Oana Ciofu

Primary fields of research

Bacterial evolution during persistence in biofilms with special focus on the development of antibiotic resistance as well as new anti-biofilm treatment strategies  such as  combination of antibiotics with bacteriophages or hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

CV

Curriculum Vitae, Oana Ciofu 2018

Personal data:

Date of birth: 3rd of July 1967 Bucharest, Romania, Danish citizen, Address: Galionsvej 6, st..th.1437K, Single, live together with my two daughters (10 and 17 years old)

Education and academic degrees

8th of December 2003: Doctor of Science in medicine (Doctor medicinae) from Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH) with thesis title:” Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosomal beta-lactamase in patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic lung infection. Mechanism of antibiotic resistance and target of the humoral immune response”

29th of January 1998: Authorization as Medical Doctor in Denmark, Faculty of Health Sciences, UCPH

19th of June 1996: Ph.D. from Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UCPH with thesis ”Chromosomal beta-lactamase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Occurrence and Significance in Serum and Respiratory Secretions from Patients with Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infection”.

September 1991: Medical doctor, University “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania

Employment

2003- until present Associate professor, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH

1998-2002: Assistant Prof. Dept. Medical Microbiology and Immunology, UCPH

1996-1998: Research assistant, Dept. Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet

1993-1996: ph.D student, Dept. Medical Microbiology and Immunology, UCPH

1992-1993: Assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital “Sf. Pantelimon”, Bucharest, Romania

Visiting foreign research institutions

1998 June-August: University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada- preparation of outer membrane vesicles and electronomicroscopy techniques prof. Terry Beveridge

Award:

The Family Hede Nielsen Award, 2005 for “Research in prevention of development of antibiotic resistance by use of antioxidants”, 400.000 DKK

 Main research interests

The main research interests are bacterial evolution and adaptation with special interest in hypermutability, antibiotic resistance and biofilm. The work has led to fundamental understanding of the bacterial adaptation processes during chronic infection in a host using Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients, as a model.  

Publication summary  ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5648-4858

Number of scientific publications: 87 articles in peer reviewed journals, 1 monography and contributions to eleven book chapters, several posters and lectures at international conferences. Bibliographic index ( juni 2018): Web of Science:  Hirsch index 33; 4653 citation without self-citations.

Scientific management (PI)

2018-“Effect of Ceftazidime-avibactam on biofilm of AmpC hyperproducers of P. aeruginosa”  Pfizer A/S 339.500 DKK

2017 ”Treatment of biofilm infections with bacteriophages” Frøken P-A. Brandt, Gunna og  Einer Polanders Legat, 170.000 DKK, Brdr. Hartmann 50.000 DKK, Dansk CF Forening 40.000 DKK

2013 ”Validation of new vaccine candidates against Pseudomonas aeruginosa identified by in silico vaccine discovery platform based on artificial intelligence” Knowledge Voucher from Agency of Research and Innovation together with Evaxion ApS, 600.900 DKK, 2013

2012 “Optimization of treatment” as part of collaborative funding from  KU 2016 Fond to” University of Copenhagen Research Centre for Control of Antibiotic Resistance (UC-CARE)” (total funding 32.6m DKK).

2010 “Adaptive mechanisms of P. aeruginosa during the chronic airways infection in patients with cystic fibrosis” (3 years). Funding from Copenhagen University and Danish Technical University (total funding: 1.5m DKK)

International cooperation

Cooperation with research groups: Antonio Oliver, Hospital Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; prof. Susanne Haussler, Medical School of Hannover, Germany; Prof. Carlos Argarana, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina. Prof. Antoni Torres MD, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Spain.,

Supervision

I have supervised or co-supervised more than 30 bachelor and master projects of medical students, 10 master projects of other biological educations and 6 PhD students.

Teaching experience

“Medical Microbiology” course for medical students: Course leader, lectures, laboratory courses. Lectures and supervision at two ph.D courses: Medical Biofilms and Antibiotic Research. Lectures in UCPH Coursera course on “Biofilm infections”. Organizer of the first interdisciplinary course at the Health and Medical Science Faculty ”One Health: Antibiotic resistance – a threat for human and animal health” for medical and veterinary students, KU, SUND.

Reviewer for " Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy", "APMIS", "American Journal of Respiratory Medicine", "Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy", "The Journal of Cystic Fibrosis", "Microbes and Infections", "Biofilms" "Molecular Microbiology" and "Nature Medicine" journals.

Teaching

• Course leader and teacher in the “Medical Microbiology” course as part of bachelor education of medical students

• Coordinator of the first interdisciplinary One Health course at the Faculty of Health and medical Sciences “Antimicrobial resistance: a threat for humans and animals health”where medical and veterinary students are working together in mixed groups around specific infectious diseases cases.

• Supervisor phD students: 6, several master  and bachelor students

Fields of interest

I am primarily interested in the cure of persistent, chronic infections due to bacterial biofilms and my goal is to improve the treatment of this type of infections by interfering with the bacterial evolution and by enhancing the activity of antibiotics in biofilms.

Possible conflicts of interest

I have no possible conflicts of interest.

Current research

• Evolution of antibiotic resistance in biofilms vs planktonic cultures under treatment with sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics

• The role of oxidative stress in bacterial evolution in biofilms

• The interaction between bacteriophages and P.aeruginosa biofilms in the presence and absence of antibiotics.

• The effect of the new combination of ceftazidime-avibactam on P. aeruginosa biofilms.

• The development of resistance to azithromycin in P. aeruginosa biofilms.