November 2025 – Officially accredited to coordinate PhD students
On November 25th, I got my habilitation certificate from the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, formally granting me the right to supervise doctoral students. Starting with the 2026 - 2027 academic year, I look forward to mentoring the next generation of researchers!
On November 25th, I got my habilitation certificate from the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, formally granting me the right to supervise doctoral students. Starting with the 2026 - 2027 academic year, I look forward to mentoring the next generation of researchers!
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October 2025 – Short-Term Scientific Mission at Robert Gordon University, Scotland
Back in beautiful Scotland for a COST Short-Term Scientific Mission funded by CyanoAction. I had the pleasure of working alongside Prof. Christine Edwards, Prof. Linda Lawton, and Dr. Diana Moura at Robert Gordon University, focusing on how heatwaves might influence toxin production in Microcystis aeruginosa - the most widespread and increasingly problematic toxic cyanobacterium. During this visit, we also laid the foundation for a joint proposal that was later submitted to the Water4All 2025 call, aiming to mitigate toxic blooms using nature-based solutions. |
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September 2025 – AtlantECO Final Scientific Conference, Azores
I was proud to participate in the final AtlantECO Scientific Conference, held in the stunning Azores. It was a great opportunity to share our latest results on the long-term adaptive potential of Skeletonema marinoi to climate change. I’m grateful for the positive feedback and the inspiring discussions throughout the event. 👉 Conference website |
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September 2025 - Community Ecology Conference, Budapest
I attended the 5th International Conference on Community Ecology, held in Budapest, Hungary. Romania was well represented with a strong delegation of 5 scientists and 8 students. Together, we delivered 5 oral presentations and enjoyed a week of engaging science and great company. 👉 Conference website |
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July 2025 - SEFS14 Conference in Turkey
I had the pleasure of attending the 14th Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences (SEFS14) in Bolu, Turkey, together with three colleagues from ICB Cluj. All four of us delivered oral presentations, and I was also invited to chair a session. My talk focused on toxin production in Microcystis aeruginosa under elevated temperature and CO₂: exploring both short- and long-term responses. 👉 Conference website |
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June 2025 – Habilitation thesis successfully presented
I recently presented my habilitation thesis, titled "Impact of climate change on plankton and consequences for human society". It took over two years to prepare, and I’m happy it is now complete. Once I receive the official certificate from the Ministry of Education and Research, I hope to begin supervising PhD students - possibly as early as this autumn or winter.
I recently presented my habilitation thesis, titled "Impact of climate change on plankton and consequences for human society". It took over two years to prepare, and I’m happy it is now complete. Once I receive the official certificate from the Ministry of Education and Research, I hope to begin supervising PhD students - possibly as early as this autumn or winter.
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June 2025 – Live radio interview on education and critical thinking
I was invited by journalist Ciprian Aron to join a live discussion on Radio Transilvania, centered around the question “Why is school worth it?” We spoke about how quality education acts like a “mental antivirus”, improves quality of life, and strengthens our ability to think critically—helping protect society against fake news, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories. 👉 Watch the interview |
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June 2025 – TV appearance on EuroNews Romania
I was invited to appear on EuroNews Romania to discuss the growing challenges related to freshwater availability - an increasingly urgent issue across many countries, including Romania. The conversation was framed by the latest Eurostat report, which highlights Romania as one of the EU countries with the highest water exploitation index (WEI+), indicating significant pressure on national water resources. 👉 Watch the interview |
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May 2025 – Honorary award from Babeș-Bolyai University
On the occasion of the 444th anniversary of Babeș-Bolyai University, I was honored to receive an honorary award during the 2025 Alumni Gala. Each of the university’s 22 faculties selected one representative, and I was chosen by the Faculty of Biology and Geology—the place where my high school passion for biology turned into a career. |
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May 2025 – CyanoAction meeting
I attended the latest meeting of the COST Action CyanoAction, held in Chania, Crete. The aim was to connect researchers and stakeholders across Europe to address the growing impact of toxic cyanobacterial blooms. During the meeting, we discussed possible strategies to better understand, prevent, and manage these phenomena. 👉 Read more about CyanoAction |
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April 2025 – PredAqua experiment
We carried out the core experiment of the PedAqua project - an intensive mesocosm study involving seven 1000-liter tanks and 231 parallel tests using dialysis bags. Despite challenging weather conditions, including rain, snow, and strong winds, we completed the 10-day experiment as planned. The study focused on how the introduction of invasive species of bacteria, microalgae, and zooplankton affects the biodiversity and stability of aquatic ecosystems. We were fortunate to have the support of Dr. Maria Stockenreiter (LMU Munich) and several dedicated students from UBB Cluj, whose help was invaluable. |
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March 2025 – Interview with PressOne on water scarcity and climate change
I was featured in an in-depth interview with PressOne on the global freshwater crisis and the looming consequences of climate change. I spoke about how, without urgent action, major cities around the world could face daily water shortages. I also addressed the situation in Romania, where drought and outdated infrastructure are already leading to significant water losses and increasing vulnerability in regions such as Dobrogea and southern Oltenia. |
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January 2025 – Honorary advisor to the Ministry of Education and Research
I was honored to be invited by Prof. Daniel David, the newly appointed Minister of Education and Research, to serve as an honorary advisor in his cabinet. I gladly accepted this opportunity to contribute to the advancement of science in Romania. In this role, I aim to actively support the development of research policy and promote a stronger scientific culture nationwide. |
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November 2024 - Mesocosm experiment at SAMS, Oban
Together with my colleagues Maria Nicoară, Maria Mirabela Pop, and Andreea Tripon, I carried out a research visit at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban, Scotland. During our stay, we conducted a mesocosm experiment - an outdoor simulation of natural marine environments—using strains of the marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi that we had previously grown and adapted in the lab under different temperature and CO₂ conditions. At SAMS, we introduced these lab-adapted strains into natural seawater communities, where we could carefully control both temperature and CO₂ levels to mimic future ocean acidification scenarios. Our goal was twofold: first, to understand how this key microalgal species can adapt to long-term climate change conditions, and second, to see whether it can still thrive and compete in complex natural communities under those same future conditions. |
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October 2024 - Research visit to Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Together with my colleague Maria Nicoară, I visited Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen (Scotland) for a research stay in the labs of Prof. Linda Lawton and Prof. Christine Edwards. The aim of our visit was to perform toxicity analyses on selected cyanobacterial samples. We believe this collaboration will lead to a joint scientific publication, and we are hopeful it may also lay the groundwork for a future project proposal. |
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August 2024 - Invited speaker at ISME19, Cape Town
I had the pleasure of attending ISME19 in Cape Town as an invited speaker. This flagship global conference in microbial ecology brought together over 1,500 researchers to explore cutting-edge advances across environmental, medical, and biotechnological fields. |
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