It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Prof. Dr. Ferenc Jakab, a virologist, in his 47th year of life.

PROF. DR. FERENC JAKAB, a university professor and vice-rector at the Faculty of Science of the University of Pécs and the director of the National Virology Laboratory, passed away suddenly on February 16, 2024. Professor Jakab was born in Marcali, Hungary on August 17, 1977. He completed his primary education at the Csokonai Vitéz Mihály Teacher Training College's Practice Primary School and High School in Kaposvár, Hungary, followed by his secondary studies at the Munkácsy Mihály Gymnasium and Health Vocational School in Kaposvár, specializing in biology and chemistry. His mother was a teacher and his father a surgeon, from whom he inherited his passion for biology. This led him to enroll in the biology-chemistry teacher program at the University of Pécs, Hungary (then Janus Pannonius University, Pécs), which he completed in 2002. His interest in scientific research was evident during his studies, highlighted by study trips abroad (Virginia, USA, for 11 months and Groningen, Netherlands, for five months). Upon returning home, he worked as a scientific colleague at Soft Flow Hungary Ltd. in Pécs. Between 2005 and 2007, he served as a biologist (civil servant) at the Regional Virology Laboratory of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer in Pécs. Meanwhile, in 2005, he earned his PhD with summa cum laude distinction.

In 2007, he joined the faculty of the University of Pécs as a university assistant professor, where he led his own laboratory. An important step in his career was his habilitation in 2012 with the highest distinction, after which he was appointed as a university associate professor. He mentored numerous students in the scientific student association and welcomed PhD students. Under his guidance, ten doctoral theses were authored, with many of his students winning prestigious national awards and currently working in laboratories abroad.

Meanwhile, he made lasting contributions to the establishment of the laboratories of the Szentágothai Research Center at the University of Pécs. It was then that the Virology Laboratory was built under his instructions, initially at BSL-3 level, and later joined the globally rare BSL-4 laboratories that meet extremely strict conditions. The institution's success enabled him to engage more intensively in international cooperations and to lead his first scientific grant project in 2015. From 2018, he served as the vice dean for science at the Faculty of Science. Based on his prolific research and publication activities, he successfully defended his Hungarian Academy of Sciences doctoral thesis in 2020 and was appointed as a university professor. From 2022, he served as the vice rector for innovation at the University of Pécs.

His educational activities also showed a broad and ascending trajectory where he made significant efforts in teaching at all levels of university education. He was a supervisor and core member of the Doctoral School of Biology and Sports Biology. Outside the University of Pécs, he was known primarily as a lecturer in medical training courses.

His professional organizational memberships were related to virology, and in recent times, he represented Hungary at the meetings of the European Society for Clinical Virology. He received several professional and ministerial recognitions even before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He reviewed articles for dozens of international journals and regularly participated in the evaluation of scientific grants.

His constructive and value-creating work was evidenced when, at the request of the Prime Minister during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020, he led the Coronavirus Research Action Group. This work brought invaluable contributions to national epidemic defense and the international scientific understanding of the virus, as well as in national public information, all based on the laboratory and research community he had previously envisioned and led.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic in Hungary, he combined his previous clinical virological and biosafety laboratory experience to assist in the rapid establishment and expansion of PCR diagnostic capacities in the South Hungary region. His laboratory provided professional support to national hospitals and healthcare professionals throughout the pandemic.

In addition to coordinating national research directions, he paid extraordinary attention to informing the broader society. His research group was awarded the Pro Comitatu Baranya by the Baranya County Government in 2020 for their selfless and persistent work during the early stages of the pandemic. Subsequently, for his tireless efforts for the city, the Hungarian society, and his life-saving public information, he was awarded the Pro Communitate Award by the City of Pécs with County Rights. His legacy is further highlighted by his generous support to many civic groups facing challenges during the pandemic, consistently identifying areas in need of aid.

In November 2020, at the request of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, he was a featured speaker at the Hungarian Science Festival, discussing the lessons of the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, his role extended beyond leading national coronavirus research efforts; he also served as a crucial link between scientific inquiry and political decision-making, offering counsel to top-tier national policymakers and championing the cause of science. In this context, in 2021, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences invited him to be a featured speaker and participant in the "Science and Parliament" special program.

Amidst the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, Minister László Palkovics appointed him to helm the Virology National Laboratory within the newly formed National Laboratory Network. He directed the lab until his passing, elevating Hungarian virology and biosafety to remarkable international prominence and achieving unprecedented success.

In 2021, he was awarded the Hőgyes-Aujeszky Memorial Medal by the Hungarian Zoonosis Society. The medal commemorates two giants of Hungarian science who have achieved worldwide recognition for their work in defending against animal-origin infections.

His recent professional activities were defined by his work in creating scientific schools. His life led not only to the establishment of laboratories but also to a revival of scientific school creation and the cultivation of the relationship between science and society. At the end of 2023, during the Nobel week in Stockholm, where he participated in a scientific panel discussion with Hungarian Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó, he stated: "I firmly believe that research does not stop at the laboratory door. We must take research results out for the betterment of society and the economy. Effective communication involves translating complex scientific knowledge into terms that the general public can grasp. As researchers, it's our duty to make our work comprehensible and relevant to the public, underscoring the importance of what we do. The task of disseminating knowledge falls squarely on the shoulders of researchers."

Let this serve as an eternal lesson to all of us left behind; friends, colleagues, and students.

His passing represents an irreplaceable loss to us all.

Rest in peace, Feri.

From the colleagues of the Szentágothai Research Center, the National Virology Laboratory, and the Faculty of Science.