Faculty

Zaganas Ioannis, MD, PhD

Dr. Zaganas obtained his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Crete, Medical School in 1997 and 2005, respectively. He completed his Residency in Neurology (2008) in the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Subsequently, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA (2004-2005) on the Genetic Basis and Neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease. Also, he performed research as an invited scientist in the Neurometabolism Unit of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (2011). For these studies, he received scholarships from the “Alexandros Onassis” foundation and the University of Copenhagen. In addition, he served as a Consultant in the Neurology Department, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete (2010-2011) and as a Temporary Lecturer, Assistant and Associate Professor of Neurology in the University of Crete, Medical School (2008-2013). Finally, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Neurology in the University of Crete, Medical School in January 2014, where he teaches in both the pre-graduate and the post-graduate programs. He oversees the Dementia Clinic in the Neurology Department, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete and heads the Neurology/Neurogenetics laboratory in the University of Crete Medical School. The focus of his research is on the genetic basis and the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, especially in relation to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. He has also focused on studying the genetic basis of rare neurogenetic disorders. In the past 20 years, he has published more than 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals, related mainly to neurobiology/neurochemistry, dementia and rare neurogenetic disorders.

Lyketsos Kostas, MD, MHS, FACLP, FACPsych, FACN

A native of Athens, Greece, Constantine G. Lyketsos is the Elizabeth Plank Althouse Professor at Johns Hopkins where he Chairs the Bayview Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He graduated from Athens College, Northwestern University (B.A. in Psychology) and then received a Medical Doctorate at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis. He completed residency and Chief Residency in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, as well as a fellowship in clinical epidemiology. A world-renowned expert in treatment development for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, he is an active clinician, teacher, and researcher. Dr. Lyketsos founded the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center which he directs. He also founded and directs the Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence on Alzheimer’s Disease, and is Associate Director of NIH-funded Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Dr. Lyketsos has received multiple awards, and authored over 500 articles, as well as five books. His work has been cited over 64,000 times with an h-index of 135. Castle-Connolly has named him as one of America’s Top Doctors every year since 2001.

Robakis K. Nikolaos, PhD

I have been working on the molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders for the last 37 years. I made significant contributions in several areas of these diseases: Discovered and Cloned the first leader peptide sequence of the prion protein; cloning of the APP gene and localizing it on chromosome 21, studying processing and post-translational modifications of its products; discovering substrates and cleavage mechanisms of PS1/γ-secretase and exploring functions of its product peptides; examining effects of PS FAD mutants on cleavage activities of γ-secretase and on functions of PS1 in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration. I have extensive experience on the role of the PS1/γ-secretase system in APP, Cadherin, EphB and ephrinB functions and recently we reported that the product of the PS1/γ- secretase processing of ephrinB2 regulates VE-cadherin and angiogenesis (publication 4e below). The present application is an extension of our work on VE-cadherin and angiogenesis. My laboratory has also been working on the neuroprotective functions of Progranulin, a protein involved in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Currently I'm the First A.P. Slaner family Professor for Alzheimer’s disease Research and director of the Center for Molecular Biology and Genetics of Neurodegeneration, departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Currently my laboratory concentrates on mechanisms of neuroprotection, angiogenesis, neuronal survival, and neurodegenerarion aiming at discovering methods to effectively treat and prevent neurodegenerative disorders like AD. In the last 37 years (since 1985) years my laboratory has trained a large number of postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students in the molecular and cell biology of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. Trainees of my laboratory are currently faculty members in universities and other academic institutions and also group leaders in pharmaceutical companies in USA, Japan and Europe. I have co-authored more than 200 papers being senior author in most of them.

