Dr. Sanda Iepure
Sanda Iepure, PhD in Biology, Romanian Academy (Project coordinator). Associate Professor at the University Babes Bolyai and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Speleology Emil Racovita with broad research interest in subterranean biology, cave ecology, biodiversity, biogeography, and caves ecosystem function. Her researches also focus on systematics, and taxonomy of groundwater crustaceans (cyclopoids, ostracods); evolution and adaptations of cave crustaceans to extreme cave environments (ice caves, sulfidic caves) and groundwater ecotoxicology.
Dr. Oana T. Moldovan
PhD in Biology, Universitee Paul Sabatier, Toulousse, France. Senior Researcher at the Institute of Speleology Emil Racovita, Oana is biologist specialized in cave ecology and paleoecology, with experience in impact studies, groundwater ecology, the taxonomy of Coleoptera, paleoenvironment, protection and conservation of karst areas and caves.
Dr. Ruxandra Bucur
PhD in Biology, Romanian Academy. Researcher at the Institute of Speleology Emil Racovita, Ruxandra is involved in research on cave fauna with interest in monitoring of terrestrial and aquatic fauna, as well as evolution, adaptation and speciation of coleoptera in subterranean environment. She uses molecular approaches to address issues on phylogeny and phylogeography of cave beetles for a better understanding of origin and evolution of subterranean biodiversity at different systematic levels, from populations to species.
Dr. Cristian Sitar
PhD in Biology, . Senior Curator at the Babes Bolyai University Zoological Museum, Cristian is an entomologist and ecologist with background in inventory and monitoring of Natura 2000 insect species. His current interest is in cave fauna monitoring and taxonomy and biology of cave beetles (ex. Duvalius, Pholeuon, Protopholeuon).
Dr. Cătălina Haidău
Researcher at the Institute of Speleology Emil Racovita. Her studies focus on cave bacteria. With experience in microbiology (aerobe microorganisms’ isolation & cultures; phylogeny), molecular techniques, as well as in bioinformatics, her role in the project will be to perform the molecular and eDNA analysis.
MSc. Orest Sambor
MSc, Bachelor in Biology, University Babes Bolyai Cluj Napoca, Romania. Orest holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Systemic Ecology and Conservation from the Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, with his graduation theses focused on aquatic invertebrates. With expertise in ecology, hydrobiology, biospeleology, and as an ecologist, his current research involves field monitoring of cave environments and biodiversity.
Undergraduate student, Dragos Coada
Faculty of Biology and Geology, University Babes Bolyai Cluj Napoca, Romania. Dragos is working on cave aquatic fauna monitoring and harpacticoids crustaceans taxonomy and ecology.