Laboratory of Brain Exosomes and Pathology - ExoBrain
Dr. Christos Karoussiotis, Postdoctoral researcher
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Dr Christos Karoussiotis, (BSc, PhD) has obtained his bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology & Genetics at Democritus University (Greece) and his PhD in Department of Biology (Athens, Greece). He has received training at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain) and worked at the Institute of NanoScience and Nanotechnology (NCSR, Demokritos, Greece). His PhD studies focused on elucidating the implication of κ-opioid receptor-mediated autophagy in stress responses. His research interests focus on exploring the role of autophagy and opioid system in stress-driven brain pathologies such as anxiety and depression.
Dr. Maria Anesti, Postdoctoral researcher
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Maria Anesti (BSc, MSc, PhD) obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Department of Biology of University of Patras, Greece. She received fellowships from the Bodossaki Foundation and the Hellenic Scholarships Foundation (IKY). During her PhD thesis, she investigated the role of different aspects of the microenvironment in the regulation of postnatal brain neural stem cells of the subependymal zone in homeostasis and neurodegeneration, using a combination of cell culture assays and in vivo approaches. Her research work focuses on the investigation of stress-induced cellular pathways of neurogenesis and astrogliogenesis in brain pathology related to Alzheimer's disease.
Alexandra Symeonof, PhD student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Alexandra Symeonof (BSc) is a PhD student at the NCSR “Demokritos” and has obtained her bachelor’s degree from the Biology department of National Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece. Her research interests include the cellular signaling of opioid receptors in central nervous system and their role in neuroplasticity as well as novel pharmacological ligands of opioid receptors. Her PhD studies (NKUA) focus on the role of κ-opioid receptor and its putative therapeutic potential against chronic stress and downstream damage of brain neuroplasticity.
Anastasia Vamvaka-Iakovou, PhD student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Anastasia Vamvaka-Iakovou (BSc, MSc) has obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Greece. She has received training and worked at the Biomedical Research Foundation of Academy of Athens (BRFAA, Greece), ICVS Institute, University of Minho (Portugal) as well as the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain). Her research interests focus on understanding the neurodegenerative mechanisms in Alzheimer´s disease and the effect of environmental factors on its onset and progression. Her PhD studies (University of Ioannina, Greece) focuses on investigating the potential therapeutic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) against chronic stress and Alzheimer´s disease.
Αnastasia Megalokonomou, PhD student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Anastasia Megalokonomou (BSc, MSc) has obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Panteion University (Athens, Greece) and her master’s degree in Clinical Neuropsychology–Cognitive Neurosciences (Med School, Univ Athens, Greece) in collaboration with McGill University (Canada). Her research interests focus on exploring novel therapeutic approaches against neuropsychological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression. She has received training and worked at the ICVS Institute, University of Minho (Portugal), and the Psychopharmacology lab, Medical School, NKUA (Greece). Her PhD studies focus on testing a novel antisense oligonucleotides-based therapy against Alzheimer’s disease and stress-driven depression.
Filippos Katsaitis, Research fellow
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Filippos Katsaitis (BSc) received his degree from the Department of Biology of the University of Patras, Greece. He has obtained previous research experience and training in cellular mechanisms of neurogenesis and microglial cell plasticity in the adult brain using different in vivo experimental models, proteomic analysis of the brain and bioinformatics data processing. His research interests focus on how lifetime, chronic stress and exosomes function as key factors in the induction of brain pathology in Alzheimer's disease.
Kalliopi Skourti, Research fellow
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Kalliopi Skourti (BSc, MSc) holds a Bachelor's and an integrated Master's degree in Biotechnology from the Department of Applied Biology and Biotechnology of the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece. She has been trained in different methods of monitoring neuroplasticity deficits and bioinformatic analysis. Her research interests focus on the role of chronic stress as a risk factor in Alzheimer's disease and its association with depression, focusing on the use of exosomes as potential biomarkers.
