Savvas N. Georgiades

Dr. Savvas N. Georgiades is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cyprus, where he also serves as the Head of the Research Laboratory of Synthetic Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology. He has been with the University of Cyprus since 2011, progressing from Lecturer to Assistant Professor in 2018 and to Associate Professor in 2024. Prior to this, he held academic positions at Kingston University in the UK and completed postdoctoral research at Imperial College London and The Scripps Research Institute in the USA.

Dr. Georgiades' educational background includes:

• BSc in Chemistry from the University of Cyprus (2001), where he received the 2nd Prize of the President of the Republic of Cyprus and 1st Prize of the School of Applied Sciences
• PhD in Organic Chemistry/Chemical Biology from Harvard University (2006), working under Prof. Jon Clardy
• Postdoctoral training in Synthetic Organic Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute (2006-2007) with Prof. Phil Baran
• Postdoctoral training in Chemical Biology at Imperial College London (2007-2010) with Prof. Ramon Vilar

Dr. Georgiades' research spans several interconnected areas in organic and medicinal chemistry. His primary focus is on development of innovative synthetic technologies for CH bond activation, particularly metal-catalyzed methods to form CC or CX bonds. He is also renowned for his work on G-quadruplex DNA targeting, designing novel ligand molecules for anticancer therapies and chemical bioimaging agents. Additional research interests include the synthesis of biomaterials by nucleobase self-assembly for energy applications and the development of small molecules that modulate cellular signal transduction pathways. His work bridges fundamental organic synthesis with biological applications, particularly in cancer research.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward metal-catalyzed C-H activation chemistry and G-quadruplex DNA targeting for anticancer applications. The research spans from fundamental methodology development (photoredox catalysis, novel metal catalysts) to biological applications (oncogene targeting, cancer cell imaging). His work shows increasing interdisciplinary collaboration, combining synthetic organic chemistry, chemical biology, and materials science approaches. Notably, his research has expanded into nuclear medicine applications with radioisotope complexes, demonstrating the translational potential of his chemical approaches.

Dr. Georgiades has received several notable scientific awards:

• 2nd Prize of the President of the Republic of Cyprus (2001)
• 1st Prize of the School of Applied Sciences (2001)
• Fellow of the UK Academy of Higher Education

Dr. Georgiades is an active mentor who currently supervises 4 PhD students and 1 undergraduate student, having previously guided 1 PhD student, 4 MSc students, and 15 BSc students to successful completion. His research has been supported through various channels including COST Actions (CHAOS: Activation of CH Bonds in Organic Synthesis and Chemical Approaches for Targeting Drug Resistance of Cancer Stem Cells), where he served as Cyprus Representative. He has organized international conferences in Cyprus and participated in European research networks. His editorial work includes serving on the editorial boards of prestigious chemistry journals and acting as a scientific evaluator for over 30 international journals and European funding programs.

Dr. Georgiades heads the Research Laboratory of Synthetic Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the University of Cyprus, established in 2012. His lab brings together expertise in organic synthesis, chemical biology, and materials science to tackle challenges in drug discovery and biomaterials development. The team has made significant contributions to G-quadruplex DNA targeting and C-H activation chemistry, with applications spanning from anticancer therapeutics to energy materials. The laboratory maintains active collaborations with researchers across Europe through COST Actions and other international networks.