Marina Dascăl is a PhD candidate and Research Assistant with more than eight years of experience in public health research. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Services and Policies and a Master’s degree in Psychology of Public and Clinical Health from Babeș-Bolyai University. Throughout her career, she has worked as both a researcher and local grant director, coordinating scientific activities while also managing the operational and administrative components of international research projects. Her experience spans mHealth, maternal and child health, domestic violence, visual impairment, psycho-oncology, perinatal nicotine addiction, and arts-based health promotion. Marina represented Babeș-Bolyai University in the Clinical Science Scholars program of Harvard Medical School and Semmelweis University, strengthening her skills in clinical research and study design. She also served as a Principal Clinical Investigator, certified under ISO 14155, for an assistive-technology start-up developing mobility and orientation devices for visually impaired users, contributing to early clinical validation and user testing. In 2023, Marina was included in Forbes Romania’s Forbes 30 Under 30 special edition, recognizing her growing contributions to research, innovation, and the advancement of public health.

Ștefan Augustin Lazăr is a public health professional with a Master’s degree in Advertising and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health. His diverse experience combines health communication expertise with research support. He currently serves as a Communication Expert at the Cluj Association of Family Doctors and as a Research Technician in the Department of Public Health at Babeș-Bolyai University.

Ștefan was formerly Local Coordinator and Co-designer in the OurCluj project, where he contributed to community-based public health initiatives. He is also a student ambassador for the This Is Public Health initiative, promoting public health careers and awareness among students and young professionals.

With a strong foundation in both health and communication, Ștefan is dedicated to transforming public health information into meaningful, actionable change. His work focuses on bridging the gap between complex public health concepts and accessible public communication, ensuring that health messages reach and resonate with diverse audiences.

Andreea Morar is a clinical psychologist and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, currently a Research Assistant in the Department of Public Health at Babeș-Bolyai University. She is pursuing a PhD in Public Administration, with a focus on improving the quality of intrapartum and childbirth care.

Her work integrates clinical practice with applied research to develop person-centered, effective, and evidence-based health services for women and children. Her research focuses on maternal and child health, including pregnancy smoking cessation, childhood vaccination, safe sleep practices, and early-life wellbeing. She actively contributes to national and international research projects in these areas.

In her role as Educational Administrator within the department, Andreea ensures effective communication between students, faculty, and external partners, organizes educational activities, and supports the smooth delivery of academic programs. Her work helps maintain a collaborative and well-structured learning environment for both students and staff.

Andreea’s interdisciplinary expertise bridges clinical care and population health, ensuring that health interventions are scientifically grounded and responsive to the psychological and social needs of women and children.

Diana Nemeș, MPH, has a background in Public Health Sciences and has experience supporting a variety of initiatives focused on health education and safety. Her responsibilities include evaluating project outcomes, managing administrative processes, and coordinating activities that facilitate collaboration between academic, institutional, and community partners.

In addition to her departmental work, Diana is a member of European professional networks that promote youth engagement and knowledge exchange in the public health field.

Ruxandra Simonescu-Colan is a medical doctor completing her Residency in Public Health and Healthcare Management. She serves as a Research Assistant and Project Coordinator at the Department of Public Health at Babeș-Bolyai University, where she teaches Health Communication and Epidemiology to BA and MPH students.

Dr. Simonescu-Colan coordinates the Global Health Program, an international mobility initiative offering short-term internships and research opportunities for students. The program focuses on cross-cultural learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and hands-on public health experiences, connecting students with research projects and practical experiences in public health.

She is pursuing a PhD in Medicine at the Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, with research focused on improving cervical cancer screening uptake in Romania. Additionally, she serves as EUPHAnxt Conference Manager, leading the organization of the European Public Health Conference on behalf of EUPHA’s student and young professional network, facilitating knowledge exchange and networking opportunities for emerging public health professionals across Europe.

Patricia Marga is a Research Assistant and PhD candidate at the Department of Public Health, Babeș-Bolyai University, where she contributes to national and international projects in injury prevention, mobility safety and maternal and child health. Her expertise covers quantitative and qualitative research methods, data analysis using SPSS and R, injury surveillance systems, and the design and implementation of community-engaged research.

She is actively involved in the NIH-funded iCREATE program, supporting multi-country efforts across Eastern Europe to strengthen injury research capacity and develop standardized trauma and TBI data systems. Patricia also leads components of citizen-science and mobility-safety projects in Cluj-Napoca, integrating participatory mapping, infrastructure assessment, and geospatial analysis.

In 2025, she was selected as an Obermann International Fellow at the University of Iowa, where she trained in virtual-environment experimental methods for pedestrian and bicyclist safety research, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams at the Hank Virtual Environments Lab.

Her work further includes research on workplace violence in healthcare, traumatic brain injury and breastfeeding experiences.

Mara Bumbu is a Research Technician at the Department of Public Health, Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and is currently finishing her Master’s degree in Health Economics. Her academic and professional interests focus on health policy, healthcare workforce, healthcare management, vaccination and statistics. Mara is actively involved in two major European projects that support the advancement of healthcare systems across Europe. As part of the BeWell project (Blueprint Alliance for a Future Health Workforce Strategy on Digital and Green Skills), she contributes to the development of training materials and courses aimed at strengthening the digital skills and resilience of healthcare professionals. Additionally, her work in the THCS (Transforming Health and Care Systems) project focuses on advancing research and innovation to strengthen the use of evidence in health policymaking. Beyond this, she has a strong interest in vaccination practices and primary care and has contributed to research initiatives focused on HPV and healthcare services in rural areas.

Irina Cucu is a PhD student at Babeș-Bolyai University, pursuing doctoral studies in administrative science and public policy with a focus on domestic violence. Building on her training as a graduate of the Department of Public Health, she became interested in understanding how sectors can work together to better the health of the population. Her doctoral research focuses on the role of community health nurses in the multisectoral response to domestic violence cases.

She is particularly interested in qualitative research and is actively developing her expertise in data collection and analysis. As a research assistant in the Department of Public Health, she is a part of teams that contribute to the TACTICS project and the THCS partnership, supporting research on health system transformation, evidence-informed policy making and multi-agency response to domestic violence. Through these roles, she aims to strengthen evidence that helps institutions respond more effectively to the diverse needs of communities.