Basta Maria, MD, PhD

Dr Maria Basta was born in Heraklion/Crete/Greece. She graduated the Medical School of Crete in 1997. She completed her residency in Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry / University Hospital of Crete in 2006. During her residency she was trained in Sleep Medicine for 6 months in the Sleep Research and Treatment Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA. She acquired her PhD Diploma from the Medical School of Crete in 2003 in Sleep Medicine. Between 2006-2007 she did a 13 months postodoctoral fellowship in Sleep Medicine in the Sleep Research and Treatment Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA. She worked as Attending Psychiatrist in Venizeleio General Hospital/Heraklion/Crete/Greece, in the Mental Health Center of Heraklion/ Crete/Greece and in the Department of Psychiatry/University Hospital/Heraklion/Crete/Greece (2007-2012). Between 2013- 2018 Dr Basta became Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Crete, Greece, School of Medicine (tenure since Jan 2017).Since 2018 she is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Crete, Greece, School of Medicine (tenure). Since September 2020 Dr Basta is the Director of Department of Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece and Day Hospital for Alzheimer’s Disease, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Dr Basta has published over 75 original articles/review articles, most of them on field of Sleep Medicine and Clinical Psychiatry (citations: 2, 2,704, h-index: 24). She is a reviewer in many distinguished international journals and is currently member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (I.F.: 4.47 ) and Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (I.F.: 5.75 ). Also, Dr Basta is currently involved in the following research grants as a co-investigator/ Primary Investigator: (1)“Multidisciplinary Network for the study of Alzheimer’s Disease”, Program THALIS, (as co-investigator), Principal Investigator: A.N. Vgontzas (accepted: 2012),(2)“Evaluation Center of the course and treatment of chronic psychiatric disorders in Crete”. Program : “ ESPA: 2007-2013”, Principal Investigator: A.N. Vgontzas , (3)“Research and Comprehensive Intervention for the social inclusion of a major socially vulnerable group: Psychological profile / psychopathology, skills' profile, needs assessment and programmes' development for training-reskilling and psychological support towards the re-inclusion of "young people not in education, employment of training" ΕΕΑ Grants GR07/3757 (ΚΑ 4361), (4)Sleep Apnea (OSA) and poor sleep as Risk Factors for decreased cognitive performance in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: the Cretan Aging Cohort (CAC) Principal Investigator: M. Basta (Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation, #45971, 2020-2023). Finally, Dr Basta is member of the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) and the American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and since 2015 is qualified with the title of “European Somnologist, expert in Sleep Medicine”. She is also member of the Hellenic Initiative Against Alzheimer's (HIAD).Dr Basta is also a Qualified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, member of the Greek Society of Cognitive Therapies and has applied to become member of the European Association of Behavioural Cognitive Therapy (EABCT).

Charalampopoulos Ioannis, PhD

Our research interest is focusing on the investigation of the molecular mechanisms that growth factors and their receptors are using to regulate the regenerative capacity of adult nervous system. Such molecules, as Neurotrophins, control brain development and maintenance during adulthood and in aging, while they importantly participate in neuronal survival, differentiation and repair. Our studies are ranging from neurotrophin receptors structure-function experiments to pharmacological development of novel ligands for these receptors with neurogenic and regenerative properties. The aim of our work is to determine and decipher the multiple signaling pathways of the neurotrophin receptors on adult neurogenesis (using in vivo animal models and in vitro 3D neural stem cell cultures) and thus to enhance their ability to promote regeneration of nervous tissue, targeting the optimization of their therapeutic potential on animal models of neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s Disease and Spinal Cord Injury).

Kapaki Elisabeth, MD, PhD

Dr. E. Kapaki is a Professor of Neurology and Neurochemistry at the 1st Department of Neurology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens at “Eginition” Hospital. She has focused her interest on neurodegenerative disorders, especially on Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias and she is Head of the Neurochemistry and Biological Marker Unit since 1995. Her research work is primarily on the field of biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative (FTD, DLB) and vascular dementias and she participates in European and International collaborations.

Lionis Christos, MD, PhD, FRCGP(Hon), FESC, FWONCA

Christos Lionis is a medical doctor and Professor with a strong interest in primary care and public health education, practice, and research. Christos has served the Clinic of Social and Family Medicine (CSFM) at the School of Medicine, University of Crete (http://www.fammed.uoc.gr/Joomla/) since 1995 (March) initially as an Assistant Professor and in 2009 as a Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care and CFSM Director. He is also appointed as Guest Professor of General Practice in the Institute of Health and Medicine at the University of Linkoping, Sweden (2018), a position that he continues to hold today. As part of his work with the CFSM, Christos has been involved both as PI and collaborator in multiple large European and international research collaboratives and research proposals funded by the EU and international agencies. His work has focused on capacity building of primary health care and public health in Greece and internationally. Christos has a passion for education and has a played a key role in the development medical training, continuing medical education, and quality standards in primary care and public health nationally. He has developed a strong collaboration with WHO especially during the past two years. Christos is also involved in an editorial and advisory capacity with a number of international journals. He also is a member of the Executive Board of various professional organisations including that of WONCA Working Party on Mental Health where he is currently elected as Chair. He has been awarded as Honorary Fellow for the Royal College of General Practitioners (2009), the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (WONCA) (2016) and the European Society of Cardiology (2017). Christos has published 422 papers in international journals that they cited in PubMed. Since 2019, Christos is a member of the European Commission Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health and the Specific Advisory Group of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Panagiotakis H. Symeon, MD, PhD

