Marianna Gaça
Dr. Marianna D Gaça obtained a degree in Microbiology (University of Reading, UK) followed by a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology (University of Southampton, UK). Her research training continued as post doctoral studies at the Yale School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Since 2004, Dr. Gaça joined British American Tobacco’s Group Research and Development Centre, in Southampton, UK, and has had a number of roles supporting the science to help characterise the biological effects of cigarette smoke. These have included the development of in vitro models of tobacco related-diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease) and the development and application of in vitro smoke systems, contributing to the company’s tobacco harm reduction research. Dr. Gaça has authored several research articles in journals and chapters in scientific books, has presented her research at many scientific conferences and institutions internationally and serves as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Gaça has interests in the development and application of in vitro methods as alternatives to animal studies for product assessment and is an Executive Board member for the In Vitro Testing Industrial Platform (IVTIP).