Meet the Team

Cristina Tomoiagă is key assistant researcher in the REThink Emotions project. She is currently a Ph.D. student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Her research is focused on the efficacy of online interventions using cognitive-behavioral coaching on different types of outcomes, as well as the mechanisms of change in this process. She is a CBT practitioner and professional experience includes soft skills and technical trainings, coaching and e-learning platforms and tools. She is also a member of the International Association of Cognitive Behavioral Coaching.

Iuga Ioana Alexandra has a degree in clinical psychology and psychotherapy and is currently a Ph.D. student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. She is an intern at PsyTech University Clinic and the Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology – STAR-UBB.  Her research interests focus on school burnout and the influence of parental expectations on children's academic stress.

Renata Gheorghiu is currently a Ph.D student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Her main research interests are using digital interventions in clinical populations, with a focus on bipolar disorder, and various predictors associated with the disorder.

Simona Miron is currently enrolled in the Psychology Bachelor's program, majoring in Forensic Psychology at Tilburg University. Her main research interests revolve around the development of disruptive behaviors in children and their connection with juvenile delinquency, as well as effective counseling for individuals with personality disorders.

Silviu Matu, Ph.D. is a senior assistant professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, at Babeș-Bolyai University, and a researcher on the PSYTECH-MATRIX Platform for Robotherapy and Virtual Reality Therapy, also at Babeș-Bolyai University. His main research interests are related to emotion regulation and the integration of psychology and technology in order to promote mental health. Silviu has worked as a researcher in several projects on these topics, including the the “REThink” project and the “DREAM” project, financed by the European Commission in the 7th Framework Programme, grant agreement no. 611391, focusing on developing an intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder by using therapeutic social robots (https://dream2020.github.io/DREAM/).

Roxana Cardos, Ph.D. is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca and Clinical Psychologist at the PsyTech University Clinic, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. Dr. Cardos was involved as a key researcher in the REThink project. Dr. Cardos’s publications are related to technology-based therapy: Sucala, M., Cuijpers, P., Muench, F., Cardos, R., Soflau, R., Dobrean, A., Achimas-Cadariu, P., & David, D. (2017). Anxiety: There is an app for that. A systematic review of anxiety apps. Depression and Anxiety: The official journal of ADAA, 34(6), 518-525. David, O. A. & Predatu, R. & Cardos, R. (2018). A pilot study of the REThink online video game applied for coaching emotional understanding in children and adolescents in the therapeutic video game environment: The Feeling Better resources game. Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies. 18. 57-68. 10.24193/jebp.2018.1.5. Cardos, R. A. I., David, O. A., David, O. D. (2017). Virtual reality exposure therapy in flight anxiety: A quantitative meta-analysis, Computers in Human Behavior, 72, 371-380. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.03.007.

Liviu-Andrei Fodor is a research assistant at the DATA Lab within the International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health and a doctoral student at the “Psychodiagnostics and scientifically validated psychological interventions” Doctoral School. He has a degree in psychology and graduated with a master’s degree in “Clinical psychology, psychological counseling and psychotherapy”, both at Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. His main research interests include meta-research procedures and advanced research methods for evaluating the efficiency / effectiveness of technologically augmented psychological interventions (e.g. virtual reality, PC and mobile platforms) in the treatment of mental disorders.

Iulian Bența, PhD. is a Doctor of Engineering and Lecturer Professor at Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Computer Science. His research interests areas are Context Awareness, Affective Computing and Artificial Intelligence.

Fuia Mihai Dragos is currently studying computer science at "Babes-Bolyai University". For as long as he remembers, he's always been in awe at how the modern world works, always trying to find out more, eventually deciding to focus on the digital aspect of the world. His main goal is to work on software that will make the world better, regardless of whether it will through science, education, logistics, or entertainment.

Georgiana M. Roșca is a cognitive-behavioral psychologist and trainer. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Her research interest aims at investigating parent child factors and effective and immediate parenting strategies used in children’s compliance and their adequate development on the long term. Her work experience focused on child psychology. Also, she is part of the International Association of Cognitive Behavioral Coaching team.

Tamara L. Macea is a clinical psychologist and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist in supervision. She is currently a Ph.D. student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Her research interests focus on the role of early adaptive and maladaptive schemas in parenting for children’s mental health. Her work experience focuses on adult psychopathology.

Vlad Mărghitaș has a degree in clinical psychology and psychotherapy, works as a clinical psychologist in supervision with a focus on addiction treatment and is currently a Ph.D. Student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. His research interests include studying the role of altered states of consciousness in the process of therapeutic change, focusing on various behavioral sources of mystical experience, such as religious participation, meditation and mindfulness or exposure to emotionally salient artistic or musical stimuli.

Kiss Iulia Maria has a degree in clinical psychology and psychotherapy and is a PhD student at the Evidence - Based Psychological Assessment and Intervention Doctoral School, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Her research interests focus on social support, adverse childhood experiences and their implications for psychological well-being.

Eliza Atudosie has a degree in clinical psychology and psychotherapy and is currently a Ph.D. student at the Evidence-Based Psychological Assessment and Interventions Doctoral School, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Her research interests focus on technology based psychological interventions and the investigation of the mechanisms behind them in reducing anxiety and stress among students and young adults. In private practice, she is a clinical psychologist and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist in supervision.