Prof. dr. Carmen Socaciu

Place and date of birth:
Cluj-Napoca, Romania, October 8 1953

Nationality/citizenship:
Romanian

Family status:
Married, one child

Private Address:
str.Plopilor nr.10/7, Cluj-Napoca
tel/fax: +40 264 428800
E-mail: csocaciu@usamvcluj.ro


Present Position:
Full Professor, coordinator of Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
Univ. of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine,
str. Mănăştur 3-5,400372 Cluj-Napoca
PhD Supervisor in “Biotechnology”
Director of the “Research Center on Biochemistry and Biotechnology of Natural Products”, at USAMV Cluj-Napoca, authorized by Romanian Ministry of Education & Research in 2001

Studies:
Faculty of Chemistry, University “Babeş-Bolyai” Cluj-Napoca ( 1972-1976) and post-license specialization in Organometallic compounds (1976-1977). PhD in Chemistry since 1986.

Research expertise:
Biochemistry and Biotechnology of Agri-food products

Research topics:
Biochemical and biotechnological procedures to extract and characterize bioactive components from agri-food matrices, Advanced analysis (UV, IR, HPLC, GC-MS) of Phytochemicals, Actions and effects of plant pigments on model and cell membranes, In vitro evaluation of cell metabolism, cytotoxicity and mutagenicity

Research grants, collaborations and fellowships:
Director of 15 national research programs, initiator of many international collaborations; 1991 and 1998 Visiting researcher at Univ. Bern, Switzerland; 1991/1992 Post-doctoral grant at Univ. Bordeaux, France; 1997 DAAD Post-doc. Grant at Univ. Bremen , Germany; 1998 Tempus Research Grant at Univ. Liverpool, UK; 1998 -2003 NATO Research Collaborative grant at Univ.Bremen, Germany; 2001 DAAD Research grant at Univ.Bremen, Germany; 2002-2005 Research collaborative project EU Frame 5 CRAF; 2003-2005 Research bilateral collaboration Flanders Univ.Gent, Belgium

Publications:
3 books, 6 lecture books and practicals for students; 138 articles published in international (31), national (28) journals and proceedings of international / national conferences and symposiums

Prizes:
Prize of Romanian Academy for Chemistry, „Gheorghe Spacu"- 1991; Medal „Progress of Veterinary Medicine” awarded in 1997 for the book “Chemical Mutagenesis”, Nominated in „Who’s who in Science 2000”

Scientific affiliations and Editorial board membership:
Vicepresident - Romanian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Member of International Carotenoid Society, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, New York Academy of Sciences, International Editorial Board of the Journal “Metal-based Drugs” Brussels, International Editorial Board of the Journal of Central European Agriculture

Other achievements:
Expert evaluator for EU Research Projects Frame 6, priority „Food Quality and Safety”
Expert evaluator at National Research Council (CNCSIS) of Romanian Education & Research Ministry for „Biotechnology”, „Food Industry” and „Biology-Biochemistry”
Initiator of Internaţional Master Programs at USAMV Cluj-Napoca for „ Food Quality management” and „Biochemistry and Biotechnology of Plant Extracts” beginning 2001
Member of European Curricular Erasmus Committee for Masters in „ Food Quality Management and „Food Safety in the Agrifood Chain”
since 2000– Scientific adviser of the Faculty of Agriculture, coordinator of International relations Office, member of USAMV Senate.

Foreign languages:
English, French - fluent; German, Spanish, Italian – middle level

Cluj-Napoca, March 2004