Dr. Aslı Özen is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Final International University . Her academic focus lies in human nutrition, functional foods, and dietary behavior analysis. Doctoral Degree : Human Nutrition, Universitat de les Illes Balears (2012) Master's Degree : Food Engineering, Istanbul Technical University (2006) Bachelor's Degree : Food Engineering, Istanbul Technical University (2003) Her research explores functional food consumption, beverage hydration patterns, and dietary shifts influenced by global events like the COVID-19 pandemic , with cross-cultural studies comparing European and international populations. Her work emphasizes Mediterranean diet adherence and the structural properties of food products. Key publication trends focus on nutritional epidemiology , public health interventions , and food science applications , particularly in fermented dairy products and sustainable gastronomy tourism.
Kyriakos Kakoullis is a Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Nicosia Medical School. His primary affiliation is with the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology within the Medical School. While specific research interests are not detailed in the provided text, his academic role suggests a focus on clinical education and practice in obstetrics and gynecological specialties such as maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive health, and women's healthcare. No listed publications, awards, grants, or advisees were mentioned in the available data. His professional activities appear centered on clinical academic responsibilities.
Prof. Bahire Efe Özad is a Professor in the Department of Television and Film Studies at Eastern Mediterranean University's Faculty of Communication and Media Studies. She holds a PhD and multiple master's degrees in education and English language teaching. Her research focuses on media studies, social media impact, communication theory, environmental sociology, cinema analysis, and intercultural communication. She has supervised over 80 PhD and Master's theses, reflecting her extensive academic mentorship. Her notable works include analyses of sacred defense cinema, pandemic governance in Northern Cyprus, and systematic reviews on fake news scholarship. She has conducted impactful studies on marital sustainability during the pandemic, Nigerian election media framing, and digital natives' social media use. Her research spans diverse areas including ICT's environmental impact, romantic relationship dynamics, and blog reader engagement. Prof. Özad has led projects like analyzing communication barriers for African students and exploring original scores in film. She maintains an active academic presence through Google Scholar and has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed journals. Her teaching and research activities emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to media, communication, and social dynamics.
Panayiotis Kolios is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Cyprus (UCY). Previously, he served as a Research Assistant Professor at the KIOS Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence (2013–2024) and a Visiting Lecturer at UCY. He holds a BEng and PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from King’s College London (2008 and 2012, respectively). His research focuses on networked intelligent systems, emergency management using AI and UAV technologies, and cyber-physical systems. Education: BEng in Telecommunications Engineering, King’s College London, 2008 PhD in Telecommunications Engineering, King’s College London, 2012 Research Interests: His work centers on autonomous systems, intelligent transportation, and emergency management. Key areas include AI-driven disaster response, UAV-based surveillance, and algorithmic optimization for critical infrastructure. He develops solutions for real-time situational awareness and decision-support in emergencies. Recent work trends show a focus on multi-UAV coordination, disaster management platforms (like AIDERS), and AI applications in emergency response. His team’s 2023 win in the Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge highlights advancements in UAV inspection algorithms. Scientific Awards: First Prize in Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge (CDC 2023) Grants and Advising: He has secured over €40 million in EU and industrial grants, leading projects like PREDICATE, SWIFTERS, and AIDERS. His team advises on emergency response strategies and has trained first responders through EU-funded programs such as the Exchange of Experts training. Labs and Teams: He leads the Security and Emergency Response Group at KIOS CoE and established the Cyprus Civil Defence Aerial Observation Unit. His team collaborates with institutions like the Cyprus Police and Fire Service to operationalize UAV technologies in disaster scenarios.
Ali Akdoğan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Sciences at Final University. His academic career spans over two decades with doctoral studies completed in 2014, following a Master's degree in 1995 and Bachelor's degree in 1992. Educational Background: Doctoral Degree: 2014 Master's Degree: 1995 Bachelor's Degree: 1992 Research Interests: Dr. Akdoğan's work explores educational psychology, teacher development, and the impact of global educational frameworks like the International Baccalaureate program. His research analyzes school culture, emotional intelligence in educational settings, and pandemic-induced distance learning challenges. Publication Trends: Recent work (2021-2022) focuses on psychological impacts of the pandemic on students, effectiveness of international educational programs, and teacher emotional intelligence. Earlier research (2002, 1995) examines social capital and personnel selection in educational institutions.
