Irina Balaur

Senior Data Scientist at Luxembourg National Data Service

Luxembourg

About

A computational biology researcher, with experience in the large-scale EU IMI eTRIKS translational research project and in the Cancer-Epigenetics-focused CIESCI ERA- Net Complexity project. Particular areas of expertise include computational modelling of biological complex systems, development of multiscale models in cancer, exploration of the role of epigenetics in cancer, comprehensive database management, use of machine learning techniques in biological networks.

Experience

  • Senior Data Scientist at Luxembourg National Data Service (LNDS)
    Mar 2025 - Present · 1 yr 5 mos

  • Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Luxembourg
    Sep 2020 - Feb 2025 · 4 yrs 6 mos

  • Researcher at European Institute for Systems Biology and Medicine
    Oct 2017 - Sep 2018 · 1 yr

  • Centre national de la recherche scientifique (Greater Lyon Area)
    • Researcher
      Nov 2015 - Sep 2017 · 1 yr 11 mos

    • Postdoctoral Researcher
      Nov 2014 - Oct 2015 · 1 yr

  • PHD Student at Dublin City University
    Jul 2011 - Sep 2014 · 3 yrs 3 mos

    Computational Cancer Epigenetics: The aim of my PhD work was to investigate the interdependencies of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms leading to aberrations in cancer initiation and progression. The objectives were to develop a multi-scale computational model for colon cancer dynamics, linking microscopic effects to macroscopic outcomes, to analyse the impact of different risk factors on malignant tumour development, and to identify potential targets for epigenetic inhibitors that can be explored in cancer therapy. The model is an object-oriented framework written in C++, with parallelization of the algorithm handled using MPI. My research was a part of The "Complexity of Interdependent Epigenetic Signals in Cancer Initiation" (CIESCI ERA-Net Complexity) Project, and was funded under the Complexity-NET (EC/IRC), and as an extended Embark project from the Irish Research Council (IRC). Organizing Committee Member for the Empowering Systems Medicine Through Optimal Workshop, held in conjunction with The IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BIBM 2014), Belfast, UK, 2nd – 5th November, 2014. http://empoweringsystemsmedicine.weebly.com/ Chair activities within: - the UKSim/AMSS 7th European Modelling Symposium (EMS2013), Manchester, UK, 20th-22nd Nov. 2013; - the Empowering Systems Medicine Through Optimal Workshop, (BIBMW 2014), Belfast, UK, 2nd-5th Nov. 2014. Reviewer activities for: - the Interdisciplinary Sciences: Computational Life Sciences Journal, Feb. 2013; - the Empowering Systems Medicine Through Optimal Workshop, Oct. 2014.