As an ecologist and speleologist, Ioana’s professional and personal mission is to promote ecology as the science that enhances our understanding of the environment and nurture a heightened sense of responsibility for the Earth. She is one of the co-founders of the Emil G. Racoviță Institute for the Study of Life in Extreme Conditions at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where she conducts her research as a biologist. Ioana’s work primarily revolves around reconstructing past population dynamics through the integration of ancient DNA research and palaeoecological studies. She has been granted fellowships from esteemed institutions, including the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the European Union, to support her interdisciplinary research conducted in subsurface environments.
