Aristidis Tsatsakis

• Academician, Professor

• Chairman of Toxicology & Forensics Department, Medical School

 • University of Crete

• Winner of EUROTOX Merit Award 2022

Professor Aristides Tsatsakis is Director at the Toxicology Science and Research Centre in the Department of Forensic Sciences of the Medical School in the University of Crete and The University Hospital. He is the inspirator, founder and chief scientific leader of ToxPlus. He is the chief scientific officer (CSO) of LifePlus.

The main research interests of Prof. Tsatsakis include biomonitoring and risk assessments of xenobiotics as well as links of chronic exposure to them at low doses with health problems and diseases. He developed numerous biomarkers of exposure and of effects for various chemicals, in particular pesticides, pharmaceuticals, etc., uncovering the mechanistic understanding of the mode of action and adverse outcome pathways leading to clinical effects and chronic diseases (metabolic, autoimmune, cancer etc.). Prof. Tsatsakis’ long-standing public activities in disseminating science for safety, health and wellbeing of the society and the environment have often been endorsed and awarded by state and municipal authorities. His motivation and basic concept highlight the important role of academia involvement in social life problems. The postulation of real-life risks simulation based on low dose combined long term exposures related to health issues, is a crucial element and the central driving force for application of theory to practice on safety evaluations in 21rst century.

Publications

LifePlus Scientific Personnel

Elena Vakonaki, BSc, MSc, PhD, ERT

Dr. Elena Vakonaki studied Biology at Federico II di Napoli (Italy) and holds a PhD in Molecular Oncology and MSc in Hematology-Oncology of Children and Adolescents. She is a post-doctoral researcher in the Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete. Ηer research interests focus on the detection of xenobiotics in biological samples and the effects they may have on cellular aging, as well as the effects that various neoplasms have on telomeres length and on the patient’s course after the end of his treatment. She is European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) and a member of the Hellenic Society of toxicology.

Persefoni Fragkiadaki, Biologist, PhD

Persefoni Fragkiadaki studied molecular Biology in the University of Crete and contacted her Ph.D thesis in the Department of Medicine at University of Crete. She was a postdoc researcher in the Department of Biology at University of Crete in the Laboratory of Cell Cycle and a postdoc researcher in IMBB-FORTH in the Laboratory NEUROGENETICS & AGING. Now she is a postdoc researcher in the Laboratory of Toxicology at University of Crete, and from 2015 she is specialized in the investigation of telomere and telomerase biology as metabolic health biomarkers for well-being.

Irene Fragkiadoulaki, Molecular Biologist and Geneticist

Irene Fragiadoulaki studied Molecular Biology and Genetics at Democritus University of Thrace in Alexandroupolis, where she specialised in cytogenetics. After completing her studies in 2015, she became a member of Laboratory of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Greece and was involved in a number of research projects. In 2017 she started her PhD, and continued participating in local and international research projects, where she acquired knowledge on different analytical chemical and biological techniques. In 2019, she got a Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA-ETN) fellowship under the Horizon 2020, at Burlo Garofolo Children’s Hospital, Trieste, Italy, where she studied the interplay between genetic variability and long-term co-exposure to environmental chemicals. Briefly, Irene’s research experience covers the fields of Toxicology, (Epi)Genetics, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics.

Athanasios Alegakis

Athanasios Alegakis was born in 1970 in Athens, Greece, and he has a diploma in Physics (1994) and PhD in Health Sciences (2001) both from University of Crete. Nowadays, he is working in Medical School of University of Crete as a teaching and research assistant. He is responsible in designing epidemiological studies and he is an experienced biostatistician in laboratory and clinical studies. His research interests were related on risk assessment of chemicals, pharmacokinetics of drugs and estimation of biological age. His research publications include more than 100 published papers in referred journals with more than 1900 citations and an h-index of 25. He is a co-editor in one book in the field of pesticides in agriculture.

Marios Spanakis, PharmD, PhD

Marios Spanakis is a collaborative researcher within LifePlus. He holds a PharmD. and a Ph.D., from the School of Pharmacy of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He has has a long-term academic/research experience as collaborative researcher in academic institutions such as Foundation for Research & Technology-Hellas (FORTH), Technical University of Crete (ToC), Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) and recently within the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Crete (UoC). His research activities focus on in silico, experimental and clinical pharmacology studies of pharmacologically active compounds towards precision and stratified medicine. His Pharm D. background and Ph.D. expertise are further utilised regarding the development of innovative personalised medicine approaches for achieving optimum healthcare care outcomes for improving patient’s health and quality of life.

