Irene Athanassakis

Professor Irene Athanassakis is a faculty member at the Biology Department of the University of Crete. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Alberta (1988). Her research focuses on immunology, reproductive biology, and cancer diagnosis, with particular emphasis on MHC molecule regulation, T cell activation, and nonlinear optical imaging techniques. She leads a laboratory in the Biology building (Office: Γ 125, Lab: Ε 130) and has contributed extensively to understanding immune tolerance mechanisms and developing implantable vaccine technologies.

Key research areas include soluble MHC antigens' role in immune modulation, diagnostic applications of third/harmonic generation microscopy for cancer grading, and the interplay between L-carnitine and endometriosis. Her work bridges molecular immunology with biomedical engineering, addressing clinical challenges in autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Recent research trends highlight her contributions to SARS-CoV-2 immunogenicity studies, implantable vaccine design using laser-structured scaffolds, and machine learning-based analysis of biological samples. These studies underscore her interdisciplinary approach to solving complex biomedical problems.

No scientific awards are explicitly listed in the provided materials. She advises no listed PhD/Master’s students but collaborates widely across disciplines. Her lab's activities include developing novel diagnostic tools and immunotherapeutic strategies, reflecting her commitment to translational research.