Dr. rer. nat. Ovidiu Popa -  Scientific Profile

Qualifications

• 2015 – today Tenured Postdoctoral researcher, Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, HHU Düsseldorf Head of the Graph based Statistical Data Analysis workgroup

• 2013 – 2015 Research Assistance, Institute of Microbiology

• Genomic Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universit.t zu Kiel

• 2010 – 2013 Research Assistance, Institute of Genomic Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf

• 2003 – 2011 First Level Support, Deutsches Gesundheitsnetz (DGN Service)

• 2002 – 2006 Freelancer, IT System Specialist / Freelancer

• 2002 – 2003 Customer Service Professional - IT Consult, Sitel GmbH - Microsoft project

• 1998 – 2001 IHK Certificated Apprenticeship - IT system engineer, Micromedic GmbH, 41468 Neuss

Academics

• 2013–2015 Ph.D., Institute of Microbiology / Genomic Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Supervisor: Prof. Tal Dagan

Thesis in preparation: “Phylogenomic networks reveal limited phylogenetic range of lateral gene transfer by transduction”

• 2010–2013 Ph.D., Institute of Genomic Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf Supervisors: Prof. William F. Martin, Prof. Tal Dagan

Thesis in preparation: “Directed networks of lateral gene transfer in prokaryotic genomes”

• 2002–2009 Diploma in Biology (equivalent to M.Sc.), Institute of Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf Supervisors: Prof. William F. Martin, Dr. Tal Dagan

Thesis: “Networks of recent lateral gene transfer in prokaryotes”

Awards and Functions

• 2022 ATWAICE - Artic Expedition as Scientist - Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven

• 2023 – today Teaching instructor, M-Module: From DNA to ecological model, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf

• 2021 – today Teaching instructor, Quantitative Biology: Network of Life, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf

• 2021 – today Teaching instructor, Quantitative Biology: Principles of Statistics & Stochastics , Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf

• 2019 – today Teaching instructor, V-Module: Statistical Data Analysis, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf

• 2017 Organization of the workshop Gene Expression Analysis using R

• 2014 – 2015 Teaching instructor, Basics of Genome Analysis, Christian-Albrechts-Universit.t zu Kiel

Supervision of Dissertations, Master- and Bachelor-Thesis

5 Master-Thesis (M. Sc.) (as Co-Supervisor)

9 Bachelor-Thesis (B. Sc.) (as Supervisor)

Areas of Research

• Computational ecology - modeling ecological networks using integrative methodology

• Reconstructing interaction patterns using graph theory, with a focus on lateral gene transfer and phage-host dynamics.

Presentations in scientific meetings

• 03/2024 Continued national development of Polarstern operations until 2027 and well beyond: oral presentation - Project iLOVE: integrative Longterm Observation and Virtual Evaluation - integrating MGEs/viral observation into the long-term monitoring program LTER HAUSGARTEN

• 02/2024 International MOSAiC Science Conference 2024: oral presentation - Exploring the Mobilome in the Central Arctic Ocean: A Metagenomic Study through the photic zone

• 10/2023 SPP2330 International Symposium: oral presentation - Characterizing Virome Co-occurrence in the Arctic: Insights from Metagenomic Samples

• 03/2023 Bundling and implementing national polar expedition interests with RV Polarstern: oral presentation - VirDyn: High resolution co-occurrence pattern of viruses and their host from arctic environment

• 04/2022 International MOSAiC Science Conference 2022: poster - Co-occurrence networks of microbial species from the FRAM Strait

• 03/2020 Joint Conference of the DGHM & VAAM: oral presentation - Phage-Prophage association networks and putative hosts from marine environment

• 10/2016 International Study Group for Systems Biology (ISGSB) meeting in Jena Germany: poster - The Evolutionary Footprint in the Genes of Arabidopsis thaliana

• 03/2016 European Networks Conference on Algal and Plant Photosynthesis in Malta oral presentation - Functional capabilities of the microbiome associated with cultures of Phaeodactylum tricornutum

• 06/2015 Metabolic Pathways Analysis 2015 in Braga / Portugal: poster - Bacterial Community Profile of Phaeodactylum tricornutum Cultures

• 04/2014 SMBEME: Satellite Meeting on Reticulated Microbial Evolution / Kiel: poster - Directed networks uncover trends and barriers of lateral gene transfer within prokaryotes

• 07/2013 FEMS 2013 / 5th Congress of European Microbiologists / Leipzig: poster - A directed network of lateral gene transfers reveals trends and barriers during microbial evolution