In memoriam Prof. Dr. Endre Morava
1939-2007


Endre Morava was born in Zalaegerszeg, on 27th August,  1939. After completing his secondary studies at the reputed Apáczai Csere János Grammar School in Budapest, he studied medicine at the Medical University of Budapest  (1958-64) and graduated Sub auspiciis...
       Thanks to his diligence, outstanding talent and teaching ability, he began working as demonstrator in the Institute of Pathology of the University even as a university student (1962-64), and was soon recognised as an eminent member of Professor Sós’ study group also. After graduation he began his professional carrier as a junior member of research staff at the National Institute of Food and Nutrition Science. In a short while he set on a research focusing on the factors influencing bone metabolism, under the leadership of Professor Róbert Tarján, Director of the Institute. Dr. Endre Morava continued this research work in Cambridge in 1968-69, under the guidance of Professor Kodicek. As a result of his undisputed achievements, and his apparent talent in teaching young research workers and members of the Institute, he became head of the Department of Nutrition Physiology in the Institute in 1976. In the next year he defended his doctoral thesis on the “Role Of Vitamin D3 And Some Of Its Metabolites In Bone Metabolism”.
       His professional interests encompassed a wide spectrum; he researched the physiological and toxicological effects of microelements, he worked hard to identify the factors determining human nutrient requirements and nutritional status, and he focused on issues of food safety also. The mental and physiological development of the youth, the examination of environmental factors influencing the health status of adolescents, as well as the establishment and strengthening of health protection programs for the schools were all issues very close to his heart. He manifested a special interest in questions concerning the ways of preventing diseases that determined the health status of the general population, and he was also interested in working out strategies and methods for the nationwide prevention of hypertension. This talented researcher was a talented teacher as well. As he loved teaching, he applied in 1983 for the job of university professor and director of the Institute of Public Health and Epidemiology at the Medical University of Pécs, and his application was successful.
       His versatile talents and wide scope of knowledge permitted him to profit from his practical experience in research and education, and so he was able to continue as the head of the Public Health and Epidemiology Station of Baranya County in 1988, and 3 years later he became the Chief Medical Officer of this County.
     His experience and achievements in theoretical and empirical work obviously played an important role in the fact that he was actually offered the position of national Chief Medical Officer in 1995, which he accepted. He directed successfully the activities related to national public health and epidemiology, nevertheless his heart pulled him back to education and the formation of youth. So he became director of the Public Health Institute of the Semmelweis University, Budapest in 1997, and he retired from this position in 2004.
       Professor Morava was known for his thoroughness, immense knowledge of medical literature, excellent presentations that he delivered with subtle humour and also for his decency. Apart from his diverging activities he was also a member of a number of Hungarian scientific associations - he was the President of the Hungarian Society of Hygienists, the Scientific Council of Public Health, again a member of the board of the Hungarian Society of Nutrition and also the European Academy of Nutrition Sciences. Beside all this, he still had energy to be the Hungarian Director of the WHO CINDI Program as well. The immense work, the continual workload and his constant demand for himself to always perform at the maximum level finally undermined his health. He suffered his long-lasting illness with great patience, and he died in his home on 27th August, 2007.

Professor Morava was an outstanding, highly respected scientist of Hungarian public health, nutrition sciences. He will always be remembered and missed by his students and the experts of today and the future with high respect and gratitude.

Editorial Board of
Central European Journal of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
and
Hungarian Society of Nutrition


CEJOEM 2008, Vol.14. No.2.: 123-124


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