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:
"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)
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 “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)
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)