ASSIMAKOPOULOU MARTHA, Associate Professor
Sector: Division of Basic Medical Sciences II
Clinic/Laboratory: Department of Anatomy
Knowledge Subject: Anatomy - Macroscopic and Microscopic Anatomy and Neuroanatomy
Research Area: Biology of brain tumors
Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, Building of Preclinical Functions "Giannis Varakis:, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, 2nd Floor, Room B59
2610969186, 2610969195 massim@upatras.gr
Office hours
Monday 10:00-12:00, Thursday 11:00-12:00
Summary of Curriculum Vitae
Martha Assimakopoulou has a Bachelor of Science in Biology (1991) from the School of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Patras and Dr.philos. (Ph.D.) (1996) from the School of Medicine, University of Patras. She earned a post-graduate research fellowship (EMY) (1992-1996) awarded by the Greek Ministry of Education. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Anatomy/Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Patras (1996-1998). She has been a Research Fellow at the Center for Neurovirology and Cancer Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA (2000) and collaborated with Professor Ch. Katsetos, MD, PhD, FRCPath, Neuropathologist, MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, USA. Since 1998, firstly, as Lecturer, then as Assistant Professor (2002), and as Associate Professor (2009 until today) teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students Macroscopic and Microscopic Anatomy. In addition, coordinates the course of Neuroanatomy (undergraduate course of Neurosciences) (2011 until today) and provides lessons in class and tutorials for functional Neuroanatomy and laboratory lessons including brain dissections. She has organized and has the accountability of the Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy/Histology-Embryology. Her research interests focus on the molecular biology of brain tumors and specifically, the study of the signaling pathways involved in brain carcinogenesis and the identification of the molecular profile of different subgroups of brain tumors which may contribute to a more rational histobiological classification and a personalized therapeutic approach (prognostic and predictive factors). Currently, the principal goal of her research is the identification of molecular mechanisms activated under stress and hypoxia in brain tumors as well as the role of AQP4 and TRPVs channels in peritumoral brain edema formation. Furthermore, the signaling pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of ophthalmic pterygium and the role of Enteric Nervous System in inflammatory human bowel have been included in her research. She has supervised 2 PhD dissertations and 16 MSc (School of Medicine, University of Patras) and 8 undergraduate degree thesis (School of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Patras). She has been member of the 3-member advisory committee in 11 PhD dissertations, member of the 7-member advisory committee in 20 PhD dissertations and member of the 3-member examination committee in 28 MSc. She has translated and edited the First and Second Greek Edition of Mayo Clinic, Medical Neurosciences, Gotsis, 2015 and 2022. She has participated in 5 research grants and she was the principal investigator in a research grant from the University of Patras, Research Committee (1998 – 2001). She has been reviewer of National Funding Proposals and reviewer in Scientific Journals.
Undergraduate Courses
- Anatomy I (Semester: 2nd)
- Anatomy II (Semester: 3rd)
- Neuroscience (Semester: 4th)
- Neurology (Semester: 7th)
- EMBRYOLOGY I (Semester: 2nd)
- Histology I (Semester: 2nd)
- Embryology II (Semester: 3rd)