Research & Studies Coordinator
Dr. Ioannis Livieratos, (BSc, MSc, PhD)
Born in 1967 in Athens, he studied Agriculture in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He followed a M.Sc. course on crop production (specialization crop protection) at Wageningen Agriculture University (The Netherlands). He carried out a Ph.D. on Plant Virology at Imperial College (University of London). He then was employed as a post-doctoral associate in the same laboratory (6 months), UCDavis California (1 year) and Imperial College (3 years). In 2005 he joined MAICH as a course co-ordinator at the Department of Sustainable Agriculture.
Read the full CVResearch Associate (Responsible for the Laboratory of Soil Scienece)
Mr. Aristidis Stamatakis, (BSc, MSc)
Born in 1975, he studied Agriculture (horticulture science) in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and followed a postgraduate specialization course on horrticulture science at MAICh. He carried out an MSc thesis on hydroponics, while at the same time he was working in the soil science laboratory as a technical assistant. Following graduation (2002), he was employed as a technical supporter at the agrochemical and fertilizer company Farma-Chem (2004-2008). In 2008 he joined the Department of Sustainable Agriculture and he is responsible for the Laboratory of Soil Science & Plant Diagnostics and the greenhouse and hydroponics system. He has participated in various research programs in collaboration with academic and institutional researchers and he has published 2 scientific papers.
Lab Analysts
Mr. George Naxakis, (BSc, MPhil)
He studied Natural Sciences in the University of Athens (1975) and he then followed an MPhil program (1977-1981) on Biochemistry in Sussex University (UK). He worked as Laboratory Assistant in the Nuclear Research Centre of Democritus (Athens) specialising in immunological techniques and high resolution laboratory apparatus (1975). He is familiar with immunological methods of double diffusion, nuclei isolation, sucrose gradient centrifugation, liquid chromatography, RNA extraction, in vivo and in vitro RNA labelling, RNA and protein electrophoresis techniques. Between 1986-1992, he worked as biochemist in automated testing and analysis of enzymes, lipids, electrolytes, hormones, protein electrophoresis, drug levels in blood, as well as tests that require application of ELISA method (Biochemistry Department, General Hospital, Chania). Currently he specialises in essential oils analysis, methylesters, sugars with gas and liquid chromatography, gas chromatography – mass spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. He has authored 10 articles in international scientific journals.
Research Associates
Mrs Kristy Apostolides
Ms. Apostolides received her MSc in Sustainable Agriculture at MAICh in 2008 and her BSc in Plant Sciences in 1999 from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She has nine years experience with organic agriculture in policy and practice and four years experience in training and curriculum development. She developed a training program and manual for individuals in NYC to manage markets for local farmers and trained farmers in the methods of growing organic products for the NYC market. She has organized and presented at over 20 conferences on related topics in the United States and Europe and served on the International Committee for URGENCI, an organization which develops local solidarity-based commerce partnerships worldwide.
Dr. Toba Osman
Dr.Osman worked as an assistant post-doctoral researcher at Imperial College (UK) for 15 years (1989-2005). During this time, he has acquired significant expertise in molecular plant virology and carried out high quality work resulting in several publications in prestigious top virology journals (journal of virology, journal of general virology etc.). Dr. Osman is particularly credited for his work on Red clover necrotic mosaic virus cell-to-cell movement and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of positive-stranded RNA viruses, such as TMV and CYDV. Dr. Osman would constitute an asset for any virology laboratory worldwide. Dr. Osman has also developed significant experience in teaching and student supervision.
