Rodica Balasa

Rodica Balasa is a professor of neurology (2005) at the University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology „George Emil Palade” of Targu Mures (UMFST) and head of the Neurology 1 Clinic in the Emergency Clinical County Hospital of Mures (2013), Romania. Since 2017, she is the director of the Doctoral School of UMFST. Rodica obtained her PhD degree from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Targu Mures in 2003 in the field of visual evoked potentials for multiple sclerosis (MS). In 2005 she became the Coordinator of the Regional MS centre in Tg. Mures. Her research interests are focused on the clinical features and treatment of MS. A special interest covers developing predictive biomarkers of treatment response, research that has been materialized into numerous impact publications. She has been the recipient of several important research grants, such as the Merck Regional Grant for Central and Eastern European Countries 2017 Research Project, which developed an experimental model of peripheral mononuclear cell cultivation to develop personalised MS treatment. Rodica has conducted more than 60 international clinical trials in the field of neurological pathologies and coordinates the national programme for acute and chronic neurological inflammatory disorders and fibrinolysis therapy for acute ischemic stroke. She coordinates PhD students with impact research in the field of molecular biology, neuroimmunology and stroke. Her extensive clinical experience and dedication have served for more than 30 years at the Neurology 1 Clinic of Targu Mures, where she coordinates a team of 10 neurologists actively involved in academic and clinical research.