Apostolos Liakopoulos

Dr. Apostolos Liakopoulos is an Assistant Professor in Molecular Microbiology at Utrecht University's Faculty of Science. His research focuses on understanding bacterial lifestyles that enable pathogenic bacteria to evade antibiotic treatment during infections, with particular emphasis on major human pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. He employs omics-based tools and infection models to decipher the mechanistic details of antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Dr. Liakopoulos is an active member of the academic community, serving on the Educational Committee Life Sciences at Utrecht University, as an early-career editorial board member of mBio, and as a board member of the National Network for Assistant Professors in the Netherlands (APNet).

Dr. Liakopoulos' research expertise spans bacteriology, antimicrobial drug resistance, infectious diseases, One Health, and microbial ecology and evolution. His work investigates how bacterial mobile genetic elements shape detrimental bacterial lifestyles that evade antibiotic treatment. His laboratory studies both fundamental and applied aspects of antibiotic resistance, with a focus on developing effective treatment strategies for bacterial infections. His research integrates molecular microbiology approaches with epidemiological and evolutionary perspectives to address the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

Analysis of Dr. Liakopoulos' recent publications reveals a strong focus on antibiotic resistance mechanisms, particularly collateral sensitivity networks, evolution of resistance in pathogens like K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, and the epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria across the One Health spectrum. His work spans from basic molecular mechanisms to population-level surveillance and has significant implications for developing novel antibiotic treatment strategies and resistance management approaches.

• Open Competition Domain Science – XS grant (NWO; 2023) for 'Harnessing bacteria's own toxins to kill antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens'
• Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions - Individual (Global) Fellowship (EC; 2021) for 'PERSIST - Antibiotic persisters during infection: a tale of intestinal dominion'
• Med-Vet-Net short-term grant (2016) for 'ResCap: mining the resistome from metagenomics data'
• Multiple travel grants to present work at international conferences (2012-2018)
• Best Oral Presentation Awards at international conferences (2013, 2015)

Dr. Liakopoulos has secured competitive funding from major national and international research organizations, demonstrating the significance and innovation of his research program. His laboratory investigates bacterial adaptation mechanisms during antibiotic treatment, with particular focus on how mobile genetic elements contribute to resistance development. Through collaborations with clinical and veterinary researchers, his work bridges fundamental microbiology with practical applications in human and animal health. His research contributes to the development of novel approaches to combat antibiotic-resistant infections, which represents one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time.