Read the full CVPost-Doctoral Research Assosiates
Dr. Katerina KalliampakouDr Kalliampakou was born in Athens in 1972, and studied Mathematics (1990-1994) and Biology (1994-1998), at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.Her graduate research was focused on the regulation of translation of Hepatitis C virus (HCV). She carried out a PhD (1998-2005) at the Lab of Molecular Virology in theHellenic Pasteur institute (HPI), studying the role of the 5’ untranslated region of the HCV RNA on translation and reproduction of the viral genome. Sheworked as a post-doctoral researcher:a) at the Lab of Molecular Biology in theAgricultural University of Athens (2005-2007), studying the Rhizobium-Legume symbiotic relationship with special focus on the expressed polyol transporters and the sugar/polyolprofile of the plantLotus japonicas during symbiosis,b) at the Lab of Molecular Virologyin the HPI (2007-2010), studying theinteraction HCV-hepatocyte and more especially the mechanisms of HCV genome translation under cell stress, the HCV genome replication/virus productionand the hepatocellular metabolism under low oxygen tension, c) at the Plant Virology Lab in theMAICh (2010-present),studying the family of Closteroviridae with main aims 1) the production of antibodies against proteins of CYSDV, 2) the detection ofCYSDV defective genomes,3) to test for CYSDV-resistance in transgenic plants, 4) toestablish an in vitro systemof Criniviruses infection, and 4) toestablish an in lab natural infection system.
Dr. Nikos Vrettos
Born in 1980, he studied Biology at the University of Patra (1998-2002). He continued with postgraduate studies at the University of Crete where he got his M.Sc. degree attending the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology program (2002-2004). Later on, he carried out a PhD studying RNA silencing related phenomena in both tobacco plants and Drosophila insects at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and the University of Crete (2004-2009). Currently he is a member of the Sustainable Agriculture team, employed as a post-doc associate, analyzing plant-virus interactions at the molecular level.
Read the full CVDr. Daniella Tsikou
She studied Agriculture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1997-2002) and she then followed a M. Sc course on Agricultural Biotechnology at the Agricultural University of Athens. Following graduation (2004), she was employed as research collaborator at the laboratory of Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology at the National Centre for Scientific Research “Democritos” (Athens). A Ph. D was carried out on Plant Biotechnology at the laboratory of Molecular Biology at the Agricultural University of Athens (2005-2009). In 2010, she was employed as a post-doctoral associate in MAICh for a 6-month period.
Read the full CVPhD students
Mr Manthos Mathioudakis
He was born in Chania in 1982. He graduated second from the School of Agriculture, Crop Protection department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1999-2004). He carried out his Master of Science (MSc) degree in School of Agriculture, Crop Protection Department, of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2004-2006), with specialization on Plant Virology. From February of 2009 he is a PhD candidate at the School of Agriculture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Plant pathology Laboratory of Crop Protection department and conducting his research at MAICh on plant-virus protein-protein interactions. He has 4 published articles for plant virology in scientific journals and 10 participations Hellenic and national conferences.
Read the full CVTechnical Staff
Mrs. Anna Houdakaki, (BSc)
During her high school years, she has been specialized as a Medical Laboratory technician. Later on she graduated from the Department of Nursing of the Technological Educational Institute (TEI, Athens) in 1998. She has worked as a technician in the Research Laboratory of the “National Reference Centre of Hepatic infectious diseases – B’ University Pathological Clinic of Hippocrates General Hospital of Athens” (1992-1998). In MAICh, she firstly worked as a technician in the Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (1998-2001). Over the last years, she is a technician in the Laboratory of Soil Science and Plant Diagnostics and responsible for the consumable’s order for all MAICh laboratories.
Ms Antonia Karagianni
She studied Plant Production (Technological Educational Institute of Crete, TEI Heraclion). During her thesis “Effect of composted pig manure in tomato plants in outdoor cultivation under hi-salinity” she studied the use of pig manure product from Creta Farm. Since 2007 she works at the Laboratory of Soil Science & Plant Diagnostics as a technician operating the spectrophotometer and the kjeldahl apparatus in a routine basis. In 2008 she completed a specialized training program in ICP-OES PS-1000 operation. Since 2008, she carries out diagnostic service assays for the presence of Citrus tristeza virus in citrus orchards in Crete.
Ms Aikaterini Mayrommati
She is a graduate of Organic Farming (Technological Educational Institute of Kefalonia, TEI Ionian Islands). Since 2007 she works at the Laboratory of Soil Science & Plant Diagnostics as a technician operating the spectrophotometer and the kjeldahl apparatus in a routine basis. She followed a seminar about Contemporary Organic Cultivation – Production and Marketing of Agricultural Products (2008). She holds a certificate of knowledge in computers (ECDL).
Last update: 03 of February, 2012