Medical Biochemistry
Address: 6, Louis Pasteur street
Head of Chair:: Prof. dr. Alexandra Crăciun
Email: acraciun@umfcluj.ro
The Medical Biochemistry discipline consists of a young team, focused on research and training medical students. The discipline’s members have published their research in various scientific fields: biochemistry of hemostasis; the role of vitamin K in bone metabolism, in cardiovascular and tumor pathology; the role of short-chain fatty acids in energy metabolism; molecular diagnosis in lysosomal diseases and thrombosis; identification of genetic and biochemical risk factors in diabetes mellitus, lung cancer, neurodegenerative diseases; oxidative stress; aging; HLA typing in transplantation and autoimmune diseases; anti-HLA antibodies and clinical rejection syndromes.
Because of the abundance of available research areas, students are attracted towards the Scientific Circle of Laboratory Medicine.
Additionally, ARACIS-accredited master’s degree program in “Modern Laboratory Techniques” is available to graduates in non-medical professions (biologists, chemists, and biochemists) who want to work in the healthcare system. Master’s students can have a firsthand grasp of the practical aspects of laboratory operations in the healthcare system because the full-time professors in this program have at least five years of experience working in medical laboratories. The members of the discipline are also involved in the training of future MD specialists in Laboratory Medicine, Oncology and Clinical Microbiology.
Doctoral studies are available to graduates of the Faculty of Medicine or Master’s degree, with two PhD supervisors in our discipline.
Teaching activity – educational offer in bachelor’s programs
- Oral cavity biochemistry – Faculty of Dentistry, year I
- Biochemistry – Faculty of Dentistry, year I, Faculty of General Nursing, year I
- Clinical biochemistry I – Faculty of General Medicine, year II
- Clinical biochemistry II – Faculty of General Medicine, year IV
- Descriptive biochemistry – Faculty of General Medicine, year I
- Metabolic biochemistry – Faculty of General Medicine, year II
- Clinical laboratory – General Nursing Program, year II
- Biochemistry and clinical laboratory – Faculty of Health Sciences, Nutrition Program, year II
- Laboratory medicine – residents in medical specialties
Teaching activity – educational offer at the Master’s degree Modern Laboratory Techniques
- Medical biochemistry with applications in the clinical laboratory – year I, semester 1
- Clinical biochemistry – year I
- Laboratory explorations in hemostasis – year I
- Molecular diagnostics in the clinical laboratory – year II
- Quality management in the medical analysis laboratory I, II – year II
Doctorate supervisors in the field of Medicine, affiliated with IOSUD UMF “Iuliu Hațieganu”
- Prof. Dr. Alexandra M. Crăciun; acraciun@umfcluj.ro;
- Prof. Dr. Lucia M. Procopciuc; lprocopciuc@umfcluj.ro;
Alexandra M. Crăciun
Professor, senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine
Email: acraciun@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Metabolic Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry – Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and English section
- Postgraduate lecturer coordinator
- Master’s degree coordinator – “Modern laboratory techniques”
- Regional coordinator for training of medical assistants in the Laboratory specialty, coordinated by the National Institute for Health Services Management (www.perfmed.ro)
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: the role of Gla proteins in cardiovascular pathology, chronic inflammatory diseases, tumor pathology, metabolic syndrome, the extrahepatic role of vitamins K, bone metabolism in the pediatric and adult population.
- PhD supervisor in Medicine
Professional activity:
- Senior specialist in laboratory medicine – Biogen Medical Analysis Laboratory
Lucia Maria Procopciuc
Professor, chemist
E-mail: lprocopciuc@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian section
- Biochemistry, Oral cavity biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Romanian section
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Assistance and Health Sciences (General Medical Assistance, Balneophysiokinetotherapy and Recovery, Radiology and Imaging, Dental Technology)
- Molecular Diagnostics in the Clinical Laboratory within the Master’s degree “Modern Laboratory Techniques”
- Coordinator of Master’s thesis
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: genetics of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, obstetric complications, oncological pathologies
- PhD supervisor Medicine
Cristina Drugan
Professor, senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine
Email: cdrugan@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry Faculty of Medicine, French section
- Medical Biochemistry with applications in the clinical laboratory within the master’s degree “Modern Laboratory Techniques”
- Supervisor of bachelor’s theses (Faculty of Medicine) and dissertation (Master’s)
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: biochemical markers in inflammatory and metabolic diseases
Ioana Brudașcă
Associate Professor, senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine
E-mail: ioana.brudasca@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Clinical Laboratory Module Coordinator – Medical Microbiology Residents, Medical Oncology Residents
- Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian, French Section
- Laboratory Explorations in Hemostasis, within the Master’s “Modern Laboratory Techniques”
- Coordinator of Master’s thesis
- Tutoring activity (Faculty of Medicine students, French Section)
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: hemostasis, metabolic syndrome
Professional activity:
- Senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine – Medical Analysis Laboratory of the Cluj County and Emergency Hospital
- Representative of the Laboratory Medicine Association of Romania for the European Federation of Laboratory Medicine
Cristina-Sorina Cătană
Associate Professor, senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine
Email: ccatana@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and French sections
- Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine
- Clinical Biochemistry, Romanian and French sections
- Biochemistry, Oral Biochemistry, Chemistry of Dental Materials, Faculty of Dental Medicine
- Biochemistry and clinical laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics program.