Georgia (Ζeta) Papadimitriou, Research fellow
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Zeta Papadimitriou (BSc, MSc) holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Neurosciences (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece). During her master thesis, she focused on dissecting the interplay between Tau and RNA-binding proteins in stress-driven brain pathology. She has received training in different research institutions including the Department of Chemistry (Univ. of Athens), Biomedical Research Foundation of Academy of Athens (BRFAA, Greece), BSRC Alexander Fleming (Greece), IIBB-CSIC (Spain), ICVS Institute, University of Minho (Portugal), and Med. School, University of Exeter (UK). Her research interests focus on uncovering stress-induced mechanisms of Tau pathology.
Angeliki Nomikou, Technical specialist scientist
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Angeliki Nomikou (BSc, MSc) has obtained her Bachelor’s degree at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (Democritus University of Thrace, Greece) and her Master’s degree in Neuroscience (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece). She has worked and been trained at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (Cyprus), the Hellenic Pasteur Institute (Greece), and the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens ((BRFAA, Greece), where she conducted her research master’s thesis on identifying the potential neuroprotective role of a nuclear receptor, under oxidative stress conditions. Her research interests are focusing on investigating the role of opioid receptor signaling in chronic stress and autophagy.
Vassiliki Kokkovou, MSc student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Vassiliki Kokkovou (BSc) obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Biology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA, Greece) and is currently an student at the Athens International Master's Program in Neurosciences (NKUA, Greece). She has received training at the National Research Foundation (Greece), Department of Biotechnology at John Paul II of Lublin (Poland), as well as at the ICVS Institute, University of Minho (Portugal). Her research interests focus on the use of -omics based technological platforms for clarifying the molecular underpinning of Tau neurodegeneration and the impact of new therapeutic molecules.
Alexandra Karava, MSc student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Alexandra Karava (BSc) holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from University of Patras and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in “Drug Design and Development – Pharmacology”, at the Department of Pharmacy, National Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA, Greece). Her research interests focus on investigating the beneficial effects of novel molecules, such as microneurotrophins, on brain plasticity in the context of stress-related disorders such as depression.
Melina Dinopoulos, MSc student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Melina Dinopoulos (BSc) has a bachelor’s degree in History and Archaeology (University of Athens, Greece) and a Bachelor’s in Psychology (University of Aix-Marseille, France). She is currently completing the Euro-Mediterranean Master in Neuroscience and Biotechnology at the University of Aix-Marseille (France). She is also university Tutor in Psychology at Aix-Marseille University. Her research interests are focused on the effects of stressful events on neurodevelopment of the brain, as well as their relation with neurodegenerative changes in the adult brain.
Elena Papageorgiou, MSc student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Elena Papageorgiou (BSc) completed her undergraduate studies in Biology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH, Greece) where she was actively engaged in research of Marine biology. Elena is currently a Master student at Master program "Applications of Biology in Medicine" of Biology Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA, Greece). Her research project monitors the impact of novel therapeutic targets on synaptic plasticity of the adult hippocampus in Tau pathology.
Efstathia Tripyla , MSc student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Efstathia Tripyla (BSc) obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA, Greece) and is currently pursuing her Master's studies in the “Athens International Master's program in Neurosciences” (Biology Department, NKUA). She has received training at the Department of Neuroscience, University of Helsinki (Finland) while her current research focuses on monitoring the interplay between chronic stress, autophagy and neuroplasticity.
Symeon Damianidis, MSc student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Symeon Damianidis (BSc) graduated from Physics Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) where his research work focuses on simulating Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in postoperative brain cavity. He is currently a Master student in Athens International Master’s Program in Neurosciences (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece). His research work focuses on the understanding of mechanisms of brain aging and their relationship to lifetime stress.
Eva Eleni Serfioti, Undergraduate student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Eva Eleni Serfioti is an undergraduate student at the Department of Biology, University of Crete, Greece while she is in parallel pursuing a Minor Certificate in Healthcare Management at the The American College of Greece. Her research interests focus on the clarification of the molecular mechanisms underlying the cannabidiol impact of the brain.
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Despoina Lygkoni is an undergraduate student at the Department of Biology, University of Patras, Greece. She is currently completing her Bachelor research work at the ExoBrain lab at the Institute of Biosciences and Applications, NCSR Demokritos. Her research interests focus on the understanding of the mechanisms of neuroplasticity loss (e.g. neurogenesis) in the Alzheimer’s disease brain pathology.