Dimitra Nikolopoulou, Research Assistant

Dimitra Nikolopoulou is a Research Assistant in the Laboratory of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Greece and within LifePlus. She is specialised in the investigation of telomere and telomerase biology and is involved in a number of research projects related to the retardation of the ageing process, drug-herb interaction, drug-induced liver disease, and the study of cancer.

Elisavet Renieri

Dr. Elisavet Renieri is a biologist (Department of Biology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and holds a PhD in Toxicology related to human health risk assessment for cumulative exposure to chemicals, which took place in the Centre of Toxicology Science & Research (CTSAR), Faculty of Medicine of the University of Crete. She is currently a researcher at CTSAR, for the development of risk assessment methods for human health from co-exposure to environmental pollutants and the development of methods for determining biological age by measuring the length of telomeric ends (Q-FISH) as well as the evaluation of telomeric length as a biomarker of the effect of exposure to exogenous chemical substances. She is also a post-doctoral researcher in the HERACLES Research Center, involved with the development of systemic biology models with the use of omics. She is European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) and a member of the Hellenic Society of toxicology.

Prof. Dr. Nikolaos Drakoulis, MD, PhD

Born in Piraeus Greece, studied Biochemistry at the University of Tübingen and Medicine at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, received his PhD at the University of Berlin and specialized in Clinical Pharmacology, Clinical Chemistry, Clinical and Molecular Genetics and Pharmacoepidemiology. Worked at the Institutes of Clinical Pharmacology and Human Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, and Charité University Berlin. Since 2001 Professor of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Head Research Group of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, President of the Hellenic Society of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Diagnosis and Therapy University of Athens. Scientific and research interests in Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacogenetics, Toxicogenetics, Personalized and Precision Medicine.

Dr Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis MD, PhD

Dr Taxiarchis Konstantinos Nikolouzakis MD, PhD is a resident of General Surgery in the University Hospital of Heraklion (PAGNI). His special interest focuses on colorectal cancer (CRC) research and surgical treatment. His main research topics are focused on the identification of prognostic biomarkers for CRC treatment and the correlation between telomere length and telomerase activity with CRC. He is a member of the Laboratory of Toxicology and the Laboratory of Anatomy of the School of Medicine, University of Crete. He has been an invited speaker in various symposiums, master classes and congresses addressing the areas of CRC and Telomere biology.

Evangelos Zoumbaneas, Nutritionist, Master Practitioner in Eating Disorders and Obesity

Evangelos Zoumbaneas is a Clinical Nutritionist. He graduated in 1993 from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, at the Technological Institute of Thessaloniki, Greece. He has been working in private practice as Nutritionist in Greece since 1993. Since 2010, he is president of KEADD – Centre for Education & Treatment of Eating Disorders, through which, health professionals are trained in matters of disordered eating and obesity. In December 2010, he became the General Director of the Centre of Education & Treatment of Eating Disorders (KEADD, www.keadd.gr), in Athens. The Centre of Education & Treatment of Eating Disorders is affiliated with the NCFED, of Great Britain. During the period 2006-2007, he worked as a supervisor at the Department of Nutrition of Adolescent Health Unit of the children’s hospital “Aglaia Kyriakou” in Athens. He has been an associate in this unit ever since. He is the writer of the books “Nutritional Intelligence: The answer to bulimia, bingeing, and obesity” “Chef in 5 Minutes” “Thin Positive – Secrets to control Hunger & Appetite”, Looking for the magical weight of your dreams, and many more.

Elisavet Kouvidi, Biologist-Cytogeneticist, MSc, PhD

Dr. Elisavet Kouvidi obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Crete and a Master’s degree in Medical Genetics from the Medical School of the University of Glasgow. She received her PhD in non-invasive prenatal diagnosis from the Medical School of the University of Athens. She then worked as a Post-doc researcher and Research Associate at the Haemopoiesis Research Laboratory of the Medical School of the University of Crete. She was Head of the Cytogenetics Department and her research was on the classical and molecular cytogenetic analysis of bone marrow Mesenchymal and Hematopoietic Stem Cells. She is specialized in Classical and Molecular Cytogenetics and she holds a European Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Classical and Molecular Cytogenetics from the European Cytogeneticist Association. She is a member of several scientific societies (ECA, SIGE, PEV). Since 2016, she is working in the Cytogenetics department of the private genetics laboratory “Genesis Genoma Lab” in Athens.