Ioan Tomuta | Genetic Material | Research Excellence Award

Published on by Cell Biologist

Prof. Dr. Ioan Tomuta | Genetic Material | Research Excellence Award

University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hatieganu Cluj-Napoca | Romania

Ioan Tomuță is a leading researcher in pharmaceutical technology with extensive expertise in the design, development, and optimization of modern dosage forms. His work focuses on understanding the physicochemical and mechanical properties of active substances and excipients, their processing behavior, and their influence on drug release kinetics and bioavailability. He has made significant contributions to advanced drug delivery systems, including liposomes, nanoparticles, polymeric films, and gastroretentive drug delivery platforms produced through 3D printing. His research also advances the use of NIR spectroscopy, chemometrics, and Quality-by-Design principles for pharmaceutical development and process analytical control. He has played key roles in national and European research projects involving process engineering, tissue regeneration technologies, and artificial intelligence–based prediction tools for 3D-printable medicines. His work spans formulation science, process optimization, GMP-oriented industrial applications, and innovation in personalized medicine manufacturing technologies.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications: 

Savencu, I., Iurian, S., Porfire, A., Bogdan, C., & Tomuță, I. (2021). Review of advances in polymeric wound dressing films. Reactive and Functional Polymers, 168, 105059.

Ilyés, K., Kovács, N. K., Balogh, A., Borbás, E., Farkas, B., Casian, T., Marosi, G., … & Tomuță, I. (2019). The applicability of pharmaceutical polymeric blends for the fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D technique: Material considerations, printability, process modulation, with particular interest in additive manufacturing applications. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 129, 110–123.

Tefas, L. R., Sylvester, B., Tomuță, I., Sesarman, A., Licarete, E., Banciu, M., … & Porfire, A. (2017). Development of antiproliferative long-circulating liposomes co-encapsulating doxorubicin and curcumin through the use of a quality-by-design approach. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 1605–1621.

Tefas, L. R., Tomuță, I., Achim, M., & Vlase, L. (2015). Development and optimization of quercetin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles by experimental design. Clujul Medical, 88(2), 214.

Barbalata, C. I., Tefas, L. R., Achim, M., Tomuță, I., & Porfire, A. S. (2020). Statins in risk-reduction and treatment of cancer. World Journal of Clinical Oncology, 11(8), 573.

Bogdan, C., Iurian, S., Tomuță, I., & Moldovan, M. (2017). Improvement of skin condition in striae distensae: Development, characterization and clinical efficacy of a cosmetic product containing Punica granatum seed oil and Croton lechleri resin extract. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 521–531.

Rusu, M. E., Gheldiu, A. M., Mocan, A., Moldovan, C., Popa, D. S., Tomuță, I., … & Vlase, L. (2018). Process optimization for improved phenolic compounds recovery from walnut (Juglans regia L.) septum: Phytochemical profile and biological activities. Molecules, 23(11), 2814.

Colobatiu, L., Gavan, A., Potarniche, A. V., Rus, V., Diaconeasa, Z., Mocan, A., … & Tomuță, I. (2019). Evaluation of bioactive compounds-loaded chitosan films as a novel and potential diabetic wound dressing material. Reactive and Functional Polymers, 145, 104369.

Rusu, M. E., Fizeșan, I., Pop, A., Gheldiu, A. M., Mocan, A., Crișan, G., Vlase, L., … & Tomuță, I. (2019). Enhanced recovery of antioxidant compounds from hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) involucre based on extraction optimization: Phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity. Antioxidants, 8(10), 460

Afolake Arowolo | Functional Genomics | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Cell Biologist

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Afolake Arowolo | Functional Genomics | Best Researcher Award

South African Medical Council and University of Cape Town | South Africa

Dr. Afolake Temitope Arowolo is a C2 NRF-rated Specialist Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council and Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town, with more than a decade of experience in biochemistry, molecular biology, and functional genomics. She earned her PhD in Biochemistry from Rhodes University, and earlier degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University. Her research has spanned teaching and supervising students at undergraduate, honours and postgraduate levels, delivering courses in molecular biology, structural biology, biochemistry, enzyme and protein characterisation, as well as quality control and molecular techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 screening, PCR / qPCR, cloning, and electrophoresis. She has published over 20 peer-reviewed research articles, including a filed patent on novel inhibitors of human 5-alpha reductase for androgenetic alopecia, and has secured various international and local grants and fellowships. Her work has been cited in the scientific literature many times, reflecting a solid h-index (approximately mid- to high-teens) and citations in excess of one hundred. She is active in editorial and peer review duties, mentors, especially for scholars from under-represented backgrounds, and her current research interest is identifying novel therapeutic agents for diseases such as diabetes cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and fibrosing skin and hair disorders, applying functional genomics, nanobiotechnology, molecular biology and enzymology.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications:

Tambwe, N., Sinkala, M., Oluwole, O., Khumalo, N., & Arowolo, A. (2025). An integrative genotyping and gene expression profiling of the mutated human FAM111B gene and fibrosis-associated pathway in the POIKTMP syndrome. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. (Article in Press).

Oluwole, O. G., Arowolo, A., Musa, E., Levitt, N., & Matjila, M. (2025). The identification of a novel missense variant in the ChAT gene in a patient with gestational diabetes denotes a plausible genetic association. Open Medicine, 20(1), 1225.

Johnson, R., Shabalala, S., Mabasa, L., Kotzé-Hörstmann, L., Sangweni, N., Ramharack, P., Sharma, J., Pheiffer, C., Arowolo, A., & Sadie-Van Gijsen, H. (2025). Integrated profiling of adiponectin and cytokine signaling pathways in high-fat diet-induced MASLD reveals early markers of disease progression. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1–5.

Naicker, D., Rhoda, C., Sunda, F., & Arowolo, A. (2024). Unravelling the intricate roles of FAM111A and FAM111B: From protease-mediated cellular processes to disease implications. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(5), 2845.

Ntshingila, S., Oputu, O., Arowolo, A. T., & Khumalo, N. P. (2023). Androgenetic alopecia: An update. JAAD International, 13, 150–158.

Musa, E., Salazar-Petres, E., Arowolo, A., Levitt, N., Matjila, M., & Sferruzzi-Perri, A. N. (2023). Obesity and gestational diabetes independently and collectively induce specific effects on placental structure, inflammation and endocrine function in a cohort of South African women. The Journal of Physiology, 601(7), 1287–1306.