Professor of Romanian Civilization and Culture at West University of Timișoara, she founded and directs the RHeA Center for Heritage and Anthropology (since 2015) and has led the Romanian Association of Ethnological Sciences since 2014.

Her research explores everyday life, ritual, and narrative in multiethnic, cross-border Banat and Eastern Europe, coordinating teams in Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

An award-winning author (Premio Internazionale Giuseppe Cocchiara, 2017; Doctor honoris causa, 2022), she has published widely and co-edited works on food culture, including the Transylvanian Review supplement “Multivalent Research about Food,” plus Banatul în 10 feluri / The Banat in 10 Ways and 30 de aluaturi și povestiri despre hrană (30 Doughs and Food Stories). She led projects to create a digital collection of Romanian food heritage and transfer knowledge to agri-food.

As Ambassador for Banat 2028, Hedeșan champions producers’ knowledge, decodes traditions for contemporary audiences, and celebrates a cuisine where story, seasonality, and identity meet.