Poulakakis Nikolaos

Professor Nikolaos Poulakakis is a faculty member at the University of Crete's Department of Biology of Organisms, Populations, Environmental and Marine Biology. He holds a PhD from the University of Crete (2005). His research focuses on molecular systematics, phylogeny, and conservation genetics of Mediterranean fauna, emphasizing ancient DNA analysis. He has conducted groundbreaking studies on reptiles, amphibians, and tortoises, contributing to biodiversity and evolutionary understanding. His work includes identifying cryptic species, tracking invasive populations, and resolving phylogeographic patterns in island ecosystems. Recent projects involve genomic studies of Galapagos tortoises and forensic applications of ancient DNA. He maintains active collaborations in conservation genomics and has pioneered equitable biodiversity initiatives.

Education: PhD in Biology (2005, University of Crete). Research Interests: Evolutionary biology, molecular ecology, and biodiversity genomics. Key contributions include rediscovering 'extinct' species through genetic analysis and advancing methodologies in ancient DNA recovery. His lab is located at the Knossos Ave. building, and he supervises research in collaboration with international teams.