Dr. Mary Tsikitis | Intermediate Filaments | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Mary Tsikitis | Intermediate Filaments | Best Researcher Award

Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens | Greece

Dr. Mary Tsikitis is an accomplished molecular geneticist whose research bridges molecular oncology and regenerative medicine. She earned her B.S. in Biochemistry with a minor in Mathematics from Tufts University and completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she developed pioneering mouse models to study the tumor suppressor function of INI1/hSNF5, contributing to a PNAS 2005 publication. Her postdoctoral work at New York University’s Cancer Institute explored the molecular mechanisms of myogenesis, revealing key interactions between MyoD1, NFkB, E2f3b, and XBP1 pathways. At the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, she advanced from Senior Research Associate to Independent Investigator, focusing on cardiac regeneration, the role of Desmin in cardiomyogenic differentiation, and the therapeutic potential of α-crystallin in cardiomyopathies. Dr. Tsikitis has supervised numerous graduate and postgraduate researchers and contributed to biotechnology education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her scientific excellence has been recognized with several honors, including the ELIDEK Postdoctoral Fellowship, ONASSIO Joint Grant, and multiple presentation awards. Through her interdisciplinary work, she continues to advance molecular insights into cardiac and muscular diseases, driving innovation in therapeutic regeneration.

Profiles: Orcid

Featured Publications

Tsikitis, M., Diokmetzidou, A., Liakopoulos, P., Karipidou, M., Kokkinopoulos, I., Vatsellas, G., Kloukina, I., Kolovos, P., & Capetanaki, Y. (2025). “Molecular insights into the role of desmin intermediate filament network in chromatin landscape, cardiomyocyte differentiation, and maturation.” Cell Death & Disease.

Kerdidani, D., Chouvardas, P., Rocanin Arjo, A., Giopanou, I., Ntaliarda, G., Guo, Y. A., Tsikitis, M., Kazamias, G., Potaris, K., Stathopoulos, G. T., et al. (2019). “Wnt1 silences chemokine genes in dendritic cells and induces adaptive immune resistance in lung adenocarcinoma.” Nature Communications.

Capetanaki, Y., Papathanasiou, S., Diokmetzidou, A., Vatsellas, G., & Tsikitis, M. (2015). “Desmin related disease: a matter of cell survival failure.” Current Opinion in Cell Biology.

Dr. Tetiana | Coordination Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Tetiana | Coordination Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Doctorate at Institute of Chemistry, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce |  Poland

Professional Profiles

Scopus

Orcid

🎓 Education

Dr. Tetiana Starodub graduated with honors from the prestigious National University of Vasyl Karazin in Kharkov (KhNU) in 1998. In the same year, she began her academic journey in the Department of Theoretical and Organic Chemistry at KhNU, marking the start of her commitment to advancing knowledge in the field of chemistry.

🌍 International Experience

In 2000-2001, Dr. Starodub gained invaluable international exposure by working in the laboratories of the Institute of Technology in Karlsruhe, Germany. This experience provided her with a global perspective and cutting-edge research techniques, fueling her passion for innovative chemistry.

🧪 Research Focus: Transition Metal Complexes and TCNQ Compounds

From 2000 to 2014, her research was centered on the synthesis of isotrithionedithiolate (dmit) transition metal complexes and the development of anion-radical salts of 7,7′,8,8′-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ ARS). Her work included studying the structures of these compounds and exploring their potential applications in modern electronics and spintronics. This period marked significant contributions to the understanding of advanced materials for emerging technologies.

🧑‍🏫 Academic Role at Jan Kochanowski University

Dr. Tetiana Starodub is currently an assistant professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Jan Kochanowski University, in Kielce, Poland. Since 2018, her scientific interests have been focused on synthetic metals, organic chemistry, and coordination chemistry, with a special emphasis on TCNQ-based compounds. Her research has explored their diverse applications in electronics, biotechnology, and medicine.

🔬 Vision for Modern Chemistry

Her research on TCNQ derivatives is driven by their promising role in constructing electrochemical sensors, energy storage devices, and medical applications. Dr. Starodub’s work continues to push the boundaries of organic and coordination chemistry, paving the way for innovations in sustainable technologies and biomedical sciences.

Publications Top Noted📝

“TCNQ and Its Derivatives as Electrode Materials in Electrochemical Investigations—Achievement and Prospects: A Review”

Authors: Starodub, T., Michalkiewicz, S.

Journal: Materials

Year: 2024

“Crystal Structure of Anion-Radical Salts of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane with N-xylyl-pyridinium and N-xylyl-isoquinolinium Cations”

Authors: Starodub, T.N., Fenske, D., Fuhr, O., Yaroshenko, V.O., Stepen’, D.

