GUMC Update

Getting to Know … Adriana Stoica

April 12, 2006

NHS will celebrate the grand opening of the Discovery Center on April 19, a 3,000 square-foot area that houses an undergraduate teaching laboratory, faculty/student research laboratory and a computational science center. Adriana Stoica, research assistant professor with a dual appointment in NHS and Lombardi, is one of the professors who will use the state-of-the-art facility, located on the third floor of the Med-Dent Building, for both her lab's research and to teach NHS students.

Q: Why is the opening of the Discovery Center so exciting for NHS?
A: It’s a huge step forward for [NHS] because we’ve needed lab space so badly. When I started teaching at Georgetown, we didn’t have a place for students to learn about research … we were constantly borrowing lab space from other people. Now, we’ll have a place for ourselves.

Q: What will your role be at the Discovery Center?
A: I’ll be teaching courses on genetics and biotechnology and continuing my research on hormone resistance in breast and prostate cancer.

Q: How will this new facility impact the academic experience for students?
A: Without a lab, there are minimal opportunities for hands-on experience, and in science, it’s all about experimentation. I can lecture as much as I want but if students don’t experience the science, then it doesn’t matter.

Q: Where did you grow-up?
A: I was born in Romania, in Transylvania. You’ve probably heard of Dracula … we’re from the same place!

Q: How did you end up at Georgetown?
A: Under the communist regime [in Romania], I wasn’t allowed to get my PhD there. I received a fellowship for cultural agreement through the National Cancer Institute to finish it in the United States and ended up at Georgetown. I never left.

Q: What’s your favorite book?
A: I like books about other countries and cultures. One of my favorite writers is a Romanian author, Mircea Eliade. He is very well-known in Europe.

Q: What’s the best part of your job?
A: I love teaching but I also like my research, so being able to combine both of them is a dream come true for me.

Q: If you could meet anyone famous, who would it be?
A: Bill Clinton. I almost saw him once when he visited campus but missed his speech. I’d really like to talk to him!

You’re invited to attend an open house for the NHS Discovery Center on Wednesday, April 19 from 4-5:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Med-Dent Building. RSVP to Michelle Blancas at mdb64@georgetown.edu. If you are unable to attend but want to learn more, visit the website here:  http://nhs.georgetown.edu/news/

Copyright Georgetown University Medical Center 2007

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