Meet Oana
Oana Caluseriu is a medical geneticist who focuses on rare genetic disorders at the University of Alberta in the department of medical genetics.
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Oana has been working as a medical geneticist for twelve years, focusing on rare genetic disorders and discovering new therapies.
In her spare time, Oana loves to bike with her husband in the River Valley, create her own jewelry and write fiction and non-fiction stories. She is also part of a Romanian traditional folk dance and presents in shows around town and at Heritage Festival
Let’s find out more about Oana:
How did you decide to do this work?
I discovered the importance of genetics in medical school as DNA is the blueprint of life; I thought that was very cool and wanted to understand and take care of patients who have been born with a different blueprint from what is considered typical.
What have you learned?
Given the technological advancements in genetics, we now understand thousands of more rare genetic disorders and that changes in the DNA are accepted as essential in the understanding and treatment of a growing number of common disorders (i.e. cancer, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc).
How do you think your research will help inform future Stollery (and community) physicians and how might it impact future practices?
Our work in genetics impacts patients from every area of medicine evaluated at the Stollery; we are more and more involved in directing management and with a growing number of genetic disorders, the focus is on finding new therapies. Diagnoses also help families understand if there may be an impact on other family members to direct their care and help couples understand their recurrence risk and plan for their future pregnancies.
Do you have a personal connection to the Stollery?
My connection to the Stollery is very strong as I spend a lot of my time here attending to families and children together with my other geneticist colleagues, genetic counselors, nurses, dieticians and clerical staff that all work to provide complementary pieces of care for the modern medicine we practice.
Do you have a favourite Disney Princess or superhero?
I remember my very first cartoon I went to see with my kindergarten class, Snow White. The whole idea of the movie was fascinating. However, over time, as I understood myself better and I followed the opportunities life brought my way, I think I looked more at new characters who may have a more compelling story behind. In that respect, Pocahontas is my favorite, as this gives families and children the opportunity to be more inclusive of characters that are not necessarily the traditional “princesses” but who can inspire about life values, the determination and recognition every woman deserves.
Thanks to your support, researchers like Oana are a making a life-changing difference for the kids and families who rely on the Stollery’s world-class care. You can continue to support world-class research by donating today.
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