Journal: Crystallography Reports

Year: 2022

“Structure, optical and electro-physical properties of tetramerized anion-radical salt (N-Xy-Qn)(TCNQ)2”

Authors: Barszcz, B., Starodub, T.N., Mizera, A., Iaroshenko, V.O., Starodub, V.A.

Journal: Spectrochimica Acta – Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy

Year: 2022

“Crystal and Molecular Structure of Anion Radical Salt (N-Me-DABCO)(TCNQ)2”

Authors: Starodub, T.N., Kolosov, M.A., Fenske, D., Shishkina, S.V., Piotrowska, W.

Journal: Crystallography Reports

Year: 2022

“New radical-cation salts based on the TMTTF and TMTSF donors with iron and chromium bis(dicarbollide) complexes: Synthesis, structure, properties”

Authors: Chudak, D.M., Kazheva, O.N., Kosenko, I.D., Bregadze, V.I., Dyachenko, O.A.

Journal: Crystals

Year: 2021

Prof. Eric Andriantiana, Chemical Bonds and Molecular Structure, Best Researcher Award

Prof. Eric Andriantiana, Chemical Bonds and Molecular Structure, Best Researcher Award

Professor at Rhodes University, South Africa

Professional Profile

Scopus

Orcid

Google Scholar

📘 Summary

  • Dr. Eric Ould Dadah Andriantiana, a distinguished mathematician from Madagascar, serves as the Head of the Department of Mathematics (Pure & Applied) and an Associate Professor at Rhodes University, South Africa. His research primarily focuses on graph theory, particularly energy and related graph invariants. Dr. Andriantiana’s work has earned him significant recognition, including a C2 rating from the South African National Research Foundation.

🎓 Education

  • PhD in Mathematics (2013) 🧠
    Stellenbosch University
    Thesis: “Energy and related graph invariants”
    Supported by DAAD and Stellenbosch University bursaries.
  • MSc in Mathematics (2010) 🧩
    Stellenbosch University (Pass with Distinction)
    Thesis: “The number of Independent Subsets and the Energy of Trees”
    Supported by African Institute for Mathematical Sciences and Stellenbosch University bursaries.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Science (2009) 📊
    African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (Pass with Distinction)
    Dissertation: “Characterisation and Colouring of Planar Graphs”
    Supported by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences and the Stephen Hawking Scholarship.

💼 Professional Experience

  • Head of Department of Mathematics (Pure & Applied), Rhodes University (July 2021 – Present)
  • Associate Professor, Rhodes University (January 2023 – Present)
  • Senior Lecturer, Rhodes University (January 2017 – December 2022)
  • Lecturer, Rhodes University (January 2014 – December 2016)
  • Teaching Assistant, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (July 2013 – December 2013)
  • Part-time Lecturer, Stellenbosch University (February 2013 – June 2013)

🔬 Research Interests

  • Algebraic Graph Theory
  • Basic graph theory, adjacency matrices, Laplacian matrices, characteristic polynomials, and spectrum.
  • Discrete Mathematics
  • Permutations, combinations, generating functions, recursions, inclusion-exclusion, graph theory.
  • Energy of Graphs
  • Studying the energy and related invariants of graphs, particularly trees and unicyclic graphs.

Publication Top Noted📝

  • Article: “Trees with minimum number of infima closed sets”
    • Authors: Andriantiana, E.O.D.; Wagner, S.
    • Journal: Discrete Mathematics
    • Volume: 345
    • Issue: 5
    • Pages: 112793
    • Year: 2022
  • Article: “Nordhaus-Gaddum inequalities for the number of connected induced subgraphs in graphs”
    • Authors: Andriantiana, E.O.D.; Dossou-Olory, A.A.V.
    • Journal: Quaestiones Mathematicae
    • Volume: 45
    • Issue: 8
    • Pages: 1191–1213
    • Year: 2022
  • Article: “Extremal trees with fixed degree sequence”
    • Authors: Andriantiana, E.O.D.; Misanantenaina, V.R.; Wagner, S.
    • Journal: Electronic Journal of Combinatorics
    • Volume: 28
    • Issue: 1
    • Pages: 1–34, P1.1
    • Year: 2021
  • Article: “The average size of independent sets of graphs”
    • Authors: Andriantiana, E.O.D.; Razanajatovo Misanantenaina, V.; Wagner, S.
    • Journal: European Journal of Mathematics
    • Volume: 6
    • Issue: 2
    • Pages: 561–576
    • Year: 2020
  • Article: “The Average Size of Matchings in Graphs”
    • Authors: Andriantiana, E.O.D.; Razanajatovo Misanantenaina, V.; Wagner, S.
    • Journal: Graphs and Combinatorics
    • Volume: 36
    • Issue: 3
    • Pages: 539–560
    • Year: 2020