Current Position

Research Associate Fellow, Molecular Virology Department

Assistant Professor

Course Coordinator of MVI: Molecular Virology and Immunology

The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics

Research Interests

• The role of the immune system in conjunction with specific viral infections, such as those caused by members of the herpes virus family, in Multiple Sclerosis etiology and pathogenesis
• The role of autoantibodies in Multiple Sclerosis
• Molecular studies investigating the presence or absence of Epstein-Barr virus in B cells of Multiple Sclerosis patients
• Epidemiological studies investigating the association, if any, of viral infections and Parkinson disease
• The role of viruses in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Biography

Dr Krashias began his undergraduate studies in Microbiology with a BSc degree from the University of Reading (UK). Following successful completion of his BSc he pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford (UK) where he obtained an MSc in Integrated Immunology. In 2009 he obtained a Dphil in Pathology form the same university after securing scholarships from the Bodossaki Foundation and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During his graduate studies he focused on the development of novel adjuvant strategies for vaccination against HIV-1. Soon after completion of his DPhil, he engaged in a postdoctoral research project at the Department of Molecular Virology of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics. In 2010 he took up a full-time Lecturer position in Microbiology at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus. Since 2012 he holds a Lecturer position at the Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, being at the same time a Post-doctoral research associate at the Molecular Virology Department of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics. As of 2015 he is the coordinator of the course entitled “Molecular Virology and Immunology” that is offered to postgraduate students of the Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine. His research interests are focused in understanding the role of the immune system and viral infections in Multiple Sclerosis etiology and pathogenesis.

Selected Publications

• Polyethyleneimine is a potent systemic adjuvant for glycoprotein antigens. Sheppard NC, Brickmann SA, Gartlan KH, Puthia M, Svanborg C, Krashias G, Eisenbarth SC, Flavell RA, Sattentau QJ, Wegmann F. Int Immunol. 2014 Oct; 26(1):531-8.
• Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori cagA and vacA in Cypriot patients. Krashias G, Bashiardes S, Polemitou A, Potamitis G, Christodoulou C. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2013 Sep 16;7(9):642-50.
• Polyethyleneimine is a potent Irf-3-dependent mucosal adjuvant for glycoprotein antigens that elicits protective immunity to viral infection. Wegmann F, Gartlan KH, Brinckmann SA, Harandi AM, Coccia M, Hillson WR, Kok WL, Cole S, Ho LP, Lambe T, Puthia M, Svanborg C, Scherer EM, Krashias G, Williams A, Blattman A, Greenberg PD, Flavell RA, Moghaddam AE, Sheppard NC, Sattentau QJ. Nat Biotechnol. 2012 Sep;30(9):883-8.
• A novel strategy for inducing enhanced mucosal HIV-1 antibody responses in an anti-inflammatory environment. Wegmann F, Krashias G, Luhn K, Laamanen K, Vieira S, Jeffs SA, Shattock RJ, Sattentau QJ. Plos One. 2011 Jan 6;6(1):e15861.
• Expression system-dependent modulation of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein antigenicity and immunogenicity. Kong L, Sheppard NC, Guillaume BE, Jones S, Robson CL, Chen H, Xu X, Krashias G, Bonomelli C, Scanlan CN, Kwong PD, Jeffs SA, Jones IM, Sattentau QJ. Journal of Molecular Biology. 2010 Oct 15;403(1):131-47.
• Potent adaptive immune responses induced against HIV-1 gp140 and influenza virus HA by a polyanionic carbomer. Krashias G, Simon AK, Wegmann F, Kok WL, Ho LP, Stevens D, Skehel J, Heeney JL, Moghaddam AE, Sattentau QJ. Vaccine. 2010 Mar 16;28 (13): 2482-9.
• Contribution of redox status to hepatitis C virus E2 envelope protein function and antigenicity. Fenouillet E, Lavillette D, Loureiro S, Krashias G, Maurin G, Cosset FL, Jones IM, Barbouche R. J Biol Chem. 2008 Sep 26;283 (39):26340-8.
• Analysis of the relationship between cytokine secretion and proliferative capacity in hepatitis C virus infection. Semmo N, Krashias G, Willberg C, Klenerman P. J Viral Hepat. 2007 Jul;14 (7):492-502.
• Maintenance of HCV-specific T-cell responses in antibody-deficient patients a decade after early therapy. Semmo N, Lucas M, Krashias G, Lauer G, Chapel H, Klenerman P. Blood. 2006 Jun 1;107 (11):4570-1