Professor Ioannis Katakis is a Faculty Member at the University of Nicosia, where he is affiliated with the School of Sciences and Engineering and the Department of Computer Science. He has held various academic positions across multiple institutions including Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology, Open University of Cyprus, Hellenic Open University, Athens University of Economics and Business, and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His educational background includes a PhD in Machine Learning for Automated Text Classification (2005-2009), a Master's in Information Systems (2005-2007), and a Bachelor's in Computer Science (2000-2004), all from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Professor Katakis specializes in several cutting-edge areas of computer science and data analysis. His primary research interests include Mining Social, Web and Urban Data , Sentiment Analysis and Opinion Mining , Data Streams , and Multi-label Learning . His work bridges theoretical machine learning approaches with practical applications in social media analysis, healthcare informatics, privacy protection, and smart city technologies. He has published extensively in top venues including CIKM, ECML/PKDD, IEEE TKDE, and ECAI. His recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward applying machine learning techniques to real-world problems with societal impact. He has focused on areas such as GDPR compliance in smart devices, sentiment analysis in crowd-sourced content, healthcare applications including drug reaction classification and brain disease monitoring, and privacy protection in wearable technologies. His work often involves multi-modal data analysis and addresses challenges in data streams and multi-label classification. Professor Katakis has made significant contributions to his field, with his research cited over 4,200 times. He serves as an Editor for the journal Information Systems and has edited four special issues in journals such as DAMI and InfSys. He regularly contributes to the academic community by serving on program committees for major conferences including ECML/PKDD, WSDM, DEBS, and IJCAI, and by reviewing for prestigious journals like TPAMI, DMKD, TKDE, TKDD, JMLR, TWEB, and ML. He has been actively involved in European research projects, notably serving as Quality Assurance Coordinator and Senior Researcher for projects such as VAVEL (www.vavel-project.eu) and INSIGHT (www.insight-ict.eu). His grant activities demonstrate a strong focus on collaborative, interdisciplinary research with practical applications in urban data management, social media analysis, and healthcare informatics. He has organized three workshops at major conferences (ICML, ECML/PKDD, EDBT/ICDT) and has extensive experience translating research into practical applications through his involvement in European projects.
Theodoros Zachariadis is a Professor and Interim Director of the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC) and the Science and Technology Driven Policy and Innovation Research Centre (STeDI-RC) at The Cyprus Institute. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Geotechnical Sciences and Environmental Management at the Cyprus University of Technology (2015–2020), and as Assistant/Associate Professor there (2009–2020). His expertise spans energy and environmental policy, climate change mitigation, and environmental taxation. He holds a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. **Research Interests:** Techno-economic analysis of energy, environmental, and transport policies; environmental taxation; climate policy integration with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); decarbonization strategies; and green tax reforms. His work emphasizes cost-effective climate policies and equitable transitions. **Awards:** 2009 Research Prize of Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus) and 2019 Environmental Prize (President of Cyprus). He has been ranked in the top 2% of globally cited academics in Energy (2020s). **Affiliations:** Vice Chair of the Scientific Committee of the European Environment Agency, Manager of SDSN Europe, Leadership Council member of SDSN Cyprus, and former Visiting Professor at Aarhus University. He advises on EU climate policies and sustainable development. **Grants & Projects:** Extensive research on Cyprus’ energy policies, EU climate frameworks, and decarbonization pathways. Key outputs include analyses of the EU’s 'Fit for 55' package, green recovery strategies post-pandemic, and cross-border energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. **Labs/Teams:** Leads research teams at EEWRC and STeDI-RC focusing on policy design, climate adaptation, and techno-economic modeling. Collaborates with international networks like Green Budget Europe and the Journal *Energy Economics* (associate editor).
Dr. Vagia Polyzoidou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Law at the University of Cyprus, serving as Associate Head of Department and Programme Coordinator. She is a Member of the Senate and holds an academic rank of Associate Professor. Her expertise spans Criminal Law, Cybercrime Legislation, and Gender-Based Violence. She earned her Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD in Law from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with a specialization in Criminal Law and Criminology. Education: Bachelor of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Master of Law (Criminal Law and Criminology), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki PhD in Law (Criminal Law), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Her research focuses on cybercrime, digital violence against women, EU legal frameworks for electronic evidence, and legal responses to social issues like fat shaming. She has an h-index of 8 and 101 citations, with active research since 2011. Notable contributions include work on the Budapest Convention, psychosocial interventions in legal contexts, and violence against women. Her recent publications (2023–2024) address EU e-evidence regulations, legal approaches to sexual harassment in Greece, and protections for minor victims through exceptional criminal provisions. She has collaborated internationally on criminal justice policies and cybercrime legislation. Dr. Polyzoidou’s work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those addressing gender equality and quality education. She maintains an active Scopus profile and contributes to academic discourse through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.