Attending physician in the Department of Internal Medicine of the University Hospital of Heraklion since 2007, Senior Consultant in the Geriatrics Clinic of the Department since 2008, Clinical Associate in the Departments of Elderly Care Unit of St Thomas and Guy's Hospitals London (2005-2006), MSc in Gerontology at King's College University of London (2007), PhD in Clinical Virology at the University of Crete (2007), Internal Medicine Residency (1998-2004). Collaborating Researcher at the Research Center "Institute of Agri-Food and Life Sciences" of the Hellenic Mediterranean University since 2021 and member of the Working Group for the development of Geriatrics in Greece and the Hellenic Society for the Study and Research in Aging (EEMEG). Instructor after assignment, of Erasmus students and students from Boston University in the topic of geriatrics in Heraklion University Hospital.
Dr Panagiotakis’ research interest focuses on health promotion and functional autonomy of older people. He has participated in studies investigating physical and mental frailty (MCI and dementia) of the older people in the community as well as the burden of caring for families with dementia patients. He has also conducted Point Prevalence surveys on the infections of the elderly and the use of antibiotics in Nursing Homes of the country within the 3rd HALT-3 Program of the European Center for Disease Prevention and participates in Twinning scheme with the Gerontological Center of University of Cork-Ireland testing new tools for MCI detection in the community.

Papadaki Efrosini, MD, PhD

Dr. Efrosini Papadaki graduated from the Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and specialized in Radiology at the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete. She undertook training on Neuroradiology in the New York University Medical Center and holds the European Certificate/ Diploma in Neuroradiology. She is currently Assistant Professor of Radiology-Neuroradiology at the University of Crete and Affiliated Researcher in Computational BioMedicine Laboratory of Institute of Computer Science-Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH). She is the author/co-author in 67 publications in peer review journals (google scholar h index= 17) and participated in 9 funded research programs. Her main research is focused on imaging of CNS disorders, including demyelinating, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, lupus, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, as well on applications of advanced MR sequences, including perfusion imaging and functional MRI and of advanced models of data analysis focused on machine learning and AI. She has given more than 90 invited lectures in Greek and International congresses and educational courses and is a faculty member in Erasmus course on MRI (CNS I, II), ΕCNR (European Course in Neuroradiology, 2nd level) and European School οf Radiology (ESOR). She is, also, member of the Social Media Committee of the European Society of Neuroradiology (ESNR) and examiner for the European Diploma in Neuroradiology, member of the Accreditation Council in Imaging (ACI) Policy Committee of the European Board of Radiology (EBR), member of the committee for the Central Nervous System Spine and Pediatrics of the Erasmus Course on Magnetic Resonance Imaging and member of the Program Planning Committee of the Balkan Society of Radiology (BSR).

Papastefanakis S. Emmanouil, MS

Emmanouil S. Papastefanakis has graduated from the Department of Psychology, University of Crete and has received his MSc in Clinical Psychology from Leiden University in the Netherlands (supported by “Alexandros Onassis foundation” scholarship). He is currently a PhD candidate in Clinical Neuropsychology in the Department of Psychology (supervisor: Prof. P. G. Simos). Ηis dissertation subject deals with the longitudinal study of cognitive deficits and psychiatric manifestations in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus & Rheumatoid Arthritis. He has worked in various research programs in the School of Medicine and Department of Psychology of the University of Crete and the Nursing Department of the Hellenic Mediterranean University while his work is published in several peer-reviewed scientific journals. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Alzheimer’s Association in Heraklion (Crete) and a scientific collaborator of the Arthritis Foundation of Crete. Mr. Papastefanakis is, also, a qualified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, member of the Greek Society of Cognitive Therapies and has applied to become member of the European Association of Behavioural Cognitive Therapy (EABCT). His research interests focus mostly on the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases and on the application of non-pharmacological (e.g., cognitive behavioural) therapeutic interventions for their management. He is currently working as a psychologist at the Community Centre of the Malevizi Municipality and also holds a private practice office.

Scarmeas Nikolaos, MD, MS

Dr Scarmeas was born and raised in Athens Greece. After obtaining an M.D. degree from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens he moved to the US and had Neurology residency training and then a 2-year clinical fellowship in Aging and Dementia at Columbia University Medical Center. He also completed a Masters degree in Biostatistics – Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Dr Scarmeas joined the faculty of Columbia University in 2002. He is currently Professor of Neurology at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, while he maintains a faculty position at Columbia University in New York.
His research interests include cognitive reserve (i.e. how higher IQ, education, more demanding occupational attainments, or more engagement in cognitive-social-physical leisure - lifestyle activities can help elderly cope better with the damage caused to their brains by Alzheimer’s disease and aging and therefore reduce their risk for dementia and slow down their rates of cognitive and functional decline). In addition, he has extensively investigated the contribution of diet (in particular composite dietary patterns such as a Mediterranean-type diet and others) in relation to dementias, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive and other aspects of aging.
Dr Scarmeas has been the Principal Investigator in studies funded by either the Alzheimer's Association or the NIH-NIA and a Co-Investigator in multiple others. His research work has resulted in multiple original PubMed publications in international journals and multiple presentations in internationally acclaimed scientific conferences - meetings. He reviews for multiple international scientific journals and international funding agencies including the Alzheimer’s Association, the NIH, the European Union programs (i.e. Marie Curie, European Research Council, Horizon programs) etc.
For more information regarding Dr Scarmeas’ work see here

Simos Panagiotis, PhD

Panagiotis G. Simos, was born in Athens, Greece, in 1967. He received a B.A. degree from the University of Crete in 1990, majoring in Psychology, and a Master’s (1993) and Ph.D. degrees in Experimental Psychology-Biopsychology (1995) from Southern Illinois University. After completing a fellowship in Clinical Neurophysiology he served as Assistant (1996-2001) and Associate Professor (2001-2003) at the Dept. of Neurosurgery, University of Texas-Houston Medical School. He then joined the Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Greece where he is currently Professor of Developmental Neuropsychology and Director of the Applied Psychology Laboratory. He has served as Deputy Chairman and Director of the Graduate Programs in School and Health Psychology at that Department. He is currently Professor of Developmental Neuropsychology at the Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece. His research has been supported by several federal (US), EU (Horizon 2020), and national grants. He has served as ad hoc member on NIH grant review panels, reviewer for many neuroscience journals, and Editorial Board member for Developmental Neuropsychology and Annals of Dyslexia.
His research focuses on neuropsychological and brain imaging studies of language, reading, and memory using Magnetic Source Imaging (Magnetoencephalography) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, incuding fMRI, with school-aged children and adults, exploring psychoeducational and neurophysiological profiles associated with specific reading disability, age-related degenerative conditions (such as dementia and MCI), and autoimmune disorders (MS and Lupus). He has published more than 220 research papers in top peer-reviewed journals in Neuropsychology and Neurology, and his work has received over 10000 citations. He has also developed and adapted in Greek several psychometric instruments for cognitive and linguistic abilities in children including batteries for executive functions, receptive and expressive language, and intelligence.

Sotiropoulos Ioannis, PhD

Dr. Ioannis Sotiropoulos is a Researcher C - Group leader at Institute of Biosciences & Applications, NCSR "Demokritos", Greece. His research work focuses on understanding the orchestrating role of environmental risk factors (e.g., chronic stress) on the onset of Alzheimer´s disease (AD) with a specific focus on the relationship between AD and depression, a stress-related disorder. Combining cell-, animal- and human-based studies, Dr. Sotiropoulos' innovative work aims to clarify the diverse factors that regulate the cellular role of Tau as a key molecule of neuroplasticity and neuropathology while his recent work focuses on exosomes as both mediators of brain pathology and potent (peripheral) biomarkers. He has previously trained and worked at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry (Germany), Columbia University (USA), RIKEN-Brain Science Institute (Japan), University College London (UCL) & MRC Center for Synaptic Plasticity (UK), and Medical School of University of Minho (Portugal). His scientific achievements are internationally recognized in the form of prizes & awards e.g., Hirnliga Alzheimer Award 2009, AD/PD Young Faculty 2014 Award, Jerome Lejeune 2017 Award, Janssen Innovation Award 2017, Alzheimer Association Award for Best Mentor in Neuroscience 2021.

Tsiaoussis C. John

Dr Tsiaoussis holds the post of Associate Professor of Anatomy at School of Medicine, University of Crete. He is Head of Department of Anatomy, Deputy Director of Studies at MSc Programme “Surgical Sciences” and Director of Museum of Medicine, University of Crete. Dr Tsiaoussis has given over 60 invited lectures in international and national congresses, symposiums and workshops. He has a long-standing activity as Editor and Guest Editor in medical journals such as Ann Gastroenterol, J Anat Forecast, Cancers, IJSCAV. His main research interests include biomarkers on colorectal cancer and functional and surgical Anatomy.

Tsiligianni Ioanna, MD, PhD, MPH

Ioanna Tsiligianni is an Associate professor in general practice/public health, in the department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete. She is the past president (2018-2020) of the IPCRG (International Primary Care Respiratory Group), but still in the Board of Directors.
She holds a Master of Public Health and Health Care Management degree, as well as two PhDs – one on interstitial lung diseases from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece and the other on health status (PROMs) and COPD from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Ioanna Tsiligianni was Chair of the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) World Conference in 2014, and coordinated the development of the first national guidelines for primary care in COPD and asthma in Greece. She is the Editor in chief of the npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine.
Dr Tsiligianni’s research centres mainly on public health and primary care issues, with a special focus on primary care respiratory medicine, COPD, asthma and lung cancer. In addition, she has research interests in health outcomes assessment, the use of diagnostic tools in chronic diseases, disease prevalence and burden, risk factors, comorbidities, financial crisis, barriers to prevention strategies (e.g. smoking cessation implementation), diet, the over the counter medicines, chronic diseases management, rural and deprived populations, etc.
Her contribution to international conferences includes numerous presentations, chairing sessions and being a member of scientific/organizing committees and of the international advisory boards.
She is an active member of the following organizations: EURIPA, International Institute of Compassionate Care, ERS, WONCA Working Party on Rural Health, WONCA Working Party on Mental Disorders, EURIPA, GRIAC, ELEGEIA, EGPRN, Hellenic Oncology Research Group.
She has more than 160 pubmed publications and several in non-pubmed journals and Greek language journals most of them having to do with primary care respiratory diseases. Received 16 awards at an international and national level.

Tsiverdis Ioannis

Ioannis Tsiverdis was born and raised in Athens, Greece and he graduated from the Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2014. He completed his residency in Neurology at the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece in 2020. During his residency, he focused his interest on neurogenetics, neurodegenerative disorders, and Clinical Neurophysiology. He is performing research as part of his Ph.D. on the rare neurogenetic disorders in Crete, Greece, with an emphasis on studying the genetic origin and the founder mutations of those neurogenetic diseases. Also, he performed basic research in the Neuroscience Department of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden (2022). He has participated in studies investigating neurogenetic disorders. For the early years of his residency, he is actively involved in educating Bachelor’s and Master’s students on Neurology and Neurogenetics and in training junior doctors and he has given more than 30 lectures in Greek and International congresses and educational courses.

Tsolaki Magda, MD, PhD

Magda Tsolaki was born in Thessaloniki, Greece and studied Medicine and Theology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). Afterwards, she initiated her collaboration with AUTh in 1982 as scientific collaborator and a year later received her specialty as a Neuropsychiatrist and her PhD. She has been a Professor of Neurology since 2010, and currently she was the Head of the 1st University Department of Neurology (2017-2020).Since November 2020 she is working also at Euromedica General Clinic. She has founded the Greek Alzheimer Association in 1995 and the Greek Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in 2007, in which she is up to today the Chair, while also being the scientific director of two Public Dementia Units (founded by her in 2007 and 2009) for outpatients with Neurodegenerative diseases and their caregivers. The last five years she was invited to join as a member the Greek National Observatory for Dementia. She has given more than 656 lectures throughout Greece. She has participated in more than 60 funded research programmes and 31 funded clinical trials. In total, she has received 73 awards. Dr. Magda Tsolaki has been the main author of many Books (60), many abstracts in Greek (531) and International (489) Conferences, she is the first author or co-author in many Papers in Greek (285) and International Journals (559 - 464 in PubMed), (h-index=86, IF=2893,238 and more than 34952 Citations in Google Scholar). She has participated as invited speaker in more than 115 meetings-conferences in English and 256 in Greek Language. Furthermore, she has been a reviewer for Conferences and Journals (430) and has organised 27 national and 5 international conferences on AD. Finally, she was one of the three or seven advisory members for 33 doctoral theses -completed. Pr. Tsolaki is married with four children and twelve grandchildren.