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Meet the person who led the search for his family's past
Physician. Dr.
Michael Bartalos studied medicine in Budapest
(1953-56) and medicine, psychology and philosophy at the University of Heidelberg
(1957-60), where he obtained the Doctor of Medicine degree (with honors) in
1960. He received training in radiology (University
of Heidelberg), pathology, internal
medicine and medical genetics (Johns
Hopkins University).
Scientist.
Conducted medical research in the fields of biochemistry, histochemistry,
cytogenetics and medical genetics. In 1967 he described a new disease entity
that has been named after him ("Ectodermal dysplasia, Bartalos
type"). Elected a Member of many scientific and professional
organizations, including the Hungarian
Academy of Sciences.
Administrator. At age
30 he was asked to organize and direct a university institute of human genetics
at a major university in Washington, DC (Howard University), thereafter organized the Columbia University
affiliate Birth Defect and Genetic Disease Center
at St. Mary's Hospital for Children in Queens, NY and more recently was medical
director of Council/Heritage Health Center in Harlem, New York City.
Teacher. He
taught human genetics at Howard University, Washington DC (1965-68) and
clinical genetics, patient-doctor relationship, psycho-social aspects of
disease and death and dying at Columbia
University, New York
City (1971-to present).
Author. He is
the author of the books Medical Cytogenetics (1967), Genetics in
Medical Practice (1968), Citogenetica Medica (1972), and Zetetics
(2000), and over 100 scientific communications.
Philosopher. In
several presentations and in his book "Zetetics" he outlined a
philosophy of a "Contextual Individualism", an "Adaptive
Psychology" and the sociology of "Surbiosis".
Revolutionary. As a
medical student in Budapest
he took part in the 1956 anti-Communist uprising. When Hungary became free again, he was awarded the 1956
Memorial Medal by Arpad Goncz, President of the Republic of Hungary
"for exemplary resoluteness for which to receive the gratitude of the
Hungarian nation".
Community
Leader. His civic activities included various leadership
positions within the Hungarian Freedomfighters' Federation USA, the
Hungarian-American National Republican Federation, and the American-Hungarian
Foundation (New Brunswick, NJ), among others. He organized two
multi-specialty clinics in needy areas of the Bronx borough of New
York City and for five years was medical director of a large
outpatient facility in New York's Harlem neighborhood. In 1998 he received a Certificate
of Special Congressional Recognition for "… invaluable service to the
community …" from U.S. Representative Charles B. Rangel.
Dr.
Bartalos was born in Bratislava (Pozsony), Slovakia
in 1935 as the son of a physician of the same name. He belongs to an old
Hungarian noble family of the clan Mogh with a documented history from the
1200s. He resides in the United States
since 1960, is the father of three sons - Michael, Gabriel and Gregory - and
maintains an office for the private practice of internal medicine and medical
genetics in New York City.
Website:
ww.bartalosmk.com
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