Bio:
I joined the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health,
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research
Institute in August 2003 after a two years as a Senior Lecturer at
Imperial College London, Biological Sciences Department and Centre for
Molecular Microbiology & Infection. I pursued my first research project
on the medicinal herb Dictamnus
 creticus
while studying eco-technology
at Mid Sweden University.
My interest in pursuing a research
career was stimulated while pursuing my BSc diploma thesis research in Dr.
Uno Lindberg’s group at Stockholm University. My research career initiated in
1991 at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the
University of Crete where I pursued my Ph.D. in Dr. Kitsos Louis group working on
Anopheles gambiae molecular population biology and tissue specific gene
expression.
I spent a significant period of my graduate studies in
Dr. Fotis
Kafatos lab at Harvard University, Department of Molecular and Cellular
Biology where I developed a RADP based cytogenetic map for A. gambiae and identified
several sex and tissue specific A. gambiae genes through differential
display mRNA analyses. After a mandatory “brake” in the Greek Army, I joined
Dr. Kafatos’ group at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in
Heidelberg as a postdoctoral Marie Curie Fellow in 1996. At EMBL, I focused
my research on mosquito immunity and discovered the Plasmodium infection
responsive patterns of several novel immune genes. Together with colleagues
I developed the first A. gambiae EST repertoire and spotted cDNA microarrays
that have been used for transcriptomic analysis of mosquito infection
responses.
Current research:
My group’s ongoing and future research program broadly focuses on the innate
immune systems of mosquito disease vectors, and comprises several
independent but synergistically interacting projects. We are interested in
understanding the role and mechanisms of the mosquito’s innate immune system
in the defense against human pathogens such as Plasmodium and the Dengue
virus. A major focus is concentrated on Anopheles gambiae anti-Plasmodium
defense systems that. Towards this, we have contributed with several
pioneering discoveries. Our mission is to characterize the defense
mechanisms employed by mosquito vectors against human pathogens. Our
competitive advantage derives from a unique blend of core competencies in
molecular entomology, innate immunity and functional genomics, as well as
the access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure at the Johns Hopkins
Malaria Research Institute. The long-term goal of my research program is to
broaden the basic knowledge of this field and provide new tools for the
development of disease control strategies.
JHSPH Faculty Page
JHMRI PI Page
Current
CV (January 2009)
The Paperless Professor:
My productivity has to a significant extent benefitted from optimizing and
streamlining my office work by going
paperless. I am in fact close to 100% paperless and do all my work tasks
electronically.
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has highlighted my office as the
"greenest" at:
http://www.jhsph.edu/green/paperless_prof.html
Those who would like to learn more about this new and effective
paperless business- and life-style may find my book "Paperless Joy" useful and interesting,
at:
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