Theodoros G. Papaioannou

Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Director of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). He holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineer from the National Technical University of Athens and a PhD from the Medical School, NKUA. Visiting Professor at Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL) and at Carol Davila University in Bucharest. He is a collaborating researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos". Representative of Greece in the European Group for Health Technology Assessment (Coordination Group on HTA for Medical Devices). He is Chairman of the Research and Technology Committee of the Central Health Council, President of the Institute for Health Promotion and Technology, Vice-President of the Hellenic Society of Digital Medicine and the Hellenic Branch of the Balkan Medical Union. He was Chairman of the Negotiation Committee for the Reimbursement of Health Services, Medical Devices and Materials of EOPYY, external collaborator of Microsoft Research, researcher at the Computational Biomedicine Lab of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Houston and the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, and member of the Board of Directors of the State Scholarships Foundation and the General Assembly of the Medical School. His research focuses on clinical engineering, cardiovascular technology, development and study of medical devices, health technology assessment, data analysis, digital health as well as the history of medicine and medical ethics. He hasreceived international and national awards and has published more than 250 articlesin international scientific journals with more than 10.500 citations (h-index 54).

Dr. Michailia Angelopoulou

Dr. Michailia Angelopoulou received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2009, her M.Sc. degree in Biochemistry in 2012, and her Ph.D. in 2017 from the Department of Chemistry of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The subject of her doctoral dissertation was “Optical immunosensors for the simultaneous detection of allergenic substances in food”, and it was carried out at the Immunoassays/Immunosensors Laboratory of INRASTES, NCSR “Demokritos”. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at NCSR “Demokritos” in collaboration with the dairy industry DELTA, within the framework of an industrial fellowship from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, on the project “Development of methods for rapid simultaneous detection of multiple bacteria species in milk and juices through Mach-Zehnder Interferometers array monolithically integrated on silicon chips (BACTOTRAP)”. She also held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry of NKUA for the development of a 3D-printed electrochemical biosensor made of thermoplastic materials for the determination of C-reactive protein in human serum using CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, within the program “Support of researchers with emphasis on young researchers – Cycle B”, funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology. Subsequently, she worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at IPRETEA for the development of a portable dip-type photonic sensor for the detection of aflatoxin M1, bacteria, as well as for monitoring the adulteration of sheep and goat milk with cow’s milk, within the FOODSENS project (Research–Create–Innovate – Cycle II). Her research interests include the development of immunochemical methods, methods for biomolecule detection through optical and electrochemical immunosensors, bacterial culture, cell culture, and the determination of substances via liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. She is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Biomedical Technology Laboratory (Medical School, NKUA) and serves as Deputy Scientific Coordinator of the PATHPROFIL project (SEA, Recovery Fund), which aims to develop an optical biosensor for the detection of uropathogenic bacteria and bacterial antibiotic- resistance genes. She is also a Postdoctoral Associate at INRASTES, NCSR “Demokritos” within the European Program ARMADILLO (ARMADILLO-HORIZON-CL3-2023-FCT-01-101168416), which aims to develop optical and electrochemical sensors for the detection of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in beverages, saliva, and urine. She has served and continues to serve as an Adjunct Lecturer at the Department of Biotechnology of the Agricultural University of Athens, the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of West Attica. To date, her scientific work includes 25 articles in international peer- reviewed journals, 1 article in a Greek journal, 6 articles in peer-reviewed conference proceedings, and 34 conference presentations.

Dr. Sotirios Kakabakos

Dr. Sotirios Kakabakos obtained his B.Sc. in Pharmacy from the University of Athens in 1980 and his Ph.D. in Pharmacy from the University of Patras in 1989. In 1990-91 he was granted with a research postdoc fellowship and worked in the Clinical Biochemistry Department of the Medical School, University of Toronto. In 1992 he joined the Institute of Radioisotopes & Radiodiagnostic Products (IRRP) as a postdoctoral researcher, and in 1995 he got an Assistant Researcher position at the same Institute. In 1998 he became Senior Researcher and since 2004 he holds the position of the Director of Research. He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the IRRP (1999-2012) and of the Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technologies, Energy & Safety (INRASTES (2012-2020) and vice director of INRASTES (2012-2019). His research interests focus on the development and evaluation of advanced immunoassay technologies with emphasis on multi-analyte immunoassays and immunosensors (optical and electrochemical), novel solid supports for bioanalytical applications, surface patterning and nanostructuring methodologies for protein, DNA and cell arrays, novel labels to improve the analytical sensitivity of immunoassays and development of novel miniaturized diagnostic tools. He is/was responsible and/or participated in numerous National and EU funded projects related mainly to the development of sensors for simultaneous determination of clinical, environmental and food-safety related analytes based on optical biosensors, as well as on the development of materials and methods for micro/nano patterning of surfaces for bioanalytical applications. He is author/co-author of 180 papers in peer-reviewed international journals, 50 papers in proceedings of international congresses, 6 book chapters and of more than 250 communications in national and international conferences. He also holds 21 national, international and European patents, among which 10 refer to novel biosensing platforms.

