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.
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.
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
PhD student
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 PhD studies (Ioannina Univ) focus on how lifetime, chronic stress and exosomes function as key factors in the induction of brain pathology in Alzheimer's disease.
Kalliopi Skourti
PhD student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Kalliopi Skourti (BSc, MSc) obtained her Bachelor's and Integrated Master's degree in Biotechnology from the Department of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens. She has received training in methods of brain neuroplasticity and bioinformatic analysis. Her research work focuses on stress-driven common neurobiological mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease and depression and the use of novel drug treatments, with an emphasis on exosomes as potential biomarkers.
Melina Dinopoulos
PhD student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Melina Dinopoulos (BSc) has obtained her bachelor’s degree in History and Archaeology at University of Athens (Greece) and Bachelor’s in Psychology (University of Aix-Marseille, France). During her Master studies at the Euro-Mediterranean Master in Neuroscience & Biotechnology, University of Aix-Marseille (France), she carried out her thesis at the Laboratory of Exosomal Analysis and Brain Pathology - ExoBrain. Her research interests focus on understanding the molecular background of different risk factors of depression, e.g. chronic stress, sleep disorders, brain plasticity and their response to new therapeutic targets.
Jihane Balla
Visiting PhD Student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Jihane Balla performed her master’s studies (Euro-Mediterranean Master’s in Neurosciences) at Cadi Ayyad University (Marrakech, Morocco). She is currently a PhD candidate in Neurosciences at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari (Italy). Her research focuses on the optimization of conventional therapeutic strategies against brain cancer (neuroblastoma) through combination therapy as well as the investigation of the underlying signaling pathways that drive cancer treatment responses.
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 (Univ Athens (Greece). Her research work focused on the understanding the interplay between Tau and RNA-binding proteins in stress-driven brain pathology. She has received training in different research institutions including Biomedical Research Foundation of Academy of Athens (BRFAA, Greece), BSRC Alexander Fleming (Greece), IIBB-CSIC (Spain), ICVS Institute, (Portugal), and, Univ. of Exeter (UK).
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 been trained and worked 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.
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.
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.
Sotirios Marinos
MSc student
Phone: +30 210-650-3586
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Sotirios Marinos (BSc) studied Biology at the University of Crete (Greece), where his undergraduate thesis focused on host-microbe interactions. He is currently pursuing his postgraduate studies in the International Master's Program in Neurosciences at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). His research focuses on the effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) on stress pathology, investigating the mechanisms through which CBD influences neurobiological processes associated with chronic stress.
Christina Papoutsi
MSc student
Phone: +30 210-650-3586
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Christina Papoutsi obtained her Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Patras (Greece), where her research training and work focused on the organic synthesis of a GnRH analog conjugated with Mitoxantrone. She is currently a Master student at the Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology Master course of the Department of Chemistry, University of Patras. Her research interests focus on the use of innovative RNA-targeting therapeutic approaches (e.g. antisense oligonucleotides - ASOs) in Alzheimer's disease.
Despina Liggoni
Undergraduate student
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.
Eleni Polydorou
Undergraduate student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Eleni Polydorou is an undergraduate student at the Department of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens (Greece) while is currently working on her thesis which focuses on the investigation of maladaptive changes in the hippocampus under chronic stress related to nucleo-cytoplasmic communication in neurons.
Alexandra Tsoutsani
Undergraduate student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Alexandra Tsoutsani is an undergraduate student at the Department of Biology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA- Greece) and is conducting her research thesis on the potential therapeutic targeting of κ-opioid receptors in response to stress conditions. Her research interests focus on the role and cellular signaling of opioid receptors in the central nervous system and understanding the neuroplastic mechanisms they influence.
Lygeri-Athina Panousi
Undergraduate student
telephone: 210-650-3586
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Lygeri-Athina Panousi is an undergraduate student at the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Thrace University (Greece). She is currently completing her thesis concerning the molecular mechanisms of chronic stress and the potential therapeutic impact of cannabidiol on the brain.
Former members of ExoBrain lab (2022-now):
- Vasiliki Kokkovou – Master's student, Biology Depart., Nat. & Kap. Univ Athens (NKUA)
- Elena Papageorgiou – Master's student, Biology Depart., NKUA
- Gratsia Irini – Master's student, Medical School, Univ. of Crete
- Fotini Tzouanou – Master's student, Biology Depart., NKUA
- Dimitra Gerontidi – Master's student, Biology Depart, NKUA
- Nikolina Ntinou – Master's student, Biology Depart., NKUA
- Katerina Tsirtsaki – Master's student, Biology Depart., NKUA
- Eva-Eleni Serfioti – Undergraduate student, Biology Depart, Univ. of Crete
- Sotirios Paraskevas – Undergraduate student, Biology Depart., NKUA
- Christos Makatsoris – Undergraduate student, Biology Depart., NKUA
- Zoi Kotsikou – Undergraduate student, Biology Depart., NKUA
- Eleni Tsamadia – Undergraduate student, Biology Depart., NKUA
- Athina Pappa – Undergraduate student, Biology Depart., Univ. of Patras
