Stavroula Baritaki is an Associate Professor of Experimental Oncology at the Medical School of the University of Crete (UoC), Greece. She is the Head of the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology Research in the Department of Surgery at the same School.
Dr. Baritaki obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Crete, and holds a Master’s degree (MSc) and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology-Medicine from the same University, in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg, Germany (EMBO Fellow). She served as a postdoctoral researcher (EACR, UICC, and Bodossaki Foundation Fellow) in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA (2006–2011), Visiting Researcher in the Cancer Immunotherapy Group at UCLA Medical School (2011–2012), Researcher in the Division of Digestive Diseases at UCLA Medical School (2012–2015), and Group Leader at the Center for Systems Biomedicine (CSBM) at UCLA (2012–2015).
Dr. Baritaki has led significant research projects and programs at both national and international levels, coordinating interdisciplinary collaborations among academic institutes and departments in Greece and abroad. She has received numerous international and national awards and competitive fellowships from universities, foundations, and organizations for her innovative biomedical research and holds one patent in translational oncology. Her research findings have been presented at numerous international and national conferences, and she has been invited to speak at leading academic institutions, research centers, and scientific symposia worldwide. Her total scientific publication record has received more than 5,500 citations (Google Scholar, h-index: 44).
The Laboratory of Experimental Oncology (LEO) is a newly established lab (2021) at the Medical School of the University of Crete, with research interests mainly focused on:
1. Understanding the molecular basis of specific features of cancer cells in solid tumors, such as:
a) the development of resistance to conventional chemotherapy and endogenous immune-mediated cytotoxicity,
b) epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as a precursor to metastatic capacity, and
c) the interaction and communication of cancer cells with components of the tumor microenvironment, including various stromal cell populations, the microbiome, and soluble molecules.
2. Identification and functional significance of novel molecular biomarkers involved in the regulation of the above characteristics, as well as their selective targeting with small-molecule inhibitors as an anti-neoplastic therapeutic approach.
3. Phenotypic, functional, and molecular characterization of cancer stem cells in solid malignancies at the transcriptomic and proteomic level.
4. Understanding the role of neuropeptides and their receptors involved in the regulation of chronic stress in the pathophysiology of colorectal cancer.
The laboratory is equipped with an advanced cell culture unit and state-of-the-art Molecular Biology and Biochemistry instrumentation. It also utilizes Bioinformatics tools and high-throughput molecular profiling and cell modeling platforms.
To support its research objectives, the lab has developed a broad, multidisciplinary network of collaborations with leading academic institutions and research centers both in Greece and abroad, allowing it to remain at the forefront of advances in Experimental and Translational Oncology.
The LEO welcomes students for diploma, postgraduate, and doctoral theses depending on availability.
For more information on the lab’s research interests, please visit: http://leo.med.uoc.gr
Education
Ph.D. in Molecular Biology – Biomedicine.
Interdepartmental Biology-Medicine Program, University of Crete, Greece.
1996 – 1998:
M.Sc. in Molecular Biology.
Interdepartmental Biology-Medicine Program, University of Crete, Greece.
1992 – 1996:
B.Sc. in Biology.
Department of Biology, University of Crete, Greece.
Research Interests
Memberships
