Vassilios Tsikaris

Professor Vassilios Tsikaris is a distinguished academic in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ioannina, Greece, where he has served as a faculty member since 1989. He progressed from Lecturer (1989-1994) to Assistant Professor (1994-1999), Associate Professor (1999-2006), and finally to Professor (2006-present). He has also held significant administrative roles including Head of the Department of Chemistry (2010-2014), President of the Hellenic PASTEUR INSTITUTE (2015-2017), and Hospital Manager of the University Hospital of Ioannina (2017-2020).

Dr. Tsikaris earned his Diploma in Chemical Engineering with "excellent" distinction from the Institut Polytechnic "Gh. Ashaki" in Roumania (1977-1982). He completed his doctoral thesis entitled "Arginine Sequential Polypeptides as Histone models. Studies on their Synthesis, Conformation and Interactions with DNA. Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy" at the University of Ioannina (1985-1988). He also completed multiple short-term postdoctoral research fellowships in NMR, CD, and IR spectroscopy at the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine, ENSIC-INPL, CNRS UA 494, Nancy, France, supported by EC, EMBO and FEBS.

Professor Tsikaris specializes in peptide chemistry, with research spanning the design and synthesis of biologically active peptides for applications in autoimmune diseases, vaccine development, and antithrombotic therapy. His laboratory has made significant contributions to understanding the structure-function relationships of peptides, particularly in the context of platelet aggregation inhibition and autoimmune disease mechanisms. His work on Sequential Oligopeptide Carriers (SOCs) has provided innovative platforms for antigen presentation and vaccine design.

His publication record demonstrates a strong focus on translating basic peptide chemistry into therapeutic applications, particularly in cardiovascular medicine. Over the past 15 years, his research has increasingly focused on developing peptide-based inhibitors of platelet aggregation that work through non-RGD mechanisms, which may offer advantages over traditional antiplatelet therapies by avoiding certain side effects. His work bridges fundamental biochemistry with translational medical applications, particularly in thrombosis and autoimmune disorders.

Professor Tsikaris has supervised 13 concluded and 1 ongoing PhD theses, as well as 23 concluded Master's theses. He has participated in 34 European and Greek funded research projects with significant contributions to peptide-based therapeutic development. His laboratory has received funding from various sources including the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT), the Greek Ministry of Education, and industry partners.

His research group has developed innovative artificial carriers X-(Lys-Aib-Gly)4-NH2 and X-(Lys-Aib-Cys)4-NH2 as scaffolds for reconstituting biomolecular mimics. These carriers have been applied to autoimmune diseases including Sjogren Syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Systemic Sclerosis, as well as Myasthenia gravis. The group has also developed potent cyclic (S,S)-CDC- containing peptide inhibitors of platelet aggregation that have shown efficacy in animal models of thrombosis.