"Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy is the first medical school established in Romania, in 1857, and it is currently the largest in Romania. It is a state-run institution with a student enrollment of over 4.800 students, using the facilities of over 20 clinical hospitals across Bucharest.
"Carol Davila" University has acquired high prestige for its history, teaching staff, academic accomplishments of the graduated medical students, and the clinical hospitals and research laboratories it uses. The University is famous for its academic achievement. The honorary president of the University is the well known Professor George Emil Palade, M.D., PhD, and Nobel Prize Winner. Other great personalities that have started their academic careers here are Victor Babes, Nicolae Paulescu, Gheorghe Marinescu, Thoma Ionescu, Ion Cantacuzino, Grigore T. Popa. They are well known for their breakthrough contributions in medical sciences.
The Division of Physiology and Neuroscience within the Functional Sciences Department of the "Carol Davila" University pursues several lines of scientific research at the "N. C. Paulescu" laboratory: "Center for Excellence in Neuroscience", with the efforts of the Romanian Group of Initiative in Neuroscience (GRINS), established by Professor MD PhD Leon Zagrean. One of the most distinctive characteristics of the GRINS experience is the focus on student-faculty research.
The Center for Excellence in Neuroscience is further divided into several units:
- Animal Electrophysiology Laboratory: Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and preconditioning in vivo and in vitro; Kainate induced epilepsy in rat; Research of the effect of anesthetics on the electrical brain activity; Research on the functional changes induced by diabetes mellitus on the visual system; Normal and pathological physiology studies of the heart and cardiovascular system; Physiopathology studies on the degenerative mechanisms affecting the acustico-vestibular system;
- Cellular Electrophysiology Laboratory: Cellular electrophysiology and neuropharmacology studies in-vitro (on brain slices or cell cultures) and in vivo (stereotaxy on mouse/rat brain);
- Human Electrophysiology Laboratory: Sleep studies on human subjects concerning: sleep architecture, study of dreams, study of memory; Electroencephalography, psychophysiology, cognitive functions and neuromarketing studies;
- Cell Culture Laboratory: Research on neuronal cell cultures, neuroprotection and recovery mechanisms, neuropharmacology;
- Animal Behavior Laboratory: Memory, learning & behavior studies on rats, development of new animal models for neurological and pshychiatrical disorders, investigation of the effects of pharmacological agents;
Students are constantly engaged in the sustained research activities performed at the Center for Excellence in Neuroscience. In their scientific development, they pass through the following cycle: observer, trainee, junior research assistant, research assistant and after doctoral studies: junior investigator, (up to 5-yrs postdoc) investigator, senior investigator and finally Principal investigator.
The "Coma" team from GRINS consists of:
Ana-Maria Zagrean
MD, PhD at Division of Physiology and Neuroscience "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy
Leon Zagrean
MD, PhD, Professor, Head Division of Physiology and Neuroscience "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy
