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Leonidas Stefanis, MD/PhD
Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology School of Medicine / First Department of Neurology National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Affiliated Scientist, Tel: 2107289405, 2106597214 Lab web page: http://www.bioacademy.gr/lab/stefanis?lang=en and CV: http://www.bioacademy.gr/faculty-details/GMI/leonidas?lang=en |
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Education Year 1987 MD 1992 PhD in 1992 1991-95 Resident in Neurology 1995-98 Postdoctoral Fellow
Research Interests Dr. Stefanis is investigating various areas of PD pathogenesis, ranging from the bench to the bedside. He is examining the genetic underpinnings of the disease in the Greek population, not only in the rare familial, but also in sporadic cases. He is involved in studies that aim to examine the utility of using alpha-synuclein as a disease biomarker. He is examining pathways of neurotoxicity induced by aberrant alpha-synuclein, with an emphasis on the involvement of protein degradation pathways, such as Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy. He is also investigating the molecular underpinnings of the link of other genetic alterations linked to PD, such as those in UCH-L1, LRRK2 and GBA. He is using a wide array of approaches, ranging from cellular and animal models to studies of patients’ biological material.
Current Funding «Prodromal PPMI», PI: Ken Marek. Stefanis Head of Athens group. Funding Source: Michael J. Fox Foundation Type: Sponsored Biomarker Study Period: 04/2014-12/2023 “IMPRIND”, PI: George Tofaris, Univ of Oxford. Stefanis participant from BRFAA (together with Vekrellis), Funding Source: EU-H2020, Type: IMI2 Period: 03/2017-02/2021 “Involvement of macroautophagy in nigrostiatal axonal degeneration induced by inhibition of Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy” PI Stefanis (PE:10%, non-salaried), Funding Source: Fondation SANTE. Period: 07/2017-03/2019
Recent Publications or Selected Publications 1. Brekk OR, Makridakis M, Mavroeidi P, Vlahou A, Xilouri M, Stefanis L (2019) Impairment of chaperone-mediated autophagy affects neuronal homeostasis through altered expression of DJ-1 and CRMP-2 proteins. Mol Cell Neurosci. 95:1-12 2. Xilouri M, Brekk OR, Polissidis A, Chrysanthou-Piterou M, Kloukina I, Stefanis L (2016) Impairment of chaperone-mediated autophagy induces dopaminergic neurodegeneration in rats. Autophagy. 12(11):2230-2247 3. Xilouri M, Brekk OR, Stefanis L (2016) Autophagy and Alpha-Synuclein: Relevance to Parkinson's Disease and Related Synucleopathies. Mov Disord. 2016 Feb;31(2):178-92 4. Dermentzaki G, Paschalidis N, Politis PK, Stefanis L (2016) Complex Effects of the ZSCAN21 Transcription Factor on Transcriptional Regulation of α-Synuclein in Primary Neuronal Cultures and in Vivo. J Biol Chem. 291(16):8756-72 5 Xilouri M, Brekk OR, Landeck N, Pitychoutis PM, Papasilekas T, Papadopoulou-Daifoti Z, Kirik D, Stefanis L (2013) Boosting chaperone-mediated autophagy in vivo mitigates α-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration. Brain 136:2130-46 |
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