Efstathia Ioannou

Efstathia Ioannou is an Associate Professor in the Section of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products at the Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her research focuses on marine and terrestrial natural products, emphasizing their isolation, structural elucidation, and biological evaluation. She holds significant roles as Regional Representative of the Phytochemical Society of Europe and Meetings’ Secretary.

• Education:
  • B.Sc. Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens (2003)
  • M.Sc. Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (2005)
  • Ph.D. Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (2009)
  • Postdoctoral Research, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego (2009–2010)

Research Interests: Isolation of bioactive natural products from marine macroorganisms and microbes, development of analytical methodologies (LC-MS, NMR), and application of marine polysaccharides (e.g., ulvan) in biomedical materials. Her work explores anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and wound-healing properties of marine-derived compounds.

Article Trends (2019–2025): Recent studies highlight marine polysaccharides' roles in drug delivery systems, anti-inflammatory mechanisms of algae-derived metabolites, and valorization of fishery by-products. Key themes include marine biotechnology, sustainable resource utilization, and translational applications in medicine and materials science.

• Awards:
  • Scholarships for academic excellence (High School, Postgraduate, Postdoctoral)
  • Leadership roles in the Phytochemical Society of Europe

Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary research groups focused on marine natural products, including collaborations with institutions in the Red Sea and Mediterranean regions.