MCAA Romania Chapter Interviews: Connecting Research and Researchers

Welcome to the third edition of “MCAA Romania Chapter Interviews: Connecting Research and Researchers” - a series dedicated to highlighting the journeys of exceptional scientists, fostering cross-border collaboration, and mapping out the realities of building a sustainable research career. 

In this episode, we connect with Dr. Ioana Meleg, scientific researcher II (R3), Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology – STAR-UBB Institute and Executive director, Emil G. Racoviță Institute for the Study of Life in Extreme Environments. Dr. Meleg 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. 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. Dr. Meleg is also the responsible for the good organization of the “Connect to the Future: Why you should become an MCAA Member and How to become one” event organized at the "Clubul Casei Universitarilor” Cluj-Napoca in 2025. We thank her for creating this opportunity for the MCAA Romania Chapter to meet members from Cluj and nearby areas. 

Let's dive in. 🏂

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Dr. Roxana Radu: Could you briefly introduce your current research and tell us how the MSCA fellowship shaped the direction of your career?

Dr. Ioana Meleg: My research lies at the intersection of palaeogenomics, evolutionary biology and palaeoecology. I use ancient DNA and other biomolecular approaches to investigate how past animal populations and ecosystems responded to environmental change, with a particular interest in cave environments and the Carpathian region.

My MSCA Individual Fellowship at the Centre for Palaeogenetics and the Swedish Museum of Natural History, hosted by Love Dalén between 2020 and 2022, was a major turning point. It allowed me to strengthen my expertise in palaeogenomics, work in a leading international research environment and develop a more independent research profile. It also led to collaborations and research directions that have continued well beyond the fellowship.

Dr. Roxana Radu: You combine teaching and research across two Romanian institutions. What do you value most about these different roles, and how do you find a workable balance between them?

Dr. Ioana Meleg: Research gives me the satisfaction of exploring questions for which the answers are still unknown, while teaching allows me to share that process with students and help them become more confident in working with scientific ideas and data.

The most rewarding moments are those in which teaching and research overlap, for example when students contribute to real projects, datasets or manuscripts. I try to create a workable balance by integrating the two whenever possible, setting clear priorities and protecting time for focused research. Collaboration and delegation are also essential, although I would not claim that the balance is always perfect.

Dr. Roxana Radu: What advice would you give early-stage researchers as they move from being students to becoming colleagues and collaborators within the wider research community?

Dr. Ioana Meleg: I would encourage them to find a research direction in which they can genuinely see themselves. Publications are important, but they should remain a way of communicating knowledge rather than becoming the sole purpose of research.

Mobility, teamwork and good mentorship can be transformative, so I would encourage them to actively seek international and interdisciplinary environments. I would also advise them not to wait until they feel completely ready before contributing. Professional confidence develops gradually through asking questions, taking responsibility and becoming a reliable collaborator. And, importantly, there is life after the PhD.

Dr. Roxana Radu: Academic freedom is an important concern for both the European Commission and the MCAA. Drawing on your experience in both a university and a research institute, what institutional practices and academic values are most important for protecting it, and how should staff participation in decision-making be structured to be meaningful and effective?

Dr. Ioana Meleg: In my view, academic freedom is supported by transparent procedures, fair evaluation, professional autonomy and an institutional culture in which different opinions can be expressed without being treated as disloyalty.

Staff participation can be valuable, but it needs to be appropriate to the type of decision and based on clear responsibilities and relevant expertise. Not every decision can or should involve everyone. What matters is that representation is meaningful, information is accessible, and important decisions can be discussed and questioned through credible institutional mechanisms. Academic freedom is therefore protected not by participation alone, but by a combination of autonomy, accountability, ethical leadership, trust and a commitment to translating knowledge into constructive action.