Christos Nicolaides is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Business and Public Administration within the School of Economics and Management at the University of Cyprus (UCY), holding a secondary appointment as a Digital Fellow at MIT's Initiative on the Digital Economy. Previously, he spent three years as a James McDonnell Foundation-funded Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT Sloan School of Management. His educational background includes a PhD in Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2014), SM from MIT (2011), MSc in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College London (2009), and BSc in Physics from University of Thessaloniki (2008). Nicolaides' research applies mathematical, statistical, and computational tools to large-scale empirical questions in social influence mediated by digital technologies. His work spans Data Science , Machine Learning , Social Networks , and Computational Social Science , with significant contributions to understanding human mobility patterns, disease transmission dynamics, and social contagion effects. His research has established novel methodologies for analyzing complex network structures in mobility data and social interactions. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent focus on applying network science to real-world problems, particularly in pandemic response (12 publications), human mobility analytics (9 publications), and social contagion dynamics (7 publications). His work demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary integration, combining computer science, epidemiology, and organizational behavior since 2020. Marie S. Curie Fellow Two Highly Cited Papers by Web of Science (2017, 2020) Best Paper Award by Risk Analysis Society (2019) Professor of The Week by Poets & Quants (2020) As principal institutional investigator, Nicolaides has secured over €1 million in research funding from the European Commission, industry partners, Cyprus Innovation and Research Foundation, and Cyprus Ministry of Health. His current teaching includes Social Networks and Entrepreneurship, Introduction to Operations Management, and Quantitative Methods in Management. Media coverage of his work spans major outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Nature, and Science, with significant impact on public health policy discussions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevim Öksüz serves as a faculty member in the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at Eastern Mediterranean University's School of Health Services. Her academic foundation stems from Hacettepe University, where she completed her BS, MS, and PhD in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. Her educational journey includes: PhD in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (2013-2017), Hacettepe University MS in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (2009-2012), Hacettepe University BS in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (2005-2009), Hacettepe University Dr. Öksüz specializes in biopsychosocial rehabilitation approaches for rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders, with particular expertise in Pilates-based interventions, osteoporosis management, and development of disease-specific assessment tools. Her research bridges clinical practice with psychosocial dimensions of chronic conditions including ankylosing spondylitis, fibromyalgia, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Analysis of her 2021-2024 publications reveals a dominant focus on validating biopsychosocial questionnaires for rheumatic diseases while rigorously comparing exercise modalities. A significant portion examines Pilates efficacy across diverse populations, from osteoporosis patients to those with spinal disorders, emphasizing functional outcomes and patient-centered metrics. Dr. Öksüz actively mentors graduate researchers through EMU's Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation programs: PhD supervision: Süleyman Güzelşemme (ongoing) Master's supervision: Ebru Kadioğlu (2024), Süleyman Güzelşemme (2023), Ayşe Nur Gancel (2022), Gizem Vaiz Haklıgil (2022), Merve Betül Öztarsu (2022), Özge Şahin (2020), Hande Karin Özgür (ongoing, co-supervised) She contributes to clinical research within EMU's specialized laboratories including the Cardiopulmonary Laboratory, Therapeutic Movements Laboratory, and Neurological Rehabilitation Unit, integrating evidence-based practice with academic instruction.
Dr. Evelina Charidemou is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Cyprus. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor's degree (Honors) from Imperial College London, where she earned the Royal College of Science Associateship (ARCS). Her research focuses on developing metabolomics and lipidomics tools to investigate metabolic syndrome, particularly Type II diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, using high-performance liquid chromatography and multivariate bioinformatics. Specialties: Nutritional Biochemistry, Metabolism, Histone Acetylation Collaborations: University of Oxford, University of Aarhus, Imperial College London Leadership: President of Cyprus Metabolomic Network Key Awards: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, Best Presentation (Metabolomics Sardinian Scientific School) Her work has been published in high-impact journals including Trends in Biochemical Sciences , EMBO Journal , and Hepatology , with a focus on the interplay between epigenetic mechanisms and metabolic diseases. She actively presents at international conferences such as the Metabolomics Society meetings and contributes to the International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yıltan Bitirim is a faculty member at the Computer Engineering Department of Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus. With over two decades of academic experience, he has served in various roles including Vice Chair (2014-2022), Academic Affairs Coordinator (2025-), and committee member for ABET assessment, curriculum development, and faculty recruitment. Current academic rank: Associate Professor Active administrative roles: Senate Member (2023-), Information Technology Commission Member (2023-) Professional memberships: ACM, IEEE Senior Member, Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Computer Engineers Research Interests focus on four primary areas: Information Retrieval Systems – evaluating search engine effectiveness and reverse image search performance Machine Learning – applied to emotion classification, gender recognition, and medical diagnosis Data Mining – used in Turkish word-stemming analysis and user behavior studies Biometrics – specializing in hand/wrist/palm vein recognition systems and voice-based identification Publications demonstrate consistent contributions across disciplines, with recent works (2023-2025) emphasizing: Deep learning applications in biometric authentication Advanced emotion recognition systems Medical AI for diabetes management and retinopathy diagnosis Biometric spoof detection mechanisms Turkish language processing challenges Recommendation system innovations Awards & Recognition : Research Incentive Awards (2020, 2021) Best Paper Award at ICIW 2007 IEEE Senior Member status As an educator, he has supervised numerous thesis committees and taught foundational courses in computer engineering, including CMPE 112 and CMPE 342. His certifications (MCTS, MCITP) reflect technical expertise in Microsoft technologies.
