BIOLOGY - BIOCHEMISTRY

Sector: Basic Sciences 

Laboratory:  Biology - Biochemistry lab 

Director: Professor Antonios Stamatakis, Professor

Laboratory Contact Details

• Telephone: +30 210 7461453
• E-mail: astam[at]nurs.uoa[dot]gr

Room / Building

Rooms 2.19/2.20

Main Building of the Department of Nursing

123 Papadiamantopoulou St., 11527 Goudi, Athens

General Information

The laboratory focuses on studying the biological basis of behavior using animal models. Specifically, research investigates the cellular and biochemical effects of early-life experiences—both psychological and environmental—on the rodent brain. Another central focus is the neurohormonal regulation of maternal behavior.

Laboratory Staff

• Stamatakis Antonios, Professor, astam[at]nurs.uoa[dot]gr
• Mikaela Kourla, Biologist, PhD Candidate, michaelakou[at]nurs.uoa[dot]gr
• Lydia Pavlidi, Biologist, PhD Candidate, lydiapav[at]gmail[dot]com

Laboratory  Courses (undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum) - taught in the laboratory

Undergraduate Program 

• Cell Biology - 1^st semester 

• Graduate Program

   

Postgraduate Program

• Animal Behavioral Neuroscience
  (Part of the “Athens International Graduate Program in Neurosciences”)

Infrastructure

• Licensed Animal Facility – Supervised by the Veterinary Bureau of the Prefecture of Attica
• Animal Behavior Recording and Analysis System – Noldus
• Behavioral Experiment Equipment:
  • Morris Water Maze
  • Startle Response / Reflex System
  • Fear Conditioning Apparatus
  • Elevated Plus Maze
  • Open Field
  • T-Maze
  • Y-Maze
• Image Analysis System connected to a Photonic Microscope
• HPLC System
• qPCR System
• DNA and Protein Electrophoresis Equipment
• DNA Documentation System
• Cryostat
• Paraffin Microtomes
• Ultrapure Water Production Unit
• Refrigerated Centrifuge
• Incubator Oven
• Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer

Laboratory Research Activities

• H.F.R.I. (Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation) – 2nd Call for Research Projects (2021–2024), Project #3379:
  “Adverse neonatal experience-induced dopamine deficit affects prefrontal cortex development”
• EDC-MixRisk Project – European Commission, Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (HORIZON 2020)
  Research on the effects of endocrine disruptor mixtures on brain development and behavior in mice
• InfrafrontierGR/Phenotypos Project – Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs
  Support of phenotyping services using animal models

Indicative Publications (last 5 years)

• Zanni Giulia , Goto Shinobu, Fragopoulou Adamantia F., Gaudenzi Giulia, Naidoo Vinogran, Di Martino Elena, Levy Gabriel, Dominguez Cecilia A., Dethlefsen Olga, Cedazo-Minguez Angel, Merino-Serrais Paula, Stamatakis Antonios, Hermanson Ola and Blomgren Klas “Lithium treatment reverses irradiation-induced changes in rodent neural progenitors and rescues cognition”. Biological Psychiatry, doi: 10.1038/s41380-019-0584-0. IF: 11.501
• Ferle V., Repouskou A., Aspiotis G., Raftogianni A., Chrousos G., Stylianopoulou F., Stamatakis A. “Synergistic effects of early life mild adversity and chronic social defeat on rat brain microglia and cytokines.” Physiology & Behavior, 215:112791. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112791. IF: 2.635
• Kalpachidou Theodora, Makrygiannis Apostolos K., Pavlakis Evangelos, Stylianopoulou Fotini, Chalepakis Georges ^*, Stamatakis Antonios ^*. “Behavioural effects of extracellular matrix protein Fras1 depletion in the mouse”. European Journal of Neuroscience, doi: 10.1111/ejn.14759. * Συγγραφείς με ισότιμη συμμετοχή         IF: 2.832
• Repouskou Anastasia, Papadopoulou Anastasia-Konstantina, Panagiotidou Emily, Trichas Panagiotis, Lindh Christian, Bergman Åke, Gennings Chris, Bornehag Carl-Gustaf, Rüegg Joëlle, Kitraki Efthymia*, Stamatakis Antonios*. “Long term transcriptional and behavioral effects in mice developmentally exposed to a mixture of endocrine disruptors associated with delayed human neurodevelopment”. Scientific Reports, 10(1):9367. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66379-x* Συγγραφείς με ισότιμη συμμετοχή        IF: 4.122
• Poleksic Joko, Aksic Milan, Kapor Slobodan, Aleksic Dubravka, Stojkovic Tihomir, Radovic Marina, Djulejic Vuk, Markovic Branka and Stamatakis Antonios. “Effects of Maternal Deprivation on the Prefrontal Cortex of Male Rats: Cellular, Neurochemical, and Behavioral Outcomes”. Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience, 15, 666547, 2021. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.666547             IF: 3.558
• Prosilis Antonis, Mesiakaris Vasssilios, Stamatakis Antonios. “Expression of D5 dopamine receptors in the walls of the lateral ventricles during the post-weaning rat development”. Int J Dev Biol 66:263-267, 2022. doi: 10.1387/ijdb.210163as. IF: 2.203
• Jakovljevic A, Agatonovic G, Aleksic D, Aksic M, Reiss G, Förster E, Stamatakis A, Jakovcevski I, Poleksic J. “The impact of early life maternal deprivation on the perineuronal nets in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of young adult rats.” Front Cell Dev Biol. 10:982663, 2022. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.982663. IF: 6.081
• Di Criscio M., Lodahl JE, Stamatakis A, Kitraki E, Bakoyiannis I, Repouskou A, Bornehag C-G, Gennings C, Lupu D, Rüegg J. “A human-relevant mixture of endocrine disrupting chemicals induces changes in hippocampal DNA methylation correlating with hyperactive behavior in male mice”. Chemosphere 137633, 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137633. IF: 8.943
• Ryakiotakis E., Fousfouka D., Stamatakis A. “Maternal neglect alters reward-anticipatory behavior, social status stability and reward circuit activation of adult male rats.” Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2023. DOI 10.3389/fnins.2023.1201345. IF: 5.152
• Rinotas V, Stamatakis A, Stergiopoulos A, Bornehag CG, Rüegg J, Armaka M, Kitraki E. “Prenatal Exposure to a Human Relevant Mixture of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Affects Mandibular Development in Mice.” Int J Mol Sci. 25(22):12312, 2024. doi: 10.3390/ijms252212312.