Dr. Panagiota Petrou

Dr. Panagiota Petrou obtained her B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemistry both from the University of Athens in 1993 and 2000, respectively. From 2000 to 2001 she was a Post-doctoral fellow in the Institute of Microsystems Technology of Albert-Ludwig University at Freiburg, where she worked on the development of microsystems embodying electrochemical enzyme sensors for continuous analyte monitoring. At the end of 2002, she joined the Institute of Radioisotopes and Radiodiagnostic Products, NCSR “Demokritos” (currently Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Science & Technology, Energy & Safety – INRASTES), where she holds a Director of Research position since 2014 on development of nano/microsystems for bioanalytical applications. Her research activities include the design and development of: a) optical sensors and their application in healthcare, environmental monitoring and food safety sectors, b) advanced bioanalytical microsystems based on optical or electrochemical sensors able for multi-analyte determinations, c) protein and DNA arrays, d) methods for surface chemical modification and biofunctionalization, new solid supports for selective immobilization of proteins and/or cells. She has participated in several EU (BIOMIC/IST-2000-28214, MICROPROTEIN/G5RD-CT-202-00744, TASNANO/FP6-NMP-516865, NEMOSLAB/FP6-ICT-2006-027804, PYTHIA/FP7-ICT-2007-2-224030, FOODSNIFFER/FP7-ICT-2011-8-318319, FOODSCAN FP7-SME/286442) and GSRT funded projects related mainly to the development of microsystems for the simultaneous determination of clinical, environmental or food-safety related analytes based on optical biosensors. She is the author/co-author of 160 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals and of more than 200 conference communications. She holds 25 Greek and international patents.

The Research Team

Dr. Antonis Gargalionis, MD, PhD,

Is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Biochemistry & Medical Chemistry at the NKUA School of Medicine. He is a specialist in Medical Biopathology and Laboratory Medicine. He serves clinically at Attikon University Hospital with a wide expertise in bochemical and microbiological diagnostics. His research focuses on clinical biochemistry and biomechanics, with 77 PubMed publications, 1,800+ citations, and an h-index of 25. He teaches biochemistry and laboratory medicine across NKUA undergraduate/postgraduate programs and serves on national scientific society boards.

Michail Chrysofos

Professor of Urology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital.Director of the Third University Urology Clinic, Attikon University Hospital. Director of the Surgical Department, Attikon University Hospital. President of the Scientific Council of Attikon University Hospital. Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU)Fellowship in Endourology. He has more than 120 publications in peer-review scientific Journals with 3.100 citations and h-index 32, i10-index 57.

Achilles Drogosis

Urologist Surgeon - Senior Registrar at Hippokration General Hospital of Athens and Research Associate at Biomedical Engineering Department, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He was born in Athens and completed He was born in Athens and completed his studies at the Medical School of the University of L'Aquila in Italy, graduating in 2006 with honors. He specialized in Urology at the General Hospital of Athens "Elpis". Upon completion of his specialization, he successfully participated in the examinations of the European Urological Association, obtaining the title FEBU. He then trained in Sexual Medicine and, after passing the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS) exams, obtained the title FECSM. In 2022, he was awarded a Doctorate from the Medical School of the University of Crete. He holds a degree in Laparoscopic Surgery from the University of Strasbourg.

Ioannis Raptis

Earned his B.Sc. in physics and his Ph.D. in micro/nano fabrication from the University of Athens in 1989 and 1996, respectively. The experimental work of his Ph.D. research took place at IESS-CNR in Italy (1994), while the developed software (LITHOS) became commercial product by Sigma-C GmbH. The last 20 years his work focuses on the development of technologies and devices for the realization of photonic systems at the micro/nano scale. Throughout his career, Ioannis has been pivotal in leading and coordinating numerous EU and national funded research projects, securing > 4.0 M€ in cumulative funding for the organizations he works for. In years 2017-2018 he worked at Core labs KAUST (Saudi Arabia) as lead scientist for nanopatterning. His contributions extend to authoring over 180 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and holding five patents. In 2008, Ioannis co-founded ThetaMetrisis, where he currently serves as COO and as a member of the Board of Directors. ThetaMetrisis is a high-tech company focused on the design & manufacturing of tools for the non-destructive characterization of coatings in the micro and nano scale (biosensing films included). ThetaMetrisis products are trusted worldwide (Europe, Asia, North America), by both academia and high-tech industry.

