Agni Hadjilouca

Agni Hadjilouca is a Lecturer in Microbiology at the Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University of Cyprus. She holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences from the Agricultural University of Athens (2017) and an M.Sc. in Food Science and Technology (2012). Her research focuses on foodborne pathogens, particularly Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli, with expertise in biosensor technology for pathogen detection and molecular characterization of microbial virulence factors.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences (2017): Molecular characterization of Listeria monocytogenes in plant products
• M.Sc. in Food Science and Technology (2012): Prevalence of Listeria and E. coli in vegetables

Research Interests: Development of biosensor systems for rapid pathogen detection, transcriptomic analysis of pathogen virulence, and molecular typing of foodborne pathogens. Her work emphasizes improving food safety through advanced detection methods and understanding pathogen behavior in food environments.

Grants & Projects:

• Main Researcher: 'DIDAKTOR' (2019–2021) – Postdoctoral research on pathogen detection systems
• Research Team Member: 'Quafety' (2012–2015) – EU-funded project enhancing fresh produce safety

Awards:

• 2nd Prize, Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology (2015) for study on Listeria monocytogenes gene expression in human gastrointestinal fluids