Dr. Tudor Badea

General info

Positions held

• Scientific Director, Research and Development Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania, Since March 2024
• Senior Researcher (CS I), Research and Development Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania, Since May 2023
• Senior Researcher (CS II), National Center for Brain Research, ICIA, Romanian Academy, Since June 2022
• Senior Researcher (CS II), Research and Development Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania, September 2021 – May 2023
• Investigator, Head of Retinal Circuits Development and Genetics Unit, N-NRL, National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda Maryland, September 2010 – August 2021
• Instructor, Department of Immunopathology, University “Iuliu Hatieganu”, School of Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, January 1995 – January 2001

Academic training

• Habilitation in the field of Medicine, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania, June 2022
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore May 2004 – August 2010
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore June 1999 – May 2004
• Master of Arts (MA), Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York January 1998 – June 1999
• Research Fellow, Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Maryland at Baltimore March 1995 – January 1998
• Internship Clinical Laboratory, Medical Clinic No.1, School of Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania December 1994 – February 1995
• Medical Doctor (MD), University “Iuliu Hatieganu”, School of Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania September 1988 – September 1994

• Google Scholar
• researchgate
• webofscience
• brainmap
• transilvanianeurogenetics

• Delivered lectures and directed laboratory sections for the Immunology course in the School of Medicine, Spring Semester 1995 University “Iuliu Hatieganu,” Cluj-Napoca, Romania Conducted research on antigen specificity in autoimmune vasculitis syndromes.
• Teaching assistant – Lead discussion sections 1998-1999 academic year and graded in the Neurobiology Course (Darcy Kelley and Stuart Firestein), Columbia University, New York
• Teaching assistant – Graded and student discussions in the Genetics 2002-2004 academic years course (Jeremy Nathans and Roger Reeves), Medical School at Johns Hopkins University
• Lecturer – Neuroscience Fall semester 2022-2025 Universitatea Transilvania Brasov – Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science – Robotics Bachelor of Science Program
• Lecturer – Neuroscience Fall 2022 Semester Polytechnic University of Bucharest – Faculty of Medical Engineering – Medical Engineering & Modern Technologies for Medical Engineering Master of Science Programs
• Lecturer – Definition, Development and Function of Cell Types Spring Semester 2025 Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca – Faculty of Biology and Ecology – Molecular Biotechnology Master of Science Programs.

Mentoring/Supervisor/Manager activity

• Lead a group of biomedical researchers for 10 years. Participated in recruitment and management committees at NEI and NIH levels for several years. Train PhD, Postdoctoral, Master and Bachelor students. All trainees have secured jobs in Academia, Biotech companies or Medical School / Residency Fellowship, etc. Five Postdoctoral Fellows: PhD students: Graduate partnership Program with UBB Cluj, Romania: Miruna Ghinia, Szilard Sajgo, Advisory committee (mentors: Samer Hattar, Phyllis Robinson, UMBC, Maryland, two students) Two M.Sc. Students (Georgetown, George Mason University)Eight NIH Intramural Postbac Fellows: Four Undergraduates.

• Leading a group of biomedical researchers (1 Postdoctoral fellow, 6 PhD students, 1 Master student, several undergraduates and volunteers).
• Thesis Evaluation and Degree award Referee for PhD thesis: University of Medicine/Pharmacy Craiova (3 students), University of Medicine/Pharmacy Târgu-Mures (1 student).

• Young Investigator Award at the XVII International Complement Workshop October 11-16, 1998 Rhodes, Greece
• First prize – poster presentation at the Gordon Research Conference on Visual Development, Salve Regina, Rhode Island, US, August 10-15, 2008
• Ten Years Service Award – United States of America Government – 2020
• Romanian Academy Award 2022: Premiul „Nicolae Simionescu“ Suită de 22 lucrări (2015-2020): Un concept unitar pe baza studiilor celulelor retinale ganglionare (CRG), neuronii care transmit informaţia vizuală de la ochi la creier Autor: Tudor Constantin Badea

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute – Research Associate 2005 – 2010.
• American Asssociation of the Advancement of Science – Since 1996.
• Society for Neuroscience – Since 2001.
• American Physiological Society – Since 2017
• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology – Since 2011
• Stadtmann Tenure Track Investigator Recruitment Committee – 2012–2013
• Animal Care and Use Committee – NEI – 2012-2020
• Romanian Society for Neuroscience – 2022-2025
• Federation of European Neuroscience Societies – Since 2022

Funding history

• Graduate and postdoctoral studies – Howard Hughes Medical Institute as part of the lab of Jeremy Nathans – Johns Hopkins
• NEI Investigator 2011 – 2021 Intramural research awards = Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Project numbers 1ZIAEY000504-01 – 11 (ranging from 900,000 – 1,800,000 US$)
• Project coordinator – PN-III-P4-PCE-2021-0333 “Dezvoltarea Si Functia Acuitatii Vizuale Centrale”- “Development and Function of High Acuity Central Vision” – UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)
• Project member – PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-1323 “Noi nanostructuri proteice hibride pentru direcționarea specifică în celulele tumorale ale colonului”, “New protein hybrid nanostructures for specific targeting in colon tumor cells” UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI (RO) Partener (P1) – UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV; Partener (P2) – INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE – DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA MATERIALELOR BUCURESTI RA Coordonator proiect – Claudia Gabriela CHILOM
• Project Representative for Transilvania University of Brasov in the national project: “Dezvoltarea cercetării genomice în România – ROGEN” Project Code :324809; Programul Sănătate Cod apel: PS/272/PS_P5/OP1/RSO1.1/PS_P5_RSO1.1_A9

Publications