Education

Institutions:

Semmelweis University, VIKOTE

Date: from – to

2025- CBT psychotherapy fellowship programme

Institutions:

Semmelweis University, Health Services Management Training Centre

Date: from – to

2021-2023 healthcare manager MSc

Institutions:

Semmelweis University, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, PhD studies

Date: from – to

2015-2021

Institutions:

German Paediatric Pain Centre, Datteln, Germany

Date: from – to

2018-2019 pain therapist fellowship

Institutions:

Bethesda Children’s Hospital, Budapest, Hungary

Date: from – to

2007-2012 paediatric fellowship, 2012-2014 paediatric gastroenterology fellowship

Institutions:

Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Julius-Maximillians University, Würzburg, Germany

Date: from – to

2001-2007 graduate medical studies

 

Current position

  • assistant lecturer, Head of the the Pain Management Clinic for Young Adults, co-leader of the Pain and Psychosocial Stress Research Group (Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest)
  • medical director and Head of the Paediatric Pain Centre (Bethesda Children’s Hospital, Budapest) 

Language skills

German, English, Serb

Specific experience

Country

Date: from – to

Name and brief description of the project

USA

Aug 2025

Visiting Research Scholar in Prof. Jennifer Rabbits Lab at Stanford University

USA

Jun 2025

Clinical visitor at Mayo Family Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University

Canada

2023

Serving on SPC for International Symposium on Ped. Pain 2023

Germany

March 2021

Psychosomatic Basic Care Course (Mario Scheib)

 

2017-2019

ESPGHAN Mentoring Programme, Mentor: Nikhil Thapar, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK

London, UK

September 2017

ESPGHAN Paediatric GI Motility Hands-On Training Course

Holland

April 2017

ESPGHAN International Exchange Award, visiting Prof. Marc Benninga in AMC Emma Children’s Hospital

Hungary

April 2016

ESGPHAN Hepatology Summer School

Cambridge, UK

July 2015

ESPGHAN Nutrition Summer School

Portugal

Sept 2014

ESPGHAN Gastroenterology Summer School

Germany

Febr 2010

German Paediatric Pain Centre, Datteln, Germany

Hungary

2007

Balint group leader training

Hungary

2007-2012

Family and couple therapy by the Family Services League Foundation

Hungary

2005-2008

Family- and couple therapy studies and exam

Hungary

2002-2008

Humania Contemporary Occupational Socalization Group, teaching communication-, stress management and social skills for medical students

 

Professional experience record

 

Date: from – to

2018-2019

Location

Datteln, Germany

Company

German Paediatric Pain Centre and Department of Children’s Pain Therapy and Paediatric Palliative Care, Children’s and Adolescents’ Hospital, Datteln, Witten/Herdecke University, Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Germany

Position

Pain medicine fellow

Description

In- and out-patient treatment of paediatric chronic pain disorders

Date: from – to

2007-

Location

Budapest, Hungary

Company

Bethesda Children’s Hospital

Position

Paediatrician (2012), Paediatric gastroenterologist (2014)

Description

2013– Head of the Paediatric Pain Centre, 2024- medical director

Date: from – to

2022-

Location

Budapest, Hungary

Company

Semmelweis University Institute of Behavioural Sciences

Position

senior lecturer, consultant

Description

2024- Head of the the Pain Management Clinic for Young Adults

 

Memberships of professional bodies:

Selye János Hungarian Society for the Study of Behaviour and Behavioural Medicine 2025-

Hungarian Headache Society 2023-

International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), Pain in Childhood SIG 2016-

German Pain Society, Pain in Childhood Workgroup 2019-

Hungarian Pain Society 2015-

European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) 2014-

ESPGHAN Motility Working Group 2020–

Hungarian Association of Paediatric Gastroenterology 2012-

Hungarian Paediatric Association 2007-

Hungarian Family Therapy Association 2006-

Hungarian Michael Balint Psychosomatic Association 2006- (2007-2012 secretary)

 

Important publications

Major J et al. A two-week inpatient programme with a booster improved long-term management of severe chronic paediatric pain. J Child Heal Care. 2017;21:171–180.

Charbit-Henrion F, Parlato M, Hanein S, Duclaux-Loras R, Nowak J, Begue B, Major J et al. Diagnostic yield of next-generation sequencing in very early-onset inflammatory bowel diseases: A multicentre study. J Crohn’s Colitis.2018;12:1104–12.

Major J, Ádám S. Self-reported specific learning disorders and risk factors among Hungarian adolescents with functional abdominal pain disorders: a cross sectional study. BMC Pediatr. 2020;20(1):281. 

Forgács-Kristóf K, Major J, Ádám S. Diagnostic and treatment recommendations from international guidelines for chronic low back pain. Orv Hetil. 2021;162:1951–61.

Claus BB, Stahlschmidt L, Dunford E, Major J et al. Intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment for children and adolescents with chronic noncancer pain: a preregistered systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. Pain 2022; 163: 2281–2301.

Forgács-Kristóf K, Ádám S, Vargay A, Major J. Novel motivational interviewing-based intervention improves engagement in physical activity and readiness to change among adolescents with chronic pain. Health Expectations. 20244;27:e14031.

Major J, Adrienn Vargay, Ádám S. Epidemiology of Severe Chronic Pain Among Hungarian Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study. Health Science Reports. 2025; 8:e71439

Sujan AC, Major J, Groenewald CB, Rabbitts JA. National Medical Expenditures Associated With Pediatric Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction in the United States. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2026; 38: 1–7.

 

Researchgate Profile

MTMT

 

Awards:

2013 Pethényi Géza III. Award for the best paediatric publication of the year (Hungarian Paediatric Association)

2013 Henri Nestlé III. Award for the best lecture of the Annual Conference of the Hungarian Association of Paediatric Gastroenterology