George N. Papageorgiou is a Professor of Management & Information Systems at the Gregoriou School of Business Administration, European University Cyprus. He serves in leadership roles including Deputy Dean (2012–2017) and PhD Programme Coordinator (2015–2017). He holds a PhD in Systems Modelling and Simulation from City University, London (1997), along with an MBA (1994) and First Class Honours in Engineering (1992). His research focuses on digital marketing competencies, smart urban mobility systems, entrepreneurship education, and system dynamics modeling for healthcare and sustainability. Notable projects include the SPN (Smart Pedestrian Network) system, funded by Horizon 2020, and the DIMAS project addressing digital marketing frameworks. Awarded the IEEE Best Paper Award (2017) and Innovation Distinction (SPARKS 2019), his work spans over 50 publications in journals like IEEE and Emerald. He actively reviews for IEEE, Emerald, and the System Dynamics Society. His consulting roles include EU research proposal evaluation and editorial work for Emerald. Key achievements include developing frameworks for sustainable urban mobility and green entrepreneurship education. He has led EU-funded projects totaling millions in grants, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to innovation and education.
Athanasios Vionis is an Associate Professor in Byzantine Archaeology and Art at the University of Cyprus (UCY), where he has served since 2009. He previously held roles including Director of the Archaeology Research Unit (2020–2024) and was a postdoctoral researcher at the Catholic University of Leuven (2007–2008). His academic journey includes a PhD in Medieval and Post-Medieval Aegean Archaeology from Leiden University (2005) and a BA in Ancient History and Archaeology from Durham University (1997). Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of History and Archaeology, UCY Previous Roles: Lecturer (2009–2013), Assistant Professor (2013–2018) Research focuses on landscape archaeology, spatial analysis of built and sacred landscapes, and the application of digital technologies (e.g., GIS). He studies Byzantine, Medieval, and Ottoman ceramics, as well as daily life and nutrition through material remains. His work includes the monograph A Crusader, Ottoman and Early Modern Aegean Archaeology (2012) and co-edited volumes on topics like sacred landscapes and glaze technology. He leads the ArtLandS Lab (Artefact and Landscape Studies Laboratory), established at UCY in 2010, which conducts field research in Cyprus and Greece. Key projects include the Settled and Sacred Landscapes of Cyprus (2014–present), funded by the EU and Cyprus Research Foundation. He coordinates international initiatives like the Unlocking Sacred Landscapes network (2014–present) and has collaborated with institutions such as the Cyprus Institute and Trinity College Dublin. His awards include UNESCO prizes for cultural documentaries and Marie Curie fellowships. Teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including “Land and Underwater Field Archaeology” and “Medieval Archaeology.”
Michael Sirivianos is an Associate Professor at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), where he serves as Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Duke University (2010) and leads research in cybersecurity, disinformation detection, and social media analysis. He coordinates multiple EU-funded projects including ReCRED (Horizon 2020) and ENCASE (Marie Curie RISE), securing over €3M in research funding. Research Focus His work spans: Cybersafety : Detection of cyberbullying, hate speech, and inappropriate content targeting children Trust Systems : Device-centric authentication and blockchain applications Disinformation Analysis : Graph-based detection of fake news and state-sponsored manipulation Scalable Systems : Distributed databases and network infrastructure Achievements & Recognition Best Paper Award (2019) for work on state-sponsored disinformation Distinguished Paper (2018) for fringe web community analysis Spotlight Session recognition (2020) for child protection research Featured in NYT, Washington Post, and Wired for YouTube content analysis Leadership Co-directs the Network Systems Research Lab, serves on the Board of CYENS Centre of Excellence, and coordinates the Fact-check Cyprus Centre against Disinformation.
