Leonidas Stefanis, MD/PhD

 

Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology

School of Medicine / First Department of Neurology

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Affiliated Scientist,

Email: Αυτή η διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου προστατεύεται από τους αυτοματισμούς αποστολέων ανεπιθύμητων μηνυμάτων. Χρειάζεται να ενεργοποιήσετε τη JavaScript για να μπορέσετε να τη δείτε.

Tel: 2107289405, 2106597214

Lab web page:  http://www.bioacademy.gr/lab/stefanis?lang=en

and CV:  http://www.bioacademy.gr/faculty-details/GMI/leonidas?lang=en

Education

Year

 1987       MD

 1992       PhD in 1992

1991-95  Resident in Neurology

 1995-98  Postdoctoral Fellow

 

Research Interests

Dr. Stefanis is investigating various areas of PD pathogenesis, ranging from the bench to the bedside.  He is examining the genetic underpinnings of the disease in the Greek population, not only in the rare familial, but also in sporadic cases. He is involved in studies that aim to examine the utility of using alpha-synuclein as a disease biomarker.  He is examining pathways of neurotoxicity induced by aberrant alpha-synuclein, with an emphasis on the involvement of protein degradation pathways, such as Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy.  He is also investigating the molecular underpinnings of the link of other genetic alterations linked to PD, such as those in UCH-L1, LRRK2 and GBA. He is using a wide array of approaches, ranging from cellular and animal models to studies of patients’ biological material.

 

Current Funding 

«Prodromal PPMI», PI: Ken Marek.  Stefanis Head of Athens group. Funding Source: Michael J. Fox Foundation   Type: Sponsored Biomarker Study Period: 04/2014-12/2023

 “IMPRIND”, PI: George Tofaris, Univ of Oxford. Stefanis participant from BRFAA (together with Vekrellis), Funding Source: EU-H2020, Type: IMI2 Period: 03/2017-02/2021

 “Involvement of macroautophagy in nigrostiatal axonal degeneration induced by inhibition of Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy” PI Stefanis (PE:10%, non-salaried), Funding Source: Fondation SANTE. Period: 07/2017-03/2019

 

Recent Publications or Selected Publications

1. Brekk OR, Makridakis M, Mavroeidi P, Vlahou A, Xilouri M, Stefanis L (2019) Impairment of chaperone-mediated autophagy affects neuronal homeostasis through altered expression of DJ-1 and CRMP-2 proteins. Mol Cell Neurosci. 95:1-12

2. Xilouri M, Brekk OR, Polissidis A, Chrysanthou-Piterou M, Kloukina I, Stefanis L (2016) Impairment of chaperone-mediated autophagy induces dopaminergic neurodegeneration in rats. Autophagy. 12(11):2230-2247

3.  Xilouri M, Brekk OR, Stefanis L (2016) Autophagy and Alpha-Synuclein: Relevance to Parkinson's Disease and Related Synucleopathies. Mov Disord. 2016 Feb;31(2):178-92

4. Dermentzaki G, Paschalidis N, Politis PK, Stefanis L (2016) Complex Effects of the ZSCAN21 Transcription Factor on Transcriptional Regulation of α-Synuclein in Primary Neuronal Cultures and in Vivo. J Biol Chem. 291(16):8756-72

5 Xilouri M, Brekk OR, Landeck N, Pitychoutis PM, Papasilekas T, Papadopoulou-Daifoti Z, Kirik D, Stefanis L (2013) Boosting chaperone-mediated autophagy in vivo mitigates α-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration. Brain 136:2130-46