Hellenic Agricultural Organisation - DEMETER, Veterinary Research Institute

http://www.vri.gr/
http://www.vri.gr/el/team-member/%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B4%CE%B7%CF%83-%CE%B9%CF%89%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%83

Contact by mail
I studied Veterinary medicine at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and I graduated in July 2003 having specialised in the area of Hygiene and Technology of Food of Animal Origin. Later, I studied at the University of Reading for my master's degree in the area of Food Technology – Quality Assurance. The subject of my master’s dissertation was "Age gelation of UHT milk" and I graduated in December 2004 with distinction. On the 24th March 2012, I was awarded with a PhD from the School of Veterinary Medicine of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The subject of my PhD thesis was "The Bio-preservation of chicken meat and its products from pathogenic microorganisms" and the thesis was graded with distinction. After my master’s degree, I worked as an auditor of food industries for the Veterinary Authority of Greece and for the Hellenic Organisation of Milk and Meat. During my PhD I was assisting as a Laboratory Fellow for the courses of Hygiene and Technology of Food of animal origin in Veterinary medicine in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: this involved both participating in practical microbiology teaching and red meat/poultry slaughterhouses visits with small groups of students. I was also responsible for the microbiological analysis and for the submission of the report of a study of the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food concerning the hygienic control of chicken carcasses and their products. From May 2008 I have also been working as a Lead Auditor of ISO 22000, non GMO Feed and BRC (version 6) for EUROCERT S.A. (external partner). I am also the auditor for the Marinopoulos-Carrefour Super Market sites of the region of Thessaloniki and the main tutor of their employees for the course entitled: “Basic principles of Hygiene and Safety of Foods”. From February 2012 to January 2014 I worked as a research fellow in two EU funded research programs called “Agri-Genomics Transfer and Dissemination Between Greece & Bulgaria” and “INNO FOOD SEE” in the Institute of Applied Biosciences, The Centre of Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki. During these two years I was responsible for participating in steering committee meetings, producing deliverables and dissemination brochures. I was also responsible for the preparation of training material and for the delivery of training to 5 Bulgarian researchers about modern molecular techniques and of the course entitled “Genomics and DNA based food traceability technologies” to 12 researchers from 5 different European countries. From February 2014 until the end of July 2014, I was working as a fixed term Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health at the School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, to cover a research leave. I was participating in the teaching of Veterinary Public Health to undergraduates Veterinary students, through the medium of lectures, practicals, red meat/poultry slaughterhouses and cheese making plant visits, Problem Base Learning (PBL) and small group teaching. I was mainly responsible for the teaching of Food Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, Food borne infections and intoxications, Red Meat and Poultry Meat Inspection, meat products, eggs and egg products, HACCP and other Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (ISO 22000 and 9001, BRC, IFS, Global GAP) and the use of molecular methods for the detection of food adulterations and for the identification and genotyping of food pathogens. This experience helped me realise that teaching can be extremely rewarding and is definitely something I would love to be doing for life. From September 2014 I worked as a research fellow for the study entitled: ”Development of rapid detection methods of pathogenic microorganisms” at the Institute of Applied Biosciences (INAB), The Centre of Research and Technology Hellas. From February 2015 until September 2015 I worked as a research fellow for the study entitled: “A study for the prevalence, genotyping and control of antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. isolated from poultry carcasses and non-pasteurised dairy products” funded by Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Ministry of Employment and EU. From October 2015 until July 2018, I was working as a Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health (VPH) at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey. My main duties included: the teaching of Veterinary Public Health to undergraduates and postgraduate Veterinary students, through the medium of lectures, practicals, red meat/poultry slaughterhouses and cheese making plant visits, Problem Base Learning (PBL) and small group teaching, being the lead for the VPH IMR rotations in 5th year; being the lead of Vet Research Seminars; being a module coordinator for a module in BVMSci course – Veterinary Medicine and Science and in MSc course in Veterinary Microbiology and several other. Finally, from September 2018 until now, I am working as Researcher in Hygiene of Foods of Animal Origin at the Veterinary Research Institute, HAO - DEMETER. I have a strong interest in research and would like to keep producing high quality research in the future. During my master’s degree my research was mainly focused on proteolytic activity of UHT milk and its age gelation. Later on, during my PhD I worked on the isolation and identification of food pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria and evaluation of their antimicrobial resistance and on the isolation and identification of LAB with antimicrobial properties. During my presence in the Institute of Applied Biosciences I worked on the detection of adulteration of food products and on genotyping foodborne pathogenic and beneficial bacteria. Within the last 12 months, I was also a member of the research team that was responsible for detecting the presence of horse DNA in food products in Northern Greece. Moreover, I was responsible for the preparation and the certification process of the institute against ISO standard 17025 for molecular methods. I have an excellent knowledge of the EU funding programs related to food as I participated in the proposal of several Interreg, Southeast Europe, Horizon 2020 research projects. I have cooperated with different entities, public authorities, private companies and organisations (research institutes, universities, EU institutes, etc). I have 13 publications in international, peer-reviewed journals, a research article that is under review and several presentations in national and international conferences. I am also a reviewer of the Journal of Food Research International, of African Journal of Microbiology Research, of The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, of the journal European Food Research and Technology, of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and of International Journal of One Health.