Organizing Committee
Prof. Apostolos Vantarakis
Apostolos Vantarakis was born in 1967 in Patras, Greece. He received a B.Sc in Biology from University of Patras in 1990, M.Sc in Genetics and its Applications from University of Wales in 1991, U.K, Ph.D in Hygiene from University of Patras in 1998. His current position is Professor of Public Health in Medical School. His research interests are in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health promotion and Health Education. He is the author of 5 books, 140 journal papers and more than 120 conference papers. He has participated in many National and European projects as a scientific responsible. He has supervised several projects working with vulnerable populations as disabled persons and sports, migrants and sports. One of the latest projects he has supervised is Equal Sport for All.
Dr. Spyros Papaioannou
Spyros Papaioannou is a postdoctoral researcher in Sociology with several years of working experience at Goldsmiths, University of London and the Open University of Greece. His research interests incorporate the methodological and conceptual intersections between social theory, cultural studies, community-based practice and public health. He holds a BA in Business Administration, an MA in Cross-Sectoral and Community Arts and a PhD in Sociology. He joined the University of Patras Medical School in April 2024 and he is currently managing the MSc in Public Health, he is teaching a module on Social Research Methods and he is participating in various research projects as a member of the Lab of Public Health, Epidemiology & Quality of Life. Indicatively, he is a part of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project CaP4Preceptors: Supporting Medical Students’ Clinical Experiences (2023–2026), focusing on strengthening preceptor training and inclusive medical education.
Zoi Anastopoulou
Ζoi Anastopoulou is a Biologist who has graduated from the Biology Department of the University of Patras. Currently she is a PhD Candidate in Medical School, Lab of Public Health, Epidemiology & Quality of Life, University of Patras. She is an MSc holder in “Applications of Biology in Medicine” from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, an interdepartmental postgraduate program of the faculties of Medicine and Biology. Her MSc thesis entitled “Myelodysplastic syndromes and autophagy” is a transcriptomic study of genes involved in the regulation of autophagy in myelodysplastic syndromes. Current PhD research fields are Environmental Microbiology, Antibiotic Resistance, Wastewater-based Epidemiology, Viral and bacterial genome extraction and detection on food, water, urban wastewater and air samples. She participates in the National wastewater-based epidemiology network.
Rafail Fokas
Rafail Fokas holds a BSc/Integrated MSc in Food Science and Technology and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the School of Medicine, University of Patras, where he is currently pursuing his PhD at the Lab of Public Health, EPidemiology and Quality of Life. His research focuses on food microbiology, molecular detection methods for pathogens, environmental microbiology, and public health, with particular interest in the use of bacteriophages as biocontrol agents against foodborne pathogens and in tackling antimicrobial resistance. He has contributed to studies on wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance (SARS-CoV-2), the antimicrobial activity of essential oils, and the application of Artificial Intelligence in Public Health.
Kalypso Angeliki Koukouvini
Kalypso Angeliki Koukouvini is a PhD Candidate in the Environmental Microbiology Unit of the Laboratory of Public Health, Epidemiology and Quality of Life, Medical School, University of Patras. Her doctoral research focuses on the development and evaluation of air sampling techniques for the detection and quantification of airborne viruses and microorganisms, with particular emphasis on the health impact of airborne pathogens and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in indoor air. She holds two Master’s degrees, in Biotechnology and in Environmental Health, from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and is a graduate of the Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras. Her previous research experience includes the assessment of cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of ZnAg nanoparticles on human lymphocytes using the micronucleus assay, as well as the standardisation and investigation of novel biomarkers in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.
Athanasia Palaiologou
Athanasia Palaiologou is a physicist, graduated from the Physics Department of the University of Ioannina. Currently she is a PhD Candidate of the Medical Department, Lab of Public Health, Epidemiology & Quality of Life, University of Patras. MSc holder in “Medical Physics – Radiation Physics” from the University of Patras. MSc thesis: “Image Quality in CBCT” based on the assessment of image quality in the Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Dentistry. Current PhD research fields are comparisons of AI models in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis. She is currently participating in Public Health related EU projects.
Angeliki Chatziantoniou
Angeliki Chatziantoniou is a PhD student at the Lab of Public Health, Epidemiology & Quality of Life at the Medical School of the University of Patras. A biologist by training with a background in Cancer Biology, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective to environmental and public health challenges, shaped by hands-on experience in clinical laboratories and medical communications within the pharmaceutical sector. Her doctoral research focuses on the impact of air quality on the clinical course of pediatric respiratory diseases, with a particular emphasis on asthma. By integrating molecular biology, environmental monitoring, and clinical data, her work aims to assess the health impacts of airborne environmental exposures on pediatric respiratory health.
Athina Mavridou
Athina Mavridou is a ret. Professor of the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of West Attica with a specialization in Microbiology. She is a Biologist, a graduate of the Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, a holder of a postgraduate diploma from the D.E.A. d’Ecologie, Paris XI, as well as a holder of a PhD in Environmental Microbiology with the title: “Microbiological quality of seawater in relation to parameters and pollution” from the Department of Biology, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.