Draft:Illeana Hanganu-Opatz
Early Life and Education
Dr. Ileana Hanganu-Opatz began her undergraduate experience studying biology and biochemistry at the University of Bucharest. During that time, she was awarded the EU-funded diploma thesis opportunity at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) in Germany where she was exposed to different research methodologies. Following the completion of her undergraduate studies Dr. Hanganu-Opatz pursued a PhD at the University of Düsseldorf under the watch of Professor Heiko Luhmann. Here she would begin her research on the intricacies of developing neuronal networks.
During her graduate studies from 1999 to 2002, Dr. Hanganu-Opatz received a fellowship for the Neuroscience Graduate Program, "Pathologische Prozesse des Nervensystems: Vom Gen zum Verhalten," providing her with specialized training and resources to delve deeper into her research interests. Just before embarking on a postdoctoral journey at the INSERM/INMED Marseille in France, Dr. Hanganu-Opatz defended her PhD thesis in 2002 to continue her exploration of developing neural networks soon after.[1]
Career
Dr. Ileana Hanganu-Opatz began her career as a biochemist and biologist at the University of Bucharest and in 1998 she graduated from the University.[2] During her time at the university, she worked in the lab of Professor Dr. Jurgen Schwarz working on cellular physiology. As a result, this allowed her to gain comprehensive knowledge on electrophysiology, which would prove to be important to the development of her career. She would go on to receive her PhD on the mechanism of brain wiring and cortical development at the University of Düsseldorf. In her postdoctoral endeavors, she would deepen her knowledge on this topic and go on to receive the Dubois-Reymond prize in 2008.[3] In 2009, Dr. Optaz’s work and research conducted on cellular physiology and electrophysiology would prove to pay off as she was appointed as a Professor of Physiology and granted her own lab at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. In the upcoming years, Dr. Optaz would build on her expertise and leadership in the field and become the coordinator of DFG Priority Program 1665 and the Research Unit 5159.[4] Three years later, she would be elected as a member of the FENS Committee of Higher Education and Training Committee (CHET) at the FENS forum.[5] In this role, she made significant contributions to the next generation of neuroscientists by developing training programs designed to transform their weaknesses into strengths.[6] In 2017, Dr. Optaz would become the leader of the Institute for Developmental Neurophysiology at the University Medical Center of Hamburg- Eppendorf.[7] In 2022, she would go on to become the Director of the Hamburg Center of Excellence.[8]
Research
As a professor of Physiology at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Dr. Hanganu-Opatz contributed to developmental neurophysiology. [3] Her research lab is dedicated to understanding and exploring the maturation of neuronal networks and their implications for cognitive development and sensory processing. [3] Their work is particularly focused on how these networks evolve under both normal and pathological conditions, to discover the underlying mechanisms that impact cognitive function and sensory perception. [3]
Dr. Hanganu-Opatz’s lab combines advanced electrophysiological methods with optogenetics and imaging techniques, as an interdisciplinary method to facilitate new insights. [xher interviewx]Measuring the electrical activity of neurons and studying them in real-time allows them to create functional images of the structural aspects of neuronal networks during development. Current research interests include the development of neuro-immune cross-talk, sensory control of the maturation of cognitive processing, uni- and multisensory processing, dysfunction of neuronal networks and early oscillations, and development of neuronal networks accounting for cognitive processing. The lab often collaborated with other research groups and institutions to enhance the scope of individual findings.[interview] Under the leadership of Dr.Hanganu-Opatz, the lab has been accredited for its contributions to neuroscience, acquiring prestigious awards and funding from the European Research Council.[5]