Current Position

Scientist, Molecular Virology Department

The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics

Education

• B.Sc. in Physics (first class honours), Kingston University/ London (1997)
• M.Sc. in Biophysics (first class ), University of Leipzig, Germany (1999)
• PhD in Theoretical Immunology: University of Leipzig, Germany (2002) Thesis title: Nonlinear Dynamics of Models describing Th1-Th2 Regulation, Allergy and Venom Immunotherapy (magna cum laude)
   

Research Interests

Dr. Jan Richter has studied biophysics, holds a postgraduate degree in biophysics and has obtained his PhD focusing on theoretical as well as molecular immunology studying the dynamics of T-helper lymphocytes in insect venom allergies and during viral infections. His work at CING initially focused among others on the surveillance, epidemiology and phylogenetic analysis of enteroviruses and a wide range of respiratory viruses in Cyprus as well as the investigation of the role of arboviruses, e.g. sandfly-fever viruses and WNV, in CNS infections. More recently, he is investigating the possible role of Epstein Barr virus variants in the aetiology of multiple sclerosis as well as the role of viral/bacterial co-infections in community acquired pneumonia. In the last years, he has developed profound experience and expertise in the construction, modification and production of Lentivirus viral vectors for gene therapy of monogenetic diseases. . He had received recently a grant as PI from the Cyprus Research Promotion foundation for studying the etiology of respiratory tract infections in Cypriot children (180,000 €) and has participated (or is currently involved) in a number of collaborative research projects funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, the European Leukodystrophy Association and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society having a major role in both the scientific and administration/management.
He is the representative of Cyprus in the Management Committee in COST action TD1303 European Network for Neglected Vectors and Vector-Borne Infections and also member of the EVD LabNet (European expert laboratory network for emerging viral diseases). He is supervising graduate students as well as PhD students at the Department of Molecular Virology.
 

Biography

1999 – 2002 Scientific research associate at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research, University of Leipzig
2003 – 2007 Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Virology
Since 2008   Scientist at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Virology

Selected Publications:

• Kagiava A, Karaiskos C, Richter J, Tryfonos C, Lapathitis G, Sargiannidou I, Christodoulou C, Kleopa KA. Intrathecal gene therapy in mouse models expressing CMT1X mutations. Hum Mol Genet. 2018 Feb 14. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddy056
• Heli Harvala, Eeva Broberg, Kimberley Benschop, Natasa Berginc, Shamez Ladhani, Petri Susi, Claus Christiansen, James McKenna, David Allen, Phoebe Makiello, Georgina McAllister, Mirabelli Carmen, Katherina Zakikhany, Robert Dyrdak, Xiaohui Nielsen, Tina Madsen, Joel Paul, Catherine Moore, Karin von Eije, Antonio Piralla, Mieke Carlier, Laura Vanoverschelde, Randy Poelman, Andrés Anton, F. Xavier López-Labrador, Laura Pellegrinelli, Kathrin Keeren, Melanie Maier, Hayley Cassidy, Stavros Derdas, Carita Savolainen-Kopra, Sabine Diedrich, Svein Nordbø, Javier Buesa, Jean-Luc Bailly, Fausto Baldanti, Andrew MacAdam, Audrey Mirand, Susanne Dudman, Isabelle Schuffenecker, Seilesh Kadambari, Johan Neyts, Michael J. Griffiths, Jan Richter, Cristina Margaretto, Sheila Govind, Ursula Morley, Ortwin Adams, Sidsel Krokstad, Jonathan Dean, Margarita Pons-Salort, Birgit Prochazka, Maria Cabrerizo, Manasi Majumdar, Gaia Nebbia, Maryse Wiewel, Simon Cottrell, Peter Coyle, Javier Martin, Catrin Moore, Sofie Midgley, Peter Horby, Katja Wolthers, Peter Simmonds, Hubert Niesters, Thea K Fischer. Recommendations for enterovirus diagnostics and characterisation within and beyond Europe. J Clin Virol. 2018 Feb 6;101:11-17. 
• Richter J, Tryfonos C, Tourvas A, Floridou D, Paphitou NI, Christodoulou C. 2017. Complete genome sequence of West Nile virus (WNV) from the first human case of neuroinvasive WNV infection in Cyprus. Genome Announc 
• Koliou MG, Kakourou T, Richter J, Christodoulou C, Soteriades ES. Mycoplasma pneumoniae as a cause of vulvar ulcers in a non-sexually active girl: a case report.J Med Case Rep. 2017 Jul 9;11(1):187.
• Paphitou NI, Tourvasa A, Floridou D, Richter J, Tryfonos C, Christodoulou C. The first human case of neuroinvasive West Nile virus infection identified in Cyprus. J Infect Public Health. 2017 Feb 21.
• Georgiou E, Sidiropoulou K, Richter J, Papaneophytou C, Sargiannidou I, Kagiava A, von Jonquieres G, Christodoulou C, Klugmann M, Kleopa KA. Gene therapy targeting oligodendrocytes provides therapeutic benefit in a leukodystrophy model. Brain. 2017 Jan 18.
• Richter J, Panayiotou C, Tryfonos C, Koptides D, Koliou M, Kalogirou N, Georgiou E, Christodoulou C. Aetiology of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Hospitalised Children in Cyprus. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 13;11(1):e0147041.
• Richter J, Nikolaou E, Panagiotou C, Tryfonos C, Koliou M, Christodoulou C (2014). Molecular epidemiology of rhinoviruses in Cyprus over three consecutive seasons. Epidemiol Infect. Nov 12:1-8.
• Richter J, Tryfonos C, Panagiotou C, Nikolaou E, Koliou M, Christodoulou C (2013). Newly emerging C group enteroviruses may elude diagnosis due to a divergent 5'-UTR. Int J Infect Dis. 2013 Dec;17(12):e1245-8 
• Henquell C, Mirand A, Richter J, Schuffenecker I, Böttiger B, Diedrich S, Terletskaia-Ladwig E, Christodoulou C, Peigue-Lafeuille H, Bailly JL (2013). Phylogenetic patterns of human coxsackievirus B5 arise from population dynamics between two genogroups and reveal evolutionary factors of molecular adaptation and transmission. J Virol. Nov;87(22):12249-59