Discipline – Microbiology

The discipline of Microbiology was established in 1946 by Prof. Dr. Ioan Mesrobeanu. In the following years, the Department of Microbiology was led in turn by: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iancu Ivan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria W. Zalman, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anuţa Elias, Chief of Works Dr. Csáky Nicolae, Prof. Dr. Lazăr Zoe , Prof. Dr. Moldovan Roxana. Virology was introduced as an independent discipline in 1950, with Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Badenski as the holder. After the transfer of his reign to IMF Cluj Napoca, the virology was taught within the Discipline of Microbiology. Starting with 1996, the discipline of Microbiology – Virology was separated from Parasitology, and the management of the discipline was taken over by Prof. Dr. Roxana Moldovan, and from 2018 until now, by Prof. Dr. Monica Licker.

The Microbiology-Virology course is one of the mandatory courses, being present in the program of the first or second year of all faculties and specializations. Also in the departments with teaching in Romanian, and in the departments in English and French. Also, the Clinical Microbiology Course is optional for fourth year students of the Faculty of Medicine. The training offered within the discipline of Microbiology – Virology occupies an important place in the formation of future medical staff. Also, in recent years teachers of our discipline have been involved in organizing activities in student events (workshops, coordination of scientific papers, courses).

Starting with the 2017/2018 academic year, a group of students with volunteer activities (VADA) has been formed at the level of our discipline, with numerous results and beautiful initiatives in the field (Medis workshops, lectures, participation in scientific events of student organizations). In 2018, they won the first prize at the International Congress for Students in Craiova, with a scientific paper on microbiology.

An important aspect of our activity is represented by the research activity, which was polarized on the study of resistance to anti-infective chemotherapeutics, phenotyping and genotyping of germs with nosocomial potential in risk sections. Also, our discipline team has been involved in research activities with a number of other specialties within UMFT, but also with other universities. The research activity was materialized over time in 6 grants won through competition with funding from the national fund, in which members of the discipline held the position of director / project manager (CNCSIS 42612/2000, 2 CNCSIS grants, type “TD ”2002, Viasan 310/2004, PNII 42121 / 01.10.2008, PNII 41-011 / 2007), 4 grants won through competition with private funding, as well as 7 completed clinical trials. Currently, the members of the discipline are part of the Romanian-Hungarian project ROHU339 / HEALTH-PREGN-RO-HU / 2019-2020. All this research has resulted in the publication of over 50 articles in ISI Web of Science indexed journals. Our discipline team has been involved in research activities in collaboration with a number of other specialties within UMFT but also with other universities.

Also, at the level of the discipline, a number of 19 doctorates were completed and confirmed (17 under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Roxana Moldovan and 2 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Monica Licker), and another 7 doctorates are in progress.

All teachers who are members of the discipline are primary care physicians in laboratory medicine, medical specialists / primary care medical microbiologists (some with other specialties) with rich experience in the field. Most of them have clinical integration in the university clinical hospitals from Timişoara (within the clinical laboratories, of the Service for the prevention of healthcare associated infections (SPIAAM), in the dermatology offices within the specialized outpatient clinic) or work in private laboratories.

Under the guidance of teachers of the discipline were and are coordinated and guided resident physicians in many specialties: laboratory medicine, medical microbiology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, periodontology. We also organize annual postgraduate courses for doctors, biologists, biochemists.

Prof. Dr. Monica Licker is currently Vice President of the Romanian Society of Microbiology (SRM) and a representative of SRM in the International Federation of Infection Control (IFIC) and the European Network to Promote Infection Prevention for Patient Safety (Eunetips). Between 2007 and 2008, Prof. Dr. Monica Licker was the national contact point for Romania within the European network of Hospitals in Europe Linked for Infection Control through surveillance-Improving patient safety (HELICS-IPSE). In this capacity, he participated in the regular meetings of the companies / networks mentioned above, contributing (by reporting resistance data at national and international level), to the development of a better action.