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: Chronic inflammation in physiological and pathological aging (cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s dementia and pre-dementia, inflammatory bowel disease – Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, metabolic syndrome, neoplastic diseases
Professional activity
- Senior specialist in laboratory medicine – Medical Analysis Laboratory of the “Niculae Stăncioiu” Heart Institute, Cluj-Napoca
Ciprian N. Silaghi
Associate Professor, senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine
Email: silaghi.ciprian@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and English sections
- Quality management in medical analysis laboratories within the master’s degree “Modern laboratory techniques”
- Coordinator of the Scientific student’s group of Laboratory Medicine
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: vitamin K-dependent proteins, ectopic calcifications in various pathologies, as well as markers related to inflammatory status, oxidative stress and cancer.
Professional activity:
- Senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine and quality manager within the Biogen medical analysis laboratory
- Technical assessor for the Romanian Accreditation Association.
Lucia Dican
Lecturer, Clinical Chemist
Email: lucia.dican@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Biochemistry, Oral cavity biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Romanian and French sections
- Metabolic biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and French sections
- Medical biochemistry with applications in the clinical laboratory within the master “Modern laboratory techniques”
- Postgraduate lectures for continuing education in medical biochemistry and molecular biology
- Tutoring and mentoring activity for students (national and international programs)
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: clinical biochemistry, histocompatibility, immunogenetics of transplantation
- Expert in modern techniques: PCR-SSP, PCR-SSO, Luminex technology, NGS, qPCR
Professional activity:
- Clinical chemist – Clinical Institute of Urology and Transplantation Renal Cluj-Napoca
- Member of the European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI)
Tiberiu I.V. Nistor
Lecturer, Dental Medicine and Family Medicine Specialist
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and English sections
- Biochemistry, Oral Cavity Biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Romanian and English sections
Research activity:
- Areas of interest: diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases, genetic diseases: phenylketonuria
Simona R. Gheorghe
Assistant Professor, Specialist in Laboratory Medicine
Email: gheorghe.simona@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry, at the Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and English section
- Clinical Laboratory – Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences
- Collaborator in postgraduate courses
- Collaborator in the Scientific student’s group of Laboratory Medicine
Scientific activity:
- Gla proteins involved in ectopic calcifications
Professional activity:
- Specialist in Laboratory Medicine, Biogen Medical Analysis Laboratory
Alina Gabriela Duțu
Assistant Professor, senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine
Email: alina.dutu@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry at the Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and French sections
- Biochemistry – Master’s degree “Modern Laboratory Techniques”
- Biochemistry, Clinical Laboratory – Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences
- Coordinator of Master’s thesis
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: inflammatory changes in chronic sinusitis, the role of vitamin D in the inflammatory response, biochemical markers in inflammatory, metabolic diseases, liver transplantation, malignant diseases
Professional activity:
- Senior specialist in Laboratory Medicine – Medical Analysis Laboratory of the Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology “prof.dr. Octavian Fodor” Cluj-Napoca
- member of the Association of Medicine of Laboratory from Romania
Vlad Anton
Assistant Professor, Biochemist
Email: vlad.anton@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, at the Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and English sections
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: Brain Mapping, confocal and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, image analysis, immunohistochemistry, general biochemistry
- Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Imperial College London, PhD in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh.
Andreea Moise-Crintea
Assistant Professor, Clinical chemist
Email: andreea.crintea@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry at the Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and English sections
- Collaborator in postgraduate courses
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: highlighting the effects of chemotherapy on vitamin D and K-dependent proteins, the role of vitamins D and K in the inflammatory response.
- Gene expressions for VDR, MGP, GAS6 and VEGFA in lung cancer after chemotherapy.
Professional activity:
- Clinical biochemist at the Synlab medical analysis laboratory
- European Specialist in Laboratory Medicine (EuSpLM)
Lidia Neamți
Assistant Professor, Gastroenterology Specialist
Email: lidia.neamti@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and French sections
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: inflammatory bowel diseases, liver pathology
Professional activity:
- Specialist in gastroenterology, competence in general ultrasound
- Member of the Romanian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
- Member of the Romanian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Tamás Ilyés
Assistant Professor, Resident in Laboratory Medicine
Email: tamas.ilyes@umfcluj.ro
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian, English section
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: Short-chain fatty acids, colonic microbiota, microscopy techniques
- PhD student in medical sciences (since 2021)
Brigitta Ifju
Assistant Professor, Medical Biochemist
Email: brigitta.ifju@gmail.com
Teaching activity:
- Descriptive Biochemistry, Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of General Medicine, Romanian and English section
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Romanian, English section
- PBL (Problem-Based Learning) facilitator
- Tutoring activity for students of the Faculty of Medicine
- Collaborator in postgraduate courses
Scientific activity:
- Areas of interest: molecular mechanisms involved in cancer,
the role of vitamins in oncology - PhD student in medical sciences (since 2020)
Professional activity:
- Medical biochemist
Răzvan Rusu
Biologist
Mihaela Duca
Technician