Emmanouil Manolakos

Dr. Emmanouil Manolakos holds a Biology degree from the University of Cagliari in Italy and a Specialization in Genetics Medicine from the Medical Faculty of the same University. He also hold a Ph.D. from the Medical School of Athens University of Genetics Department and a Clinical Laboratory Geneticist specialty title recognised by the European Board of Medical Genetics (EBMG). His scientific and research interests focus on cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic diagnostics which is the subject of his doctoral thesis and has been retrained in foreign laboratories in the application of methods for the diagnosis of genetic diseases. He has participated in numerous national and international conferences related to genetics and prenatal screening as a guest speaker and through written and oral presentations and has been a member of relevant committees. He has published more than 65 articles in internationally recognized journals and has over 500 references. From 2002 – 2005 he was in charge biologist in prenatal screening at the Maternity clinic Mitera S.A. and from 2005 – 2011 head of the cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetics Laboratory of Bioiatriki S.A. In 2008 he was a founding member of genetics laboratory of Eurogenetica S.A. in Athens until 2014. Today he is the laboratory director of Athens and legal representative of the genetic center “ATG – Access To Genome“.

Agathoklis Krimpenis

Dr. Mech. Eng. Agathoklis Krimpenis is Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic School of the Hellenic Mediterranean University. He holds an Integrated Master's and PhD diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. He is the Head of the Advanced Materials and Digital Industry lab. His main field of expertise is Programming and Automation of CNC machine tools. His research interests include product and manufacturing machine development and optimization, usage of AI in CAD/CAM/CNC systems, Hybrid Manufacturing of multi-material functional parts, etc. He has and currently works on multiple European and national funded research projects (more than 10 mill €) as a principal researcher and/or as coordinator in the fields of design and advanced manufacturing and AI in engineering. He has published more than 35 scientific papers with more than 500 citations.

Dr. Amalia Vogiatzoglou

Dr. Amalia Vogiatzoglou is a Biologist and post-doctoral researcher specializing in molecular biology, cancer research and bioanalytical systems. She has worked in academic institutions in Greece and the UK, focusing on breast cancer models, tumor microenvironment studies, extracellular vesicles and advanced molecular techniques. Her research output includes publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international scientific conferences. Within the PATHPROFIL project at the AMaDI Lab of the Hellenic Mediterranean University, she combines her biological expertise with coordination responsibilities to support interdisciplinary research and development activities.

Dr Charalampos Tzivelekis

Is a Mechanical engineer with a research background at the intersection of microfluidics, biofabrication and advanced manufacturing. Experienced in developing custom systems and processes for life science and biomedical applications. Focused on hybrid and additive manufacturing approaches that bridge engineering/biomedical device design, fabrication and experimental use. Track record in translating research concepts into working instruments, platforms and workflows. Co-founder of technology start-ups building on this expertise, with a publication record spanning microfluidics, bioprinting, polymer systems and digital manufacturing.

Dr. Pavlos Sgardelis

Is an R&D Electronics Engineer with expertise in mechatronics, hardware design, and energy-harvesting systems. Holding a PhD from Newcastle University, he has published research on advanced polymer energy harvesters. He has over a decade of experience developing patented technologies and managing multidisciplinary teams. In his current role as R&D Director at HMS he drives manufacturing-focused research and system development.

Ioanna Kekou

Holds a BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH). She possesses laboratory experience, having worked at the Laboratory of Histology and Embryology of the DUTH Medical School, and completed an internship at the Endocrinology Laboratory of the Choremio Research Laboratory at "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital in Athens. She holds a Master’s degree (MSc) in "Epidemiology and Health Promotion" from the University of West Attica, with research interests focused on health promotion interventions for healthy longevity. In recent years, she has been professionally active in the management of research projects funded by national and European resources, combining her scientific background with research administrative support.

Agis Georgiou

Is an expert in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, as well as a business consultant, with many years of experience in developing data, IT, and AI applications, and in shaping strategies for the adoption of new technologies across Greece, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. He is Founder & Co-founder of intelligent-acceleration.com and agisgeorgiou.com, and in the past he has worked in Greek and international multinational companies as well as in startups, holding various roles both in Greece and abroad. He holds a Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Democritus University of Thrace and a Master’s degree in “Data Science & Entrepreneurship” from Eindhoven University of Technology and Tilburg University. Among other roles, he is a Board Member of AI Catalyst and participates in the Group’s HealthTech team.