Laertis Ikonomou

Laertis Ikonomou

Laertis Ikonomou

Associate Professor

Department of Oral Biology

School of Dental Medicine


Specialty/Research Focus

Oral Biology; Oral Biology

Contact Information
619 Biomedical Research Building (BRB)
Department of Oral Biology
South Campus
Buffalo, New York 14214-8024
Phone: 7168296206
laertisi@buffalo.edu



Education and Training:

  • PhD, Biochemical Engineering, Universite Catholique de Louvain (2002)
  • BS, Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1995)

Employment:

  • Associate Professor of Oral Biology, Oral Biology, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine (2020-present)
  • Graduate Faculty, University at Buffalo (2020-present)
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Department, Boston University School of Engineering (2012–2020)
  • Graduate Faculty, Boston University School of Medicine (2012–2020)
  • Assistant Professor of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine (2010–2020)
  • Post Doctoral Fellow, Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine (2009–2010)
  • NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Clinical Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) (2003–2009)
  • Graduate Student, Université Catholique de Louvain School of Engineering (1997–2002)

Awards and Honors:

  • Experimental Biology and Medicine (EBM), Outstanding Reviewer Award (2021)
  • Evans Junior Faculty Research Merit Award (2015)
  • BU candidate for the Pew Scholars Program in Biomedical Sciences (2013)
  • 1st place in University entrance exam (Chemical Engineering) (1989)

Research Expertise:

  • Bioethics of Cell & Gene Therapies
  • Developmental Biology
  • Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology
  • Regenerative Medicine


Professional Memberships:

  • American Association for Anatomy (AAA) (2020–present)
  • Society for Craniofacial Genetics and Developmental Biology (SCGDB) (2020–present)
  • International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) (2016–present)
  • International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) (2013–present)
  • American Thoracic Society (ATS) (2010–present)
  • Society for Biological Engineering (SBE) (2008–present)
  • The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) (2004–present)
  • American Chemical Society (ACS) (2003–present)
  • The Society for In Vitro Biology (2001–2006)
  • European Society for Animal Cell Technology (ESACT) (2001–present)

Presentations:

  • "Gene regulatory networks in early lung epithelial cell fate decisions" UB CGTE Journal Club (2023)
  • "COVID-19 Hangover: How do we Regain the Trust in Research?" ISCT 2023 International Conference (2023)
  • "Hospital Exemption: Can we Attain Consensus in the EU? (part I and II)" ISCT 2023 International Conference (2023)
  • "Regulating MSC Clinics: Are we Doing Enough to Protect Patients?" ISCT 2023 International Conference (2023)
  • "The Evolving Global Landscape of Unproven Cell-based Products and Services" Stem Cells, Cell Therapies, and Bioengineering in Lung Biology and Diseases; University of Vermont; Direct‐to‐Consumer Cell‐based Interventions for Respiratory Diseases: Stratagems and Countermeasures (2021)
  • "Navigating the Landscape of Unproven Cell-Based Products and Services" Massachusetts Association of Blood Banks (MABB) seminar series; Massachusetts Association of Blood Banks; Massachusetts Association of Blood Banks (2020)
  • "From embryonic development to pluripotent stem cell-derived lung primordial progenitors" Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research Seminar Series; University of Southern California; Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research (2020)
  • "Part 3: Ethics and Business Practices" Potential COVID-19 Treatments Using Cell Therapies; ARM-ARM Foundation-ISCT Webinar (2020)
  • "The ISCT PTF: Vision and Goals, 2020-22" ISCT 2020 Paris Virtual Conference; ; Emerging Issues in Unproven Cell Therapies (2020)
  • "Fidelity of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Progenitors: Lessons from Foregut Derivatives" ; Rutgers School of Dental Medicine; Oral Biology Department (2019)
  • "Fidelity of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Progenitors: Lessons from Foregut Derivatives" ; University of Pittsburgh; Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (2019)
  • "Impact of Unproven Cellular Products on the Field" FDA Cell Therapy Liaison Meeting (2019)
  • "Fidelity of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Progenitors: Lessons from Foregut Derivatives" ; University at Buffalo; Department of Oral Biology (2019)
  • "From Embryonic Development to Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Lung and Thyroid Progenitors" ; University at Buffalo; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (2019)
  • "Marketing of Unproven Stem Cell Interventions: Regulatory, Ethical, and Scientific Issues" CELL-MET Professional Development Day; Boston University; Engineering Research Center (2019)
  • "Epithelial Progenitor Heterogeneity in Lung Development" Research on Tap: Medicine in the Molecular Era: Single Cell Sequencing; Boston University School of Medicine (2018)
  • "Stem Cell Medical Tourism" Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society; ; Meet the Professor Seminar: The stem cell niche: Applications in pulmonary diseases (2018)
  • "Unproven Stem Cell Interventions for Respiratory Diseases" Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society; ; Human Lung Development: New Tools and Therapeutic Strategies (2018)
  • "Biomechanical Determinants of Lung Cell Fate: From Embryonic Development to Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Progenitors" ; BU Biomedical Engineering Department; Cell and Tissue Mechanics Laboratory (2017)
  • "A Note of Caution in Stem Cell Therapies: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff" Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society; ; What, When, Where: Clearing the Air on Stem Cell Therapies In Pulmonary Diseases (2016)
  • "Defining the Identity of Lung Epithelial Primordial Progenitors" ; Boston University School of Medicine; Computational Medicine Section (2014)
  • "Lung/thyroid specification of ESC-derived anterior foregut through transient expression of Nkx2-1" The Lung Epithelium in Health and Disease; FASEB (2014)
  • "Understanding Fate Decisions in Embryonic Lung Progenitors" ; Boston University School of Medicine; Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program (2013)
  • "Defining the identity of lung primordial progenitors" Stem Cells and Cell Therapies in Lung Biology and Lung Diseases (2013)
  • "In Vitro and In Vivo Studies of Primordial Lung Progenitors" ; Boston University; Biomedical Engineering Department (2012)
  • "Efficient Derivation of Purified Lung and Thyroid Progenitors from Embryonic Stem Cells" The Lung Epithelium in Health and Disease; FASEB (2012)
  • "Efficient Derivation of Purified Nkx2-1+ Lung and Thyroid Progenitors via Directed Differentiation of Mouse ES Cells" 3rd International Conference on Stem Cell Engineering (ICSCE); Society for Biological Engineering (2012)
  • "Towards an Artificial Lung" ERS 2011 Congress; ERS; Science Year in Review (2011)
  • "Why should I pursue an academic career?" 6th Annual NIDDK Fellows Retreat; NIDDK (2011)
See all (19 more)

Service Activities:

  • Wellcome Trust, Wellcome Career Development Awards; Reviewer (2023)
  • Search Committee, Position in Biomaterials Research, Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine; Chair (2023)
  • French National Research Agency, “CE17 – Translational Research in Health” Panel; Reviewer (2023)
  • 1st Annual JSMBS Community Research Day; Poster Session facilitator (2023)
  • Medical Student Research Forum-Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; Poster Judge (2023)
  • National Institutes of Health/NHLBI, LIRR Scientific Review Group; Reviewer (2023)
  • UB Health Sciences. State University of New York Senate; Senator Alternate (2023–present)
  • Dutch Research Council (NWO), The Netherlands; Reviewer (2022)
  • Strategic Science Fund, Innovation Science and Economic Development, Government of Canada; Grant Reviewer (2022)
  • Biomaterials Graduate Program Admissions Committee, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences; Member (2022)
  • T32 training grant advisory committee, Department of Oral Biology; Member (2022–present)
  • Student Research and Honors Committee, School of Dental Medicine; Member (2022–present)
  • 2021 Vermont biennial stem cell conference; Co-Chair (2021)
  • Executive Council, School of Dental Medicine; Member-at-Large (2021–present)
  • DDS Summer Student Research Program, School of Dental Medicine; Proposal Reviewer (2021–present)
  • ISCT Presidential Task Force on the Use of Unproven and/or Unethical Cell and Gene Therapies; Chair (2020–2022)
  • ISCT 2020 Annual Meeting (Paris, France) Abstract Reviewer; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2020)
  • ISCT 2020 Paris Virtual Conference “Emerging Issues in Unproven Cell Therapies” session organized by the ISCT Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the Use of Unproven and/or Unethical Cell & Gene Therapy (UCT), May 11 2020, ISCT 2020 Paris Virtual Conference.; Moderator (2020)
  • Single Cell Sequencing Core, BU School of Medicine; Consultant (2020)
  • ASCB/EMBO 2019 meeting (Washington DC) Abstract Programming Task Force; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2019)
  • Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS), BU School of Medicine; Advisor (2019–2020)
  • ISCT North America 2019 Regional Meeting "Regulatory aspects of Unproven Cell Therapies in North America” session organized by the ISCT Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the Use of Unproven and/or Unethical Cell & Gene Therapies (UCT), September 13 2019, ISCT North America 2019 Regional Meeting, September 13-15, 2019, Madison, WI; Moderator (2019)
  • ISCT Presidential Task Force on the Use of Unproven and/or Unethical Cell and Gene Therapies; Co-Chair (2019–2020)
  • 2019 Vermont biennial stem cell conference; Co-Chair (2019)
  • 2019 Vermont biennial stem cell conference “Bringing Cell and Tissue‐Derived Products to Market: Regulation and Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine Products” session, July 17 2019; Moderator (2019)
  • ISCT 2019 Annual Meeting (Melbourne, Australia); Ad Hoc Reviewer (2019)
  • BU Genome Science Institute Single Cell Sequencing awards; Ad Hoc Reviewer for Program Grants (2019)
  • Nano-Materials subcommittee, BUMC/CRC; Chair (2019–2020)
  • ISCT 2018 European Union Regional Meeting (Florence, Italy); Ad Hoc Reviewer (2018)
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Stem Cell 2017; Ad Hoc Reviewer for Program Grants (2017)
  • 2017 Vermont biennial stem cell conference; Co-Chair (2017)
  • 2017 Vermont biennial stem cell conference “Regulation of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Treatments” session, July 26 2017; Moderator (2017)
  • ISCT Presidential Task Force on the Use of Unproven and/or Unethical Cell and Gene Therapies; Member (2017–present)
  • The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw); Ad Hoc Reviewer for Program Grants (2017)
  • FDA public hearing on Draft Guidances Relating to the Regulation of Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products ATS delegate at the FDA public hearing on Draft Guidances Relating to the Regulation of Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products, September 12-13 2016, Bethesda, MD; Delegate (2016)
  • Confocal Microscope Facility, BU School of Medicine; Advisory Committee (2016–2020)
  • Protocol Standardization Committee, Center for Regenerative Medicine, BU/BMC; Chair (2016–2020)
  • Nano-Materials subcommittee, BUMC/CRC; Committee Member (2016–2020)
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Stem Cell 2015 - Research, Postdoc & P&F Study Section; Ad Hoc Reviewer for Program Grants (2015)
  • Admissions Committee, Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS), BU School of Medicine; Committee Member (2015–2018)
  • 2015 Vermont biennial stem cell conference; Organizing Committee Member (2015)
  • Research Poster Session, Evans Research Days, BU School of Medicine; Judge (2014–2019)
  • 2013 Vermont biennial stem cell conference; Organizing Committee Member (2013)
  • American Thoracic Society Stem Cell Working Group Stem Cell Tourism monitoring activities; Coordinator (2013–2017)
  • Lab Safety Committee, BUMC/CRC; Committee Member (2012–2020)
  • American Thoracic Society Stem Cell Working Group; Member (2012–2017)
  • Association of Greek NIH Postdoctoral Fellows; Coordinator (2004–2005)

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Contact Information

619 Biomedical Research Building (BRB)
Department of Oral Biology
South Campus
Buffalo, New York 14214-8024
Phone: 7168296206
laertisi@buffalo.edu