Violeta Popovici is a Senior Clinical Pharmacist, Ph.D. in Dental Medicine and Senior Researcher III at the Mountain Economy Center (CE-MONT) Vatra-Dornei. She finished her Post-Doc Studies at the Ovidius University of Constanta. Her interdisciplinary research for 6 years was focused on the lichen Usnea barbata from Călimani Mountains, Romania. The phytochemical profile and pharmacological properties of U. barbata extract in different solvents were explored. This was completed by incorporating the most active U. barbata extracts in mucoadhesive oral films, with promising effects in oral cancer and various oral infections with opportunistic germs. Her research interests include plant/lichen secondary metabolites—identification and pharmacological potential, antibiotics, antimicrobial activity, in vitro anticancer activity, oral cancer, ROS, oxidative stress and antioxidants/pro-oxidants.
Gratiela Gradisteanu Pircalabioru, Ph.D. in Infection Biology (2015, University College Dublin), Research Scientist, has experience in using ex vivo and in vivo models to study host--pathogen interactions, genetically modified mice, signaling pathways involved in immunity, and gastrointestinal tract physiology. She has over 11 years of experience in working with laboratory animals (mice, rats) and holds certificates for surgery, animal care, and welfare: Laboratory Animal Science and Training certificate (March 2011) and Health Products Regulatory Authority certificate (December 2013). Technical abilities: animal studies, tissue culture, isolation of intestinal epithelial cells and peritoneal macrophages, immunohistochemistry, microbiology/pathogens; histopathology, confocal microscopy, qRT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot. She has participated in four European projects and has had three international scholarships: for Master Studies (Democritus University, Greece 2010), for PhD studies (University College Dublin, Ireland, 2011-2015), and postdoctoral (University College Dublin, Ireland, 2015-2016). Dr. Gradisteanu has co-authored 26 ISI articles and she is the first author of a Cell Press article (Mutualistic host--commensal relationship rescues complete NADPH oxidase deficiency in gut infection, Cell Host and Microbe; impact factor 18).
