Halabalaki Maria

Associate Professor Maria Halabalaki is affiliated with the Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Product Chemistry at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her academic career includes a PhD in Pharmacy (2005) and extensive training in natural products analysis. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Pharmacognosy, Spectroscopy, and Laboratory Practices.

Her research focuses on natural product isolation, metabolomics, and analytical methodologies. Key areas include chromatographic techniques (HPLC, LC-MS), NMR-based structural elucidation, and bioactivity evaluation of plant extracts. Her work explores applications in drug discovery, food quality control, and metabolic profiling.

Dr. Halabalaki has received prestigious awards including the Egon Stahl Silver Medal (2015) and the 'Irakleitos' Fellowship (2000-2004). Her lab develops innovative platforms for dereplication and metabolomic analysis, contributing to understanding gut microbiota interactions and phytochemical bioavailability.

Her research spans diverse matrices—from cannabis and olive-derived compounds to Mediterranean flora—targeting anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and anti-leishmanial agents. Current projects include nanoliposomal drug delivery systems and cosmeceutical applications of natural polymers.