Kleopas A. Kleopa

Kleopas A. Kleopa is a distinguished Senior Consultant Neurologist and Professor at The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING), where he serves as Head of the Neuroscience Department, Director of the Neuropathology Lab, and Coordinator of both the Neuroscience MSc/PhD Graduate Program and the Center for Neuromuscular Disorders. His academic leadership extends to teaching Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience and supervising graduate students in research.

His educational background includes Medical Studies (1987-1993) and Doctoral Thesis Project (1991-1994) at the University of Würzburg Medical School, Germany, where he earned his Medical Degree with "very good" grade (1993) and Doctor of Medicine Title Award with "magna cum laude" (1994). He completed Neurology residency at Drexel University (1999) and a fellowship in neuromuscular disorders at the University of Pennsylvania.

Prof. Kleopa's research focuses on elucidating mechanisms of neurological disorders, particularly inherited neuropathies and leukodystrophy, with pioneering work in cell-targeted gene therapy approaches for demyelinating diseases. His laboratory investigates cellular and molecular mechanisms of X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT1X), glial connexin pathology in multiple sclerosis, and mechanisms in autoimmune encephalopathies and chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity. His work has established responsive blood biomarkers and developed gene therapy methods using lentiviral and AAV vectors for cell-targeted expression.

His extensive publication record includes over 130 peer-reviewed papers cited in PubMed with more than 8,800 citations (H-index 42), many published in high-impact neuroscience journals. His research demonstrates a clear trajectory toward clinical translation, particularly in gene therapy approaches for inherited neuropathies, with several papers showing successful preclinical results using viral vector delivery systems that could be adapted for human treatment.

• Scholarships from Cyprus Government and DAAD for Medical School (1987-1993)
• Distinction in Neuroscience and Erasmus Winter School (1990)
• Neurology Teaching Award (1999)
• Bursary Award of EFNS (2003)
• Fellowship Award of Peripheral Nerve Society (2009)
• European Academy of Neurology Investigator Award (2015)
• National Distinguished Researcher Award (2017)
• 2025 Research and Commercialization Award

As Principal Investigator, Prof. Kleopa has secured over 5 million Euros in external funding across 25 research projects. He supervises MSc and PhD students, teaches medical students and residents, and participates in clinical trials. He maintains extensive collaborations with leading institutions in Europe and the USA, and serves on numerous professional boards including the International Charcot-Marie-Tooth Consortium, Peripheral Nerve Society, and European Reference Networks for rare neuromuscular and neurological disorders. His laboratory serves as a hub for translational neuroscience research with strong industry partnerships aimed at clinical application of gene therapies.