Current Position

Education

• PhD in Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado, Denver, USA (2004)
• MSc  by research, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Aberdeen, UK (1996)
• PGDip in Human Nutrition & Metabolism, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, UK (1994)
• PGDip in Medical & Molecular Genetics, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Aberdeen, UK (1993)
• BSc in Pure Science, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Aberdeen, UK (1992)

• Professor, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK (2016-2019)
• Professor & Chair of Nutrition & Toxicology, School of Life Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK (2013-2016)
• Head of Human Health Department, School of Life Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK (2013-2016)
• Assistant Professor, Department of Pathological Anatomy, University of Ioannina, Medical School, Ioannina, Greece (2012-2013)
• Assistant Professor, School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada-Reno, Nevada, USA  (2007-2009)
• Research Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA (2006-2007)
• IRTA Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Signal Transduction, NIEHS/NIH), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA (2004-2006)

Research Interests

• Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis
• Cancer Genetics & Epigenetics
• Cancer Therapeutics
• Cancer Biomarkers & Molecular Diagnostics
• Nutrition & Cancer Prevention

Biography

Mihalis holds the post of a Professor, at the Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, as well as Senior Scientist & Head of the Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology Department at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics. Prior to his current position, he has held academic posts in UK (Northumbria and Heriot Watt Universities), Greece (University of Ioannina) and USA (Universities of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Nevada-Reno). He conducts research into determining the role of epigenetic modifications in altering apoptotic gene expression in ways compatible with the anti-cancer properties of various natural phytochemicals, novel synthetic small molecules and other experimental cancer therapeutic modalities (e.g. hyperthermia) in order to identify key apoptotic targets capable of mediating a therapeutic response. He has authored/co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in various journals in the areas of carcinogenesis and cancer therapeutics. In addition, he has been the recipient of a number of grants, from various funding agents, including the European Commission (Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation Action as well as Marie Curie Fellowship schemes), American Institute for Cancer Research & the World Cancer Research Fund as well as the Leverhulme Trust, among others. Furthermore, he is a Scientific Advisory Board Member for the International Institute of Anticancer Research and he has been a Marilyn Gentry Fellow of the American Institute for Cancer Research & World Cancer Research Fund. Mihalis has supervised a number of undergraduate (BSc), postgraduate (MSc) and PhD student projects into a successful delivery. He has acted as an ad hoc reviewer for more than 50 international peer-reviewed journals while he is on the Editorial Board of several journals that span across different scientific disciplines. He has been invited as a guest speaker in several international conferences as well as academic institutions globally. Finally, Mihalis has acted as a reviewer for a number of international funding agencies including the Hellenic Ministry of Education, Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation, EU-COST Action, British Council, Portuguese Foundation for Science & Technology, Kazakhstan National Centre of Science & Technology Evaluation, Wellcome Trust, French National Alliance for Life & Health Sciences, among others.

Selected Publications (2019-2021)

1. Mantso T, Anestopoulos I, Lamprianidou E, Kotsianidis I, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. Isothiocyanate-induced cell cycle arrest in a novel in vitro exposure protocol of human malignant melanoma (A375) cells. Anticancer Res, 39(2): 591-596, 2019
2. Mitsiogianni M, Koutsidis G, Mavroudis N, Trafalis DT, Botaitis S, Franco R, Zoumpourlis V, Amery T, Galanis A, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. The role of isothiocyanates as cancer chemo-preventive, cancer chemo-therapeutic and anti-melanoma agents. Antioxidants, 8(4): E106, 2019
3. Mantso T, Vasileiadis S, Lampri E, Botaitis S, Perente S, Simopoulos C, Chlichlia K, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. Hyperthermia suppresses post-in vitro proliferation and tumor growth in murine malignant melanoma and colon carcinoma models. Anticancer Res, 39(5): 2307-2315, 2019
4. George VC, Ansari S, Shankar CV, Chelakkot AL, Chelakkot C, Menon V, Ramadan W, Ethiraj KR, El-Awady R, Mantso T, Mitsiogianni M, Panagiotidis MI, Dellaire G, Rupasinghe HPV. DNA-dependent protein kinase: Epigenetic alterations and the role in genomic stability of cancer. Mutat Res, 780: 92-105, 2019
5. Deligiorgi MV, Panayiotidis MI, Trafalis DT. Parathyroid Hormone Related Protein (PTHrP)-mediated hypercalcemia in malignancy associated with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment and related inflammatory reactions. Int Immunopharmacol, 77: 105942, 2019
6. Sakellaropoulos T, Vougas K, Narang S, Koinis F, Kotsinas A, Polyzos A, Moss TJ, Piha-Paul S, Zhou H, Kardala E, Damianidou E, Alexopoulos LG, Aifantis I, Townsend PA, Panayiotidis MI, Sfikakis P, Bartek J, Fitzgerald R, Thanos D, Mills Shaw KR, Petty R, Tsirigos A, Gorgoulis VG. A deep learning framework for predicting response to therapy in cancer. Cell Rep, 29: 3367-3373, 2019
7. Mitsiogianni M, Mantso T, Trafalis DT, Rupasinghe HPV, Zoumpourlis V, Franco R, Botaitis S, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. Allyl isothiocyanate regulates lysine acetylation and methylation marks in an experimental model of malignant melanoma. Eur J Nutr, 59(2): 557-569, 2020
8. Kyriakou S, Mitsiogianni M, Mantso T, Cheung W, Todryk S, Veuger S, Pappa A, Tetard D, Panayiotidis MI. Anticancer activity of a novel methylated analogue of L-mimosine against an in vitro model of human malignant melanoma. Invest New Drugs, 38(3): 621-633, 2020
9. Deligiorgi MV, Panayiotidis MI, Griniatsos J, Trafalis DT. Harnessing the versatile role of OPG in bone oncology: Counterbalancing RANKL and TRAIL signaling and beyond. Clin Exp Metastasis, 37(1): 13-30, 2020
10. Alifieris CE, Griniatsos J, Delis SG, Nikolaou M, Avgoustou C, Panagiotidis MI, Souferi-Chronopoulou E, Trafalis DT. Capecitabine, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and bevacizuman combination followed by pazopanib plus capecitabine maintenance for high-grade gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinomas. Am J Clin Oncol, 43(5): 305-310, 2020
11. Deligiorgi MV, Panayiotidis MI, Trafalis DT. Combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with denosumab: a new era in repurposing denosumab in oncology? J BUON, 25(1): 1-14, 2020
12. Dalezis P, Geromichalou E, Polonifi A, Sagredou S, Nikoleousakos N, Nikolaou M, Sarli V,  Panayiotidis MI, Trafalis DT. Azasteroid alkylators as dual inhibitors of AKT and ERK signalling for the treatment of ovarian carcinoma. Cancers, 12(5): E1263, 2020
13. Deligiorgi MV, Panayiotidis MI, Trafalis DT. Endocrine adverse events related with immune checkpoint inhibitors: An update for clinicians. Immunotherapy, 12(7): 481-510, 2020
14. Deligiorgi MV,  Panayiotidis MI, Trafalis DT. Prophylactic lymph node dissection in clinically N0 differentiated thyroid carcinoma: Example of personalized treatment. Per Med, 17(4): 317-338, 2020
15. Sagredou S, Dalezis P, Nikoleousakos N, Nikolaou M, Voura M, Almpanakis K, Panayiotidis MI, Sarli, V, Trafalis DT. 3,6-disubstituted 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]thiadiazoles derivatives with anticancer activity targeting topoisomerase II alpha. Onco Targets Ther, 13: 7369-7386, 2020
16. Deligiorgi MV,  Panayiotidis MI, Trafalis DT. Repurposing denosumab in breast cancer beyond prevention  of skeletal related events: Could nonclinical data be translated into clinical practice? Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol, 13(11): 1236-1252, 2020
17. Mitsiogianni M, Trafalis DT, Franco R, Zoumpourlis V, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. Sulforaphane and iberin are potent epigenetic modulators of histone acetylation and methylation modifications in malignant melanoma. Eur J Nutr, 60(1): 147-158, 2021
18. Tsochantaridis I, Roupas A, Voulgaridou G-P, Giatromanolaki A, Koukourakis MI, Panayiotidis MI, Pappa A. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1B1 is associated with altered cell morphology, proliferation, migration and chemosensitivity in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Biomedicines, 9(1): Ε44, 2021
19. Mitsiogianni M, Kyriakou S, Anestopoulos I, Trafalis DT, Deligiorgi MV, Franco R, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. An evaluation of the anti-carcinogenic response of major isothiocyanates in non-metastatic and metastatic melanoma cells. Antioxidants, 10(2): E284, 2021
20. Kyriakou S, Cheung W, Mantso T, Mitsiogianni M, Anestopoulos I, Veuger S, Trafalis DT, Franco R, Pappa A, Tetard D, Panayiotidis MI. A novel methylated analogue of L-Mimosine exerts therapeutic potency through ROS production and ceramide-induced apoptosis in malignant melanoma. Invest New Drugs, 2021 (in press)