About us
About us
Maya Simionescu Ph.D.
Director - since 1995
Academic Degree: Doctor in Biology
Major positions and appointments
- Vice-President of the Romanian Academy (1996 – 2005)
- President of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology (1995 - present)
- President of the Section of Biological Sciences - Romanian Academy
- Vice-President of the European Life Scientist Organization
- Visiting Professor: Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, USA; McGill University, School of Medicine, Montreal, Canada; Columbia University, New York, USA; University of California at Los Angeles, USA
Member of scientific societies
- American Society for Cell Biology
- European Cell Biology Organization
- European Life Scientist Organization (Vice-President)
- Romanian Society for Cell Biology (President)
Major research interest
- Cellular and molecular biology and pathology of the cardiovascular system, with special emphasis on atherosclerosis and diabetes.
- Structural-functional correlation of microcirculation and large blood vessels, endothelial cells, lung cells plasma cells, stem cells, lipoproteins.
Main Achievements
Publications
- over 400 scientific papers published in international peer review journals
- 55 chapters in international handbooks and monographs
- co-editor at two monographs published by Plenum Press, one monograph by The Publishing House of the Romanian Academy and one monograph in Romanian.
ISI Citation of papers: 6415; Hirsh Index: 40
Novel contributions (in collaboration)
- Discovery of transendothelial channels and their role in the exchange of macromolecules across endothelial cell (EC). First identification of biochemically and structurally differentiated microdomains on the luminal and abluminal plasmalemma of endothelial cells.
- Plasmalemmal vesicle membrane: distinct chemical composition and receptors that carry out fluid phase, adsorbtive or receptor-mediated transcytosis.
- First report on the existence of albumin and histamine receptors in EC.
- Discovery of intimal deposition of modified and reassembled lipoproteins as the first event occurring in the arterial wall and heart valves at the inception of atherosclerosis.
- Structural, biochemical and functional characterization of modified lipoproteins isolated from the arterial intima of hypercholesterolemic animal models.
- Transcytosed lipoproteins amass within the subendothelium as modified and reassembled lipoproteins.
- Pathobiochemistry of combined diabetes and atherosclerosis studied on an original animal model, hyperlipemic-hyperglycemic hamster.
- Detection of the effect of high glucose on endothelium and of glycated proteins on lipoproteins that may account for accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetes.
Teaching experience in cell biology
- 19 years at Yale University, Medical School, USA: Cell Biology Course (Visiting Professor)
- 5 years at the University of Bucharest and “Ovidius University“, Constanta, Romania
A scientific side project
Co-founder of the Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology together with Professor Nicolae Simionescu.
Awards and Honors
- Louis and Arthur Lucian International Award for Research in Circulatory Diseases, McGill University, Montreal, Canada (sheared with Prof. N. Simionescu), 1978
- Medal of the Institute of Clinical Electron Microscopy, Bologna, Italy, 1987
- Ludwig Schaefer Distinguished Professor, Columbia University, USA, 1990-1991
- Borum Professor of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA, 1990
- Corresponding Member of the Romanian Academy, 1990
- Member of the Romanian Academy, 1991
- Vice-President of the Romanian Academy, 1998
- Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Romania, 1998
- Sanofi Thrombosis Prize for Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis Research, 1998
- Doctor Honoris Causa: University “Ovidius”, Constanta, Romania, 2000
- Doctor Honoris Causa: University of Medicine “Gr.T.Popa”, Iasi, Romania, 2000
- Award “Serviciul credincios” - Marea Cruce, of the Romanian Presidency, 2000
- Honorary Member, Academy of Sciences of Moldova Republic, 2001
- Award “Rio Branco – Comendador” of the Brasilian Presidency, 2001
- UNESCO - L’Oreal Special Honor Award for Women in Science, 2001
- “Ion Pavel” Prize of the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences and of the Romanian Society for Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, 2004
- “Cultural Merit” Award - in Officer Degree granted to the Institute of Cellular Biology and Pathology “N. Simionescu”, of the Romanian Presidency, 2004
- Académica Correspondiente de la Reial Acadèmia de Doctors, Universitat de Barcelona, 2005
- Doctor Honoris Causa of the West University, Timisoara, Romania, 2006
- "Order of the Star of Romania" of the Romanian Presidency, 2008
- Cavaler al Ordinului Legiunii de Onoare, 2013
