For Zsuzsanna Bago-Horvath ‘96, MD, PhD, the path that led her to Berkshire School was not a typical one. Zsuzsanna grew up in Hungary and came to Berkshire in 1994 as an ASSIST (American Secondary Schools International Student and Teachers) student. ASSIST focuses on fostering cultural understanding and global citizenship by connecting students with leading independent secondary schools. It was a life-changing experience for Zsuzsanna, and as she attests, “attending Berkshire was one of the best times of my life.”

Zsuzsanna received her medical degrees from the University of Vienna, Medical School, and the Medical University of Vienna. Presently, Zsuzsanna is an Associate Professor of Pathology and Deputy Head of the Subdivision of Breast and Gynecological Pathology, both at the Medical University of Vienna. Her focus is on researching prognostic and predictive factors that govern the progression and therapy response in breast cancer. When not in the lab, she is teaching university courses, including the impact of diagnostic and predictive pathology on patient management.

She and her husband Zoltan are also busy raising their two young children, Daniel (7) and Sarah (5). Zsuzsanna also tries to carve out time to pursue her passion for horse riding. This interest began at Berkshire when her music teacher, Zoltan “Zip” Zantay, took her riding.

Read the Q&A below to learn more about Zsuzsanna's impressive career, her important breast cancer research, and her memories from under the Mountain.

What led you to pursue a career in medicine?
I was always interested in biological and medical questions. When I was 5 years old, the brother of my beloved grandfather died. I began to think that there should be biological and medical solutions to prevent and treat illness effectively and to prolong life. The research aspect of medicine has remained the focus of my work ever since, and I really enjoy trying to understand why cells behave the way they do. Pathology lies at the crossroads of biology and clinical medicine.

Can you tell us a bit about your pathology work?
In my clinical work, I read histological samples. I look at tissues under the microscope, which were surgically or bioptically removed from patients, and present a diagnosis. This diagnosis then informs my colleagues how to treat a particular patient. In a simple way, pathologists are the eyes that lead a surgeon’s hand.

As a researcher, I contribute to the design and analysis of clinical trials. We are trying to develop new treatments. As always, not all treatments work for everyone. As a translational researcher, I try to learn from tumor samples to understand which patients benefit the most from certain therapies and what causes treatment failure.

In both cases, I love to look at the images in my microscope. It is just a momentary picture, but it holds all the information of how this particular condition evolved and how the body is dealing with it. These pictures can tell a lot, if you listen.

Do you feel that there are any medical breakthroughs on the horizon regarding breast cancer research?
The use of artificial intelligence is about to revolutionize the way we think about diagnostics. Until now, experienced doctors have developed their own “neuronal network” in their brains to come to the correct diagnosis when reviewing x-ray images or histological samples. As always, there are disparities regarding the availability of well-trained medical personnel, and daily performance might also be influenced by other factors, such as fatigue. AI can “learn” how doctors come to their conclusions and is readily available around the clock. Of course, more eyes see more, and human supervision is always required, but these developments have the potential to drastically improve diagnostics and patient care.

What was your experience coming to Berkshire as an international student?
A whole new world opened up for me. I came from a post-communist country, and Berkshire’s student-centered approach was quite unusual for me. The individualized education at Berkshire, with its emphasis on each student’s strengths and potential, advanced my career in a way I never dreamed of. The school’s motto, “Pro Vita Non Pro Schola Discimus,” really described academic life at Berkshire. My mother is a practicing doctor, and before I went to Berkshire, I thought I would follow in her footsteps. At Berkshire though, I could see that there were so many more opportunities. Being an ASSIST student at Berkshire was one of the best times of my life, and I hope that many more international students will enjoy their time at Berkshire and broaden their horizons.

What are your fondest memories of your time at Berkshire?
Our biology teacher, Christopher Coenen, was truly ahead of his time applying methods that were unique, such as modeling genetic experiments with fruit flies or discussing genetic problems online with experts like James Watson. We then frequently spent the evenings at our dorm parent’s apartment (Dr. Sarah Bakhiet ’83) discussing relevant political and scientific issues. On the weekends, Zoltan “Zip” Zantay, a fellow Hungarian music teacher, often took me to their stables where I could join them for trail riding. It’s difficult to pick the best memory; I had so many…