Current Position

Head of the Department of Cardiovascular Genetics and the Laboratory of Forensic Genetics 

Professor

Course Coordinator of MG101: Molecular Genetics

The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics

E-mail: [email protected]

Research Interests

 Candidate genes and environmental factors involved in cardiovascular disease.
 Candidate genes in Alzheimer’s disease.
 The role of genes in athletic performance and/or endurance.
 Mitochondria and disease.
 Forensic and population Genetics
 High throughput analysis via mass array technology for population genetic screening.

Biography

Professor Marios Cariolou was born in Kyrenia, Cyprus, in 1957. He obtained his Bachelors (1981) and PhD (1985) degrees in Biological Sciences from the University of Delaware and the University of California, Santa Barbara in the United States, respectively. From 1985-1988 he was a post-doctoral fellow in Cell and Molecular Biology at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, U.S.A. From 1988-1990 he was a Research Fellow in Cell Biology at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. Since 1991, he is the Head of the Department of Cardiovascular Genetics and the Director of the Laboratory of Forensic Genetics at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics. Dr. Cariolou has been appointed by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cyprus for two consecutive terms (2002-2015) as a Member of the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee.

Selected Publications:

 Saunders CJ, de Milander L, Hew-Butler T, Xenophontos SL, Cariolou MA, Anastassiades LC, Noakes TD, Collins M (2006).  Dipsogenic genes associated with weight changes during Ironman Triathlons.  Hum Mol Genet 15 (20): 2980-2987.
 Irwin J, Saunier J, Strouss K, Painter C, Diegoli T, Sturk K, Kovatsi L, Brandstatter A, Cariolou MA, Parsons W, Parsons TJ (2008).  Mitochondrial control region sequences from northern Greece and Greek Cypriots.  Int J Leg Med 122(1): 87-89.
 Y-STR analysis on DNA mixture samples – Results of a collaborative project of the ENFSI DNA Working Group (2008).  On behalf of the ENFSI DNA Working Group; Parson W, Niederstatter H, Lindinger A and Gill P.  Forensic Sci Int: Genet. 2: 238-242.
 Xenophontos S, Hadjivassiliou M, Karagrigoriou A, Demetriou N, Miltiadous G, Markou I, Elisaf M, Mikhailidis DP, Cariolou MA (2008).  Low HDL Cholesterol, Smoking and IL-13 R130Q Polymorphism are Associated with Myocardial Infarction in Greek Cypriot Males.  A Pilot Study.  The Open Cardiovascular Medicine Journal, Vol.2: 52 – 59.
 Loizidou MA, Cariolou MA, Neuhausen SL, Newbold RF, Bashiardes E, Marcou Y, Michael T, Daniel M, Kakouri E, Papadopoulos P, Malas S, Hadjisavvas A, Kyriacou K (2010).  Genetic variation in genes interacting with BRCA 1/2 and risk of breast cancer in the Cypriot population.  Breast Cancer Res Treat. 121(1): 147-156.