Maya Simionescu Ph.D.

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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

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