ABOUT THE RESEARCH GROUP
The Paediatric Neoplasms Diagnostic Advancements (PANDA) Research Group was established in 2025 at the 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, under the leadership of Richárd Kiss, M.D., Ph.D. The group’s core focus is the molecular genetic characterisation and comprehensive genomic profiling of childhood tumours — with particular emphasis on soft tissue sarcomas and other rare paediatric solid tumours — and the identification of therapeutically targetable alterations. The research group works in close collaboration with the 2nd Department of Paediatrics, Semmelweis University (Monika Csóka, M.D. PhD. and Miklós Garami, M.D., Ph.D.) and the HCEMM-SU Molecular Oncohematology Research Group (Csaba Bödör, Ph.D.).
FUNDING
The group’s research activities are primarily supported by the following grant:
PD-OTKA Grant (2022–2025), National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH)
“Characterization of the clonal evolution of childhood soft tissue sarcomas and investigation of their therapeutic targets by molecular genetic methods”
Principal Investigator: Richárd Kiss, M.D., Ph.D. | Duration: 2022–2025 | Funder: NKFIH PD-OTKA
The project aims to map the somatic mutational landscape, copy number alterations, and clonal evolution of childhood soft tissue sarcomas using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and other comprehensive genomic approaches, with particular focus on identifying clinically actionable therapeutic targets.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Péter Botos – doctoral student (2025–)
Péter Botos commenced his doctoral studies at the Doctoral School of Pathological Sciences in 2025. His primary supervisor is Richárd Kiss, M.D., Ph.D., and his co-supervisor is Prof. Miklós Garami (2nd Department of Paediatrics, Semmelweis University). His doctoral research is embedded within the PANDA Research Group’s programme on childhood tumour diagnostics and molecular genetics, with particular focus on mapping oncologically relevant gene alterations and establishing the foundations for precision therapeutic approaches in paediatric malignancies.
Kata Júlia Pálos, M.D. – individual PhD student (2025–)
Research topic: Investigation of the genetic background of tumour predisposition syndromes manifesting in childhood by next-generation sequencing
Awards (1st author):
Meeting of Young Pathologists – 1st prize
Kamilla Liszi – graduate student (2025–)
Research topic: Investigation of the genetic background of tumour predisposition syndromes manifesting in childhood by next-generation sequencing
Péter Vadócz – graduate student (2025–)
Research topic: Mapping the genetic background of vascular anomalies in childhood
Zita Danyi – graduate student (2024–)
Research topic: Mapping clinically relevant cytogenetic alterations by optical genome mapping in neuroblastoma
Júlia Marianna Kárpáti – graduate student
Júlia Marianna Kárpáti completed her graduate thesis under the supervision of Richárd Kiss and successfully defended it in 2025. Her research focused on the identification of therapeutically targetable molecular genetic alterations in childhood soft tissue sarcomas by comprehensive genomic profiling — a topic directly aligned with the core research direction of the PANDA group and the PD-OTKA grant.
Thesis title: “Mapping of Therapeutically Targetable Molecular Genetic Alterations in Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcomas by Comprehensive Genomic Profiling”
Awards (2025, 1st author):
Scientific Students’ Conference (TDK) – 1st place + Special Award of the Hungarian Society of Pediatricians
National Scientific Students’ Conference (OTDK) – 2nd place + Special Award of the Hungarian Society of Human Genetics and Genomics
XXIX. Frigyes Korányi Scientific Forum – 3rd place
Meeting of Young Pathologists – 1st prize
Rector’s Competition – 3rd prize
Janka Hédi Hófer – graduate student
Janka Hédi Hófer also completed her graduate thesis under the supervision of Richárd Kiss and successfully defended it in 2025. Her research focuses on the spatial and temporal investigation of the clonal evolution of childhood soft tissue tumours by molecular genetic methods — an approach that forms one of the cornerstones of precision oncology and targeted therapy development. Hófer is also a co-author of the PANDA Research Group’s 2025 publication in Orvosi Hetilap, cited below.
Thesis title: “Investigation of the Spatial and Temporal Clonal Evolution of Paediatric Soft Tissue Tumours by Molecular Genetic Methods”
Awards:
Rector’s Competition – Honorable Mention (2025)
Scientific Students’ Conference (TDK) – 3rd prize (2026)
PARTNERS
HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group
Turbine ltd.
Hungarian Paediatric Oncology Network
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
The following publication is directly associated with the research activities of the PANDA Research Group:
Hófer JH, Kárpáti JM, Bedics G et al., Kiss R
“The role of molecular pathology in the diagnostics and treatment of childhood tumours”
Orvosi Hetilap, 2025; 166(40):1563–1573 | IF: 0.9 | JCI: Q3 | MTMT ID: 36366844
This review article summarises the role of molecular pathological methods — including next-generation sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridisation, and immunohistochemistry — in the diagnostics and treatment of the most common childhood tumours: soft tissue sarcomas, bone tumours, neuroblastoma, nephroblastoma, hepatoblastoma, brain tumours, and haematological malignancies. The first author is Janka Hédi Hófer, a graduate student of the PANDA Research Group; Richárd Kiss appears among the senior authors.