Ioana Berindan-Neagoe

Professor of Medical Biotechnology at the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Professor Ioana Berindan-Neagoe is a Professor of Medical Biotechnology at the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy and the Director of The Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine. She started her early career as a young scientist at The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr Ion Chiricuta”, in the Department of Experimental Pathology. 

 

In 2000, she was part of the team that won a World Bank grant allowing her to create the first Molecular Biology Department in the Oncology Institute and one of the first in Romania. Her whole career, she worked in oncology, developing new cancer diagnosis and therapy concepts. Cancer investigation is also the topic of her current scientific activity. Professor Berindan-Neagoe has impressive managerial experience as she won over 40 national and international grants, including 8 in European Framework Programmes (including Horizon) and one INTERRegio Danube grant with 24 partners. 

She is conducting several significant projects, including two important Marie Slodowska Curie Rise projects to train young investigators. Professor Berindan-Neagoe leads scientific projects in genomics and transcriptomics in cancer, regenerative medicine and immune diseases. During these years, she developed the Oncology Research Platform in the Oncology Institute. She coordinated 25 scientists from 2009 till 2021 as Scientific Director of the Oncology Institute, promoting scientific activity. In 2006, she became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology at UMF, where she developed the first microarray laboratory in Romania. The omics field was further developed by Dr Berindan-Neagoe within The Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine (http://www.umfcluj.ro/en/cercetare-uk/genomic-center-en-m) she built in 2010 with financial support from POSCCE. During the last ten years, she solidified a team of young researchers focused on cancer cell biology research. In 2016 she coordinated the launch of The MedFUTURE Research Centre for Advanced Medicine http://www.umfcluj.ro/en/cercetare-uk/medfuture-%E2%80%93-the-research-center-for- advanced-medicine). The total funding, she brought in more than 15 million euros for the two centres. In 2014, she became a Habilitated Professor in Medicine in the Doctoral School, developing the Medical Biotechnology field, a new discipline, for PhD students. She was also the UMPh Director of the Research, Development and Innovation Department for eight years till June 10th 2020. She established the ASAIH entrepreneurial society for students in 2017 and launched several contests to support young entrepreneurs among students.

In 2013, she was selected by the Fulbright Committee. She received a Fulbright Senior Fellow Award in 2013. She had the opportunity to spend two and a half years at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, USA, one of the most important cancer institutions in the world. After completing one year as a Fulbright fellow in ncRNAs and cancer, she received 18 months in the Visiting Professor position in the same institution. As both Fulbright Fellow and Visiting Professor, she worked in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics in the field of microRNAs in cancer.

In 2018 she was named the best scientist in the Life Science field by Ad Astra. She is currently the national expert at the European Commission in SubGroup Cancer.