, bacteriophages, probiotics, plant-derived extracts, and antimicrobial peptides;
• microbiology of poultry, swine, companion animals, waterfowl, pigeons, and honey bees;
• drug susceptibility and alternative therapeutic approaches in protozoal infections;
• efficacy testing of disinfectants and antimicrobial formulations.

Education and Qualifications

2020–2024
University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest
Doctoral studies and PhD degree

2021–2023
University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest
Specialist Veterinarian in Porcine Health Management, summa cum laude

2014–2020
University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, summa cum laude

2018–2020
University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest
Specialisation in Wildlife Management

2007–2010
Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
BSc in Animal Breeding Engineering

Academic Career and Scientific Service

2026–2029
János Bolyai Research Scholarship

2025–present
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest

2024–present
Secretary, Doctoral School of Veterinary Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest

2024
PhD degree awarded

2023–2025
Assistant Lecturer, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest

2023
Postgraduate qualification as Specialist Veterinarian in Porcine Health Management

2022–2024
President, Doctoral Student Council, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest

2020–2023
Departmental Veterinarian and PhD Candidate, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest

Selected International Conferences and Study Visits

2026
16th International Congress of the European Association of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Thessaloniki, Greece – oral presentation

2026
28th Congress of the International Pig Veterinary Society, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – scientific poster presentation

2026
International Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance – Current State and Perspectives, Novi Sad, Serbia – oral presentation

2025
Yale University, United States – professional study visit

2024
17th International Scientific Conference on Probiotics, Prebiotics, Gut Microbiota and Health – IPC2024, Prague, Czech Republic – scientific poster presentation

2024
4th International Conference on Quantification, Benchmarking and Stewardship of Veterinary Antimicrobial Usage – AACTING, Vienna, Austria – scientific poster presentation

2024
3rd International Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance – Current State and Perspectives, Novi Sad, Serbia – scientific poster presentation

2023
15th International Congress of the European Association of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Bruges, Belgium – scientific poster presentation

Professional Registration

• Member, Hungarian Veterinary Chamber, 2020–present

Professional and Scientific Society Memberships

• Member, European Association for Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology (EAVPT), 2026–present
• Member, International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS), 2026–present
• Member, World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA), 2025–present
• Member, Hungarian Veterinary Poultry Association, 2025–present
• Member, Hungarian Small Animal Veterinary Association (HSAVA), 2026–present; WSAVA-affiliated member through HSAVA
• Member, International Bee Research Association (IBRA), 2026–present
• Member, Science for Animal Welfare, formerly the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), 2026–present

Scientific Network Membership

• Member, COLOSS – Prevention of Honey Bee Colony Losses, 2026–present

Publications

The complete and up-to-date list of publications is available in the Hungarian Scientific Bibliography:

https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?type=authors&mode=browse&sel=authors10073038

Last updated: July 2026