Lab Members 2022-2023

Open Position - coming soon..
​Research Assistant

A new position will be an opening soon as a part-time Research Assistant at the Lab, for a minimum of 6-month period, under our recently-funded PIONEER project.
​More details will be posted in early 2023. Stay tuned!

chrysostomou.mikaella(at)ucy.ac.cy
kitiri.mikaella(at)ucy.ac.cy

Mikaella Chrysostomou & Ms Mikaella Kitiri
​MD students - Research Associates at the PIONEER Project

Ms Chrysostomou and Ms Kitiri are both MD students at the UCY Medical School. They have been MD Interns in the Experimental Pharmacology Lab between 2020-2022. They are now Research Associates working on the PIONEER project funded by the University of Cyprus, entitled "Developing a pain biosensor for cancer patients using a novel pain biomarker". Through their involvement  in the establishment of the PIONEER project, they co-founded the Half-Past-Five group, which received the "Business Idea Award" at the Cyprus Entrepreneurship Competition of the 7th Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum, the "Rectors’ Honorary Award" at the Business & Entrepreneurship Competition; Student Innovators 2022 organized by the Center for Entrepreneurship of the University of Cyprus and was advocated at the Beyond Pre-Accelerator Program of the Junior Achievements Cyprus.

kouma.maria(at)ucy.ac.cy

Maria Kouma
​MSc student

Maria obtained her BSc with First class Honors from the Department of Biological Sciences in the University of Cyprus. She joined the Kirmizis Lab (Epigenetics and Gene Regulation Laboratory) in 2019 and she is currently perusing her Masters' degree by a joint supervision with Dr Kirmizis and Dr Dietis. Maria's research project involves the NAA40 protein syste​m. At the Experimental Pharmacology Laboratory, Maria is working on drug repurposing screening for the discovery of potential NAA40 inhibitors.                                           

Maria Roussia
(MD student, Year 3)

Project Title: Antimicrobial efficacy of endophyte extracts.

Endophytes are bacteria living inside plants. Some of these bacteria have potential antimicrobial activity against other bacteria. Maria is working on the discovery of potential efficacy of a range of endophyte-based extracts from Cypriot plants, against certain human pathogens.

Xeni Kosofidou
(MD student, Year 3)

Project Title: Effect of drugs against glioblastoma U87 cell line networking. 

Brain cancer glial cells communicate through the formation of networks and use of exosomes. Xeni will be working on testing various compounds against a glioblastoma cell line with the aim to discover a drug that disrupts this network and communication.

Giannis Agrimanakis
(MD student, Year 3)

Project Title: Antimicrobial efficacy of the venom of the Cypriot scorpion.

Venoms are composed of a mixture of compounds with various biological activities. Antimicrobial activity is one such potential activity. The Cypriot scorpion's venom has not been studied for its potential effects and Giannis aims to test it against bacteria that cause human disease.

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Natalia Anastasiou
(MD student, Year 3)

Project Title: Optimization and validation of a cancer cell infection assay.

​Human cells are infected by various pathogenic bacteria. Cancer cells exhibit a variety of defences against bacteria, some of which are unexplored. Natalia is setting up an in vitro assay to study the infection of cancer cells.

Jumana El Bakri
(MD student, Year 3)

Project Title: Investigation of the effect of cetirizine & ibesartan on OCT4 expression in cervical cancer cell lines.

OCT4 is a protein that plays various roles in cells. Our previous preliminary data show a change of OCT4 expression in ovary cancer cell lines upon administration of cetirizine or ibesartan. Jumana will investigate further this evidence and characterize these effects.

Adamos Theodorou
(MD student, Year 3)

Project Title:​ Drug resistance in bacterial growth kinetics.

Drug resistance is a global problem on the rise. Bacteria develop resistance through various mechanisms. Adamos will study the kinetics of bacterial growth of a number of human pathogens and will investigate key parameters that may play a role in the reversal of developed resistance.

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Michael Spyrou
(MD student, Year 2)

Project Title: Drug screening against a BACE1 enzymatic assay.
​
Beta-secretase 1 (BACE1) cleaves the APP protein into procursor of the amyloid-β, which  accumulates in neurons of Alzheimer's patients. In our previous study, we found evidence that two clinical compounds can inhibit BACE1. Michael will investigate further this preliminary evidence and provide further characterization.

Andria Hadjigianni
(MD student, Year 2)

Project Title: Anticancer effect of novel compounds against glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of brain cancer. There are currently no available drugs that can selectively inhibit its growth and viability. Andriana will screen novel compounds that may convey anticancer effect, for a potential anti-glioblastoma efficacy in a U87 cell line.

Christos Mastis
(MD student, Year 2)

Project Title: Antimicrobial efficacy screening of novel compounds.

Antibacterial resistance and the emergence of new strains of bacteria create an urgent need for new antibacterial drugs with antimicrobial efficacy. Christos will screen a number of drugs and novel compounds for a potential antimicrobial efficacy against various bacteria that are responsible for human disease.

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Vasiliki Tzalili
(MD student, Year 2)

Project Title: Antimicrobial efficacy screening of novel compounds.

Antibacterial resistance and the emergence of new strains of bacteria create an urgent need for new antibacterial drugs with antimicrobial efficacy. Vasiliki will screen a number of drugs and novel compounds for a potential antimicrobial efficacy against various bacteria that are responsible for human disease.

Stell Gkountinaki
(MD student, Year 2)

Project Title: Anticancer effect of novel compounds against glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of brain cancer. There are currently no available drugs that can selectively inhibit its growth and viability. Stella will screen a number of clinical compounds for a potential drug repurposing anti-glioblastoma efficacy in a U87 cell line.

Mariana Vitali
(MD student, Year 3)

Project Title: Cortisol levels in the saliva of autistic children.

This project is the result of a collaboration of our Lab with the UCY Department of Psychology and the UCY Biobank, and involves the quantification of stress levels in autistic children. Marianna will test the saliva samples of recruited persons for cortisol levels using an ELISA test.

Konstantinos Mihaelides
(MD student, Year 2)

Project Title: Study of CNS-active drugs in zebrafish physiology & behaviour.

Zebrafish have been established as models of biology, toxicity or disease. Neuroactive compounds that are currently used in the clinic have not been extensively studied in zebrafish. Kostantinos will study the effect of a number of neuroactive compounds on the zebrafish physiology & behaviour.

Effrosyni Lamprou
(MD student, Year 2)

Project Title: Study of CNS-active drugs in zebrafish physiology & behaviour.

Zebrafish have been established as models of biology, toxicity or disease. Neuroactive compounds that are currently used in the clinic have not been extensively studied in zebrafish. Efforsyni will study the effect of a number of neuroactive compounds on the zebrafish physiology & behaviour.

Theodoros Theodorou
Eleni Christodoulou
Andreas Panagiotou
Kalia Papacharalambous
​Efrosyni Metaxa
(MD students, Year 1)

Project Title: Anticancer efficacy of drugs against glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of brain cancer. There are currently no available drugs that can selectively inhibit its growth and viability. This group will screen a number of clinical compounds for a potential drug repurposing anti-glioblastoma efficacy in a U87 cell line.

Marios Agathangelou
Gianna Koumourou
Maria Phiniotou
Antrea Christodoulide
​
(MD students, Year 1)

Project Title: Toxicological screening of clinical drugs in zebrafish.

Zebrafish have been established as models of toxicology. Many clinical drugs have not been studied in zebrafish for their toxicity levels. This group will screen a number of clinical drugs for their toxicity profile in zebrafish.

Lab Alumni

Ms Charalambia Lazarou (MSc graduate 2022)
Ms Maria Panayiotou (MSc graduate 2022)
Ms Despoina Vangeli (MSc graduate 2021)​
Dr Marios Markoulides (Visiting Scientist - Post Doc 2019-2021)
Ms Chrystalla Pavlou (Lab Manager - Research Assistant 2019-2020)
Dr Marina Demetriades (Research Associate 2018-2019)

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Orestis Germanos (MD Intern 2020-2022)
Irene Filippou (MD Intern 2020-2022)
Mikaella Chrysostomou (MD Intern 2020-2022)
Mikaella Kitiri (MD Intern 2020-2022)
Christina Pasiouli (MD Intern 2019-2021)
Vasiliki Vasileiou (MD Intern 2019-2021)
Marina Evangellou (MD Intern 2019-2021)
Sofia Philippou (MD Intern 2019-2021)
Charalambos Apostolopoulos (MD Intern 2019-2021)
Stephani Hadjievagorou (MD Intern 2019-2021)
Petros Pieri  (MD Intern 2019-2021)
Stephanos Hilides (MD Intern 2019-2021)
Konstantinos Sykallos (MD Intern 2019-2021)

Nikos Ververides (MD Intern 2018-2020)
Antonis Pilavas (MD Intern 2018-2020)
Egli Kosti (MD Intern 2018-2020)
Melani Theodoridou​ (MD Intern 2018-2020)
Argyris Konstantinou (MD Intern 2018-2020)
Andreas Menoikou (MD Intern 2018-2020)
​Persefoni Panayi (MD Intern 2018-2020)
Eleni Xenophontos (MD Intern 2019-2020)
Chrystalla Souroupi (MD Intern 2016-2017)
Alexandros Georgiou (MD Intern 2016-2017)
Athina Fouli (MD Intern 2016-2017)
Irene Tsappa (MD Intern 2016-2017)