Eörs Szathmáry
Research Professor, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research
Professor, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University
Director, Center for the Conceptual Foundations of Science, Parmenides Foundation
Prof. Eörs Szathmáry is a distinguished evolutionary biologist serving as a Research Professor at the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research in Hungary. He is also a Professor at the Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and Director of the Center for the Conceptual Foundations of Science at the Parmenides Foundation in Germany. He is a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Professor Szathmáry's research spans a wide range of evolutionary processes, from the origin of life to the development of human language skills. His work in theoretical biology focuses on major evolutionary transitions, replicator dynamics, evolvability, and astrobiology. Notable contributions include the stochastic corrector model, providing insights into group selection among early replicators, and scenarios for the origin of the genetic code. He has also explored genetic epistasis using metabolic control theory and derived the optimal size of the genetic alphabet.
In collaboration with John Maynard Smith, Professor Szathmáry co-authored The Major Transitions in Evolution, a seminal work in modern evolutionary biology. His recent accolades include election as a Fellow of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and Arts and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Evolutionary Linguistic Association.