MSc Molecular Biomedicine students - Entry Year of 2016
Vasiliki (Vicky) Baltatzidou is a Molecular Biologist with particular interest in Immunology. She graduated from the Biology Department at the University of Crete, with a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. She practiced her undergraduate thesis at the Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine and focused on the Molecular Epidemiological Investigation of the environment of patients with Legionellosis. She interned and then worked as a Research Assistant in the Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Immunology at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute. In 2016, she joined as a graduate student the MSc program in Molecular Biomedicine of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and BSRC "Alexander Fleming".
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Georgina Xanthou, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Kostas Vekrellis, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Prof. Socrates Tzartos, Hellenic Pasteur Institute
Nefeli Boni-Kazantzidou was born in Athens in 1994. She obtained a BSc in Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Athens, Greece (2012-2016). Her undergraduate thesis, titled "Studying the association of apolipoprotein E mutants with lipoprotein glomerulopathy by recombinant protein production/purification and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques", was completed in the laboratory of Dr Angeliki Chroni, a Senior Researcher of the Institute of Biosciences and Applications at NCSR “Demokritos”. Nefeli joined in September 2016 the MSc program in Molecular Biomedicine of the Medical School - National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and BSRC "Alexander Fleming". Outside of the lab, she was a member of the “Scico Ambassadors” project, and was taking part in science communication activities, including preparation of the 2017 “Athens Science Festival”. Nefeli graduated from the MSc in September 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. George Panayotou, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Marietta Armaka, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Panayota Kafasla, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● PhD student — University of Liverpool, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, Centre for Proteome Research (Dr. Patrick Eyers & Dr. Claire Eyers Lab), Liverpool, United Kingdom
Marios-Evangelos Bogiongko was born in Athens, Greece in 1991. He studied at the department of Biotechnology of the Agricultural University of Athens, where he obtained a BSc in Biotechnology. For his final year dissertation, he investigated the interactions of DNAJC11 with other mitochondrial proteins, in a novel neuromuscular disease mouse model. He became fascinated in lab life and wanted to become entangled in cutting edge research. He thus undertook the MSc course in Molecular Biomedicine at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - School of Medicine and BSRC "Alexander Fleming".
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Laskaro Zagoraiou, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Leonidas Stefanis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Leonidas Stefanis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
● PhD student — Department of Stem Cell Biology, FAU Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Prof. Beate Winner Lab), Erlangen, Germany
Thanasis Ferentinos was born and grew up in Athens, Greece. He is a graduate of the Department of Biology, University of Patras and completed his degree thesis in Dr. Spyroulias' lab at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Patras. The title of his degree thesis was “Production and isolation of the Hepatitis E virus (HEV) macro domain for structural studies with NMR spectroscopy”. In 2016, Thanasis joined the MSc program in Molecular Biomedicine of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and BSRC "Alexander Fleming", from which he graduated in May 2019.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Dimitris Kontoyiannis, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Pantelis Hatzis, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Dimitris Kontoyiannis, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● Biologist — Mikroskopisi LLC–Diagnostic Labs, Athens, Greece
Melpomeni (Penny) Galani received her bachelor degree from the department of Biology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) in 2015. She conducted her diploma thesis in the laboratory of Human and Animal Physiology (NKUA), where she studied the role of calcium channel blockers in the induction of the calcium paradox in the isolated perfused vertebrate heart, under the supervision of Dr. Aikaterini Gaitanaki. She then undertook in 2016 the MSc program in Molecular Biomedicine at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and BSRC "Alexander Fleming". Penny graduated from the MSc in October 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Kostas Vekrellis, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Christos Consoulas, Medical School - National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Cornelia Poulopoulou, Medical School - National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
● PhD student — Laboratory of Experimental Neurophysiology (Dr. Cornelia Poulopoulou Lab), Medical School - National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Alexandros Galaras obtained his BSc degree in Biology from the University of Patras in 2016. At the end of the third-year of his undergraduate studies, he joined the laboratory of General Biology at the Medical School of Patras, where he conducted his scientific thesis under the supervision of Professor Moschonas, in a project focusing on the generation of stable cell lines that overexpress a gene involved in RNA splicing. In the same year, he presented his work on the role and advantages of protein-protein interaction networks in medicine and more specifically in Parkinson’s Disease, at the 22nd Scientific Congress of Medical students. Alexandros then pursued his graduate studies at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and at the BSRC "Alexander Fleming" Institute, where he was participating in the Master's program in Molecular Biomedicine. He graduated from the MSc in October 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Pantelis Hatzis, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Antonia Vlahou, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Pantelis Hatzis, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● PhD student — Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research (Dr. Pantelis Hatzis Lab), Vari, Greece. Recipient of the 1st prize of the 2020 “Fotis Kafatos” Award for Excellence in Biology (Panhellenic Union of Bioscientists)
Lida Iliopoulou obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biology from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2016. She conducted her thesis project at the Molecular Genetics Laboratory of the Hellenic Pasteur Institute, under the supervision of Dr. Lesley Probert. She worked on in vitro and in vivo models of Multiple Sclerosis in order to elucidate the role of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in the pathogenesis of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Lida pursued her studies as part of the Master's degree program in Molecular Biomedicine of the Medical School - National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and BSRC "Alexander Fleming" from September 2016, and she graduated from the MSc in October 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Marietta Armaka, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Vasiliki Koliaraki, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Prof. George Kollias, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● PhD student — Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", Institute for Bioinnovation (Prof. George Kollias Lab), Vari, Greece
