Maria Marketou is an Associate Professor of Cardiology at the Medical School of the University of Crete. She is clinically and academically active at the Cardiology Clinic of the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, where she is recognized for her expertise in managing arterial hypertension and associated cardiovascular complications. She actively participates in clinical and research activities, including multicenter studies and European Union-funded programs, and plays a significant role in educating medical students and residents. The Hypertension Clinic linked to her department is recognized as a Hypertension Excellence Center by the European Society of Hypertension. She is responsible for the home care program for cardiac patients at the University Hospital of Heraklion and oversees the Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs within the Cardiology Clinic.
Maria Marketou has a strong scientific presence with numerous publications and participation in scientific conferences, contributing to advancing knowledge in cardiology, especially hypertension. She is a member of:
The ESC Digital Health Committee (since 2022)
The European Exam in Core Cardiology MCQ Writing Group, European Society of Cardiology (since 2019)
The core group of the EAPC Primary Care and Risk Factors Management Section (since 2024)
The nucleus of the ESC Council on Hypertension
She has authored > 150 publications indexed in PubMed with an h-index of 33 (12,333 citations).
Additionally, she coordinates the English-language postgraduate program at the Medical School of the University of Crete titled “Exercise and Exercise-based Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease.”
Education
Research Interests
Maria Marketou’s research focuses on hypertension and its cardiovascular complications, exploring molecular mechanisms such as renin-dependent and salt-sensitive pathways, inflammation, and oxidative stress. She also studies molecular markers and transcriptomics related to hypertension, heart failure and cardiomyopathies, aiming to connect basic science with clinical practice. Additionally, she applies data science and artificial intelligence to improve risk prediction and personalized management in hypertension and heart failure.
Memberships
- a) Greek Medical Societies:
- Member of the Hellenic Cardiological Society since 1999.
- Member of the Echocardiography Working Group of the Hellenic Cardiological Society.
- Member of the Arterial Hypertension Working Group of the Hellenic Cardiological Society.
- Member of the Cardio-Oncology Working Group of the Hellenic Cardiological Society.
- Member of the Hellenic Hypertension Society.
- Member of the Society for the Study and Research in Heart Failure.
- Member of the Institute for Study and Education in Thrombosis and Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease (I.M.E.TH.A.).
- Member of the Medical Society of Crete.
- b) European Medical Societies:
- Member of the European Society of Cardiology since 2000 – Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC).
- Member of the Arterial Hypertension Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology.
- Member of the European Hypertension Society – Hypertension Specialist.
- Member of the Cardiovascular Imaging Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology.
- Member of the Heart Failure Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology.
- Member of the EACVI Task Force – Women in Cardiovascular Imaging.
