Research focus
The overall focus of my research is to understand tissue-specific actions of imprinted genes (such as Igf2 - insulin-like growth factor type 2 and miR-483) during development. I also study the impact of sub-optimal environment during critical periods of development on epigenetic regulation of gene expression (particularly on altering promoter-enhancer interactions), with consequences for higher risk of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity in later life.
Background and experience
I grew up in Romania and studied medicine, initially training to be an oncologist. However, genetic influences upon human disease have always fascinated me. After my medical training, I did my PhD and I worked in several labs (USA and UK) before joining the IMS-MRL in 2008. The best thing about working in the IMS-MRL is the opportunity to collaborate with so many great scientists and to benefit from the infrastructure of the organisation with its excellent core facilities.
Working at the IMS-MRL
I have several ongoing projects:
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Using novel loss-of-function and gain-of-function mouse models, I’m addressing the role of the imprinted microRNA miR-483 as a regulator of growth and metabolism.
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Using promoter-capture HiC (a method that enables the study of chromatin looping) and additional genome-wide techniques, I am searching for novel regulators of adipogenesis.
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Using multiomics approaches (transcriptome, DNA methylome and lipidome analyses), I study the impact of physiological aging on pre-adipocytes and mature adipocytes in mice.
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With a similar multiomics approach (transcriptome, DNA methylome, chromatin, and lipidome analyses), I am trying to uncover molecular markers of visceral white adipocyte dysfunction in human obesity-associated dysglycaemia.
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In collaborative work with the Sferruzzi-Perri lab, I am addressing the role of placenta endocrine function in modulating maternal metabolism during pregnancy and beyond.
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In collaborative work with the Miska lab, I am trying to understand the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the intergenerational inheritance of glucocorticoid-induced metabolic dysfunctions.
I’m particularly proficient at the following techniques:
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Mouse phenotyping techniques (intra-uterine growth, development of specific endocrine organs such as pancreas, basic metabolic phenotyping);
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Molecular biology assays: analyses of gene expression (qRT-PCR, RNA-seq), DNA methylation (Mass Array, RRBS-seq, BS-seq), chromatin (ChIP, PC-HiC, q3C), cloning;
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Histology (standard stains, immunohistochemistry) and microscopy (standard and confocal);
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Standard statistical analyses.
Awards
- Director’s Collaborative Award, 2022. This supported work in partnership with Benjamin Jenkins and Brian Lam. We performed lipidomics analysis in adipocytes isolated from intra-abdominal fat of dysglycaemic and normoglycaemic obese patients (March 2022)
- Cambridge Reproduction SRI Development Fund, 2021. This award supported my career development through attending the On-Demand CRISPR Course organized by CamBioScience
- Short Oral Presentation Prize Winner, 2020, at Genomic Imprinting – from Biology to Disease (Virtual Conference)