Foteini Karousi received her BSc degree in Biology in 2016 from the University of Patras, Greece. Her undergraduate thesis was performed at the Physiology Laboratory, Medical School of Patras under the supervision of Professor Stavros Taraviras. Fotini worked as a summer intern (2015) at the Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Pharmacobiology, Institute of Bioengineering (IBI), School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), and has voluntarily worked as an intern at the Biopathological Department of Diagnostic center of Salamis (summer 2016). In September 2016, she undertook the MSc program in Molecular Biomedicine at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and BSRC "Alexander Fleming". Fotini graduated from the MSc in October 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Eleni Douni, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Anthony Gavalas, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Prof. Vassilis Gorgoulis, Medical School - National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
● Scientific Staff — Diamed Hellas SA, Athens, Greece
Theodora Manolakou graduated from the Biotechnology Department of the Agricultural University of Athens in 2016. Her undergraduate thesis was performed in the Department of Immunology at the Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece, under the supervision of Associate Professor Dr Eleni Douni. Theodora was applying there the CRISPR/CAS9 genome modification system in a mouse neuroblastoma cell line in order to induce functional mutations. She was awarded then a 3-year scholarship for part of her undergraduate studies from the Panagiotis Triantafyllidis Foundation. During her undergraduate training, she received NSRF funding to conduct a 3-month internship at the Villefranche-sur-mer Developmental Biology Laboratory of Marine Observatory (CNRS-UPMC/Sorbonne Université), in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France (2014), as well as an Erasmus+ fellowship to conduct another 3-month internship at the Department of Molecular Bases of Human Diseases, Institute of Human Genetics (CNRS-UM), in Montpellier, France (2015). In September 2016, she undertook her Post-graduate studies in Molecular Biomedicine at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and BSRC "Alexander Fleming". Theodora graduated from the MSc in July 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Panagiotis Politis, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Prof. Dimitrios Boumpas, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Panagiotis Politis, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● PhD student — Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Dept. of Translational Medicine, Lab of Inflammation and Autoimmunity (Prof. Dimitrios Boumpas Lab), Athens, Greece
Elena Papacharisi was born in Athens, Greece, in 1993. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy with Honors in 2016. Her diploma thesis was focused on the role of oxidized forms of cholesterol in the formation of atherosclerosis, through the mechanisms of apoptosis and autophagy. She then enrolled in September 2016 in the MSc in Molecular Biomedicine of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and BSRC "Alexander Fleming". Elena graduated from the MSc in October 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Vasiliki Koliaraki, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Athanasios Tzioufas, Medical School - National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Vasiliki Koliaraki, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● PhD Student (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow - ITN ''pHioniC'') — Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany — Heidelberg Pharma GmbH, Biochemistry Department (Prof. Andreas Pahl), Ladenburg, Germany
Georgia-Artemis (Gina) Papadopoulou received her Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the Democritus University of Thrace in 2016. She successfully performed her thesis in the laboratory of Protein Structure and Function Research under the supervision of Dr. Paul (Bogos) Agianian. She then joined in September 2016 the master program in Molecular Biomedicine at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Medical School, in collaboration with the BSRC "Alexander Fleming" Institute. Gina graduated from the MSc in November 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Elina Papanikolaou, Medical School - National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Georgina Xanthou, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Georgina Xanthou, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● PhD student — Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Center for Basic Research, Cellular Immunology Laboratory, (Dr. Georgina Xanthou Lab), Athens, Greece
Evangelia Thanou was born in 1994, in Ioannina, Greece. She received her Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the Biology Department of the School of Sciences and Engineering of the University of Crete in 2016. Her early work, and the projects she participated in as an undergraduate student, were focused on understanding the correlation of Genome stability with pathways associated with longevity, aging and age-related pathology and cancer, at the FORTH- IMBB Institute in Crete (in Dr. George Garinis lab). She then moved to Athens, Greece, in order to attend the MSc in Molecular Biomedicine at the Medical School of NKUA in collaboration with the BSRC "Alexander Fleming" Institute. As a master's student, she joined the laboratory of Neurobiology of Dr. Leonidas Stefanis and Dr. Hardy J. Rideout at the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), and performed her research on Parkinson's disease, through basic and clinical research approaches. Evangelia graduated from the MSc in September 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Leonidas Stefanis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Laskaro Zagoraiou, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. Leonidas Stefanis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
● PhD student (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow - ESR13 Euroneurotrophin project) — Center of Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Dept. Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology (MCN), Vrije Universiteit (VU) (Assi. Prof. Ka Wan Li Lab), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Alexandros Zografakis received his Bachelor’s degree from the Department of Biology at the University of Patras in Greece in 2015. His diploma thesis was conducted in the department of Pharmacy under the supervision of Prof. Spyroulias. His research work involved the overexpression of recombinant human proteins in bacterial cell cultures. These proteins were then purified and their structural changes were studied through NMR spectroscopy. Upon completing his studies, Alexandros returned to his hometown, Athens, and joined in September 2016 the MSc program in Molecular Biomedicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Medical School and BSRC "Alexander Fleming". Alexandros graduated from the MSc in September 2018.
● First Rotation Supervisor: Dr. Vassilis Aidinis, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● Second Rotation Supervisor: Dr. George Panayotou, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● MSc Dissertation Supervisor: Dr. George Panayotou, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
● PhD student (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow - Early Stage Researcher) — University of Freiburg, Institute for Biology II, Department of Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics (Prof. Bettina Warscheid Lab), Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany