The Institute for Research and Development in Genomics (IGGI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Alexandrina Burlacu, PhD, as Scientific Director from April 2025. With an outstanding career in the field of cell and molecular biology, Dr. Burlacu brings to this position extensive scientific experience and a solid academic reputation built in internationally renowned research centers.
Dr. Burlacu, who is a scientific researcher grade I, obtained her PhD in Biology in 2006, under the coordination of Academician Maya Simionescu, Institute of Cell Biology and Pathology "Nicolae Simionescu" of the Romanian Academy. Her research activity has focused on cardiovascular pathology, regenerative medicine and the use of stem cells, areas in which she has demonstrated scientific excellence and coordination capacity. Dr. Burlacu has obtained the habilitation in the field of Biology for the coordination of doctoral studies.
His academic training is complemented by internships at prestigious research institutions, including the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin (Ireland), San Raffaele Biomedical Science Park in Rome (Italy), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York (USA), Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm (Sweden), University of Minnesota (USA), University of York (England), Heidelberg University (Germany) and RWTH Aachen University (Germany).
With a portfolio of 44 published papers (31 as main author), two patents and a Hirsch index of 17, Dr. Burlacu has coordinated >15 national and international projects.
His main area of expertise is stem cell biology and their therapeutic potential in cardiovascular disease. His research integrates advanced genomic and transcriptomic methods, including non-coding RNA analysis and gene expression studies, to understand the molecular mechanisms regulating stem cell function and myocardial remodeling after infarction.
At the national and European level, Dr. Burlacu has participated as an evaluator in various scientific research grant competitions. Since 2018, he is an expert evaluator for the European Commission's Research Executive Agency, participating in the evaluation of projects in the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programs. He also contributed as a member of the scientific evaluation panel in the ERA-NET initiative for Cardiovascular Diseases in 2018 - 2019.
Selection of awards and distinctions received:
- Prize for Scientific Debut - Romanian Academy (2002)
- Herbert Berler-Barbu Award - Nicolae Cajal Foundation (2013)
- Romanian Academy Award in Biological Sciences (2014)
We are delighted with this collaboration and look forward to the future achievements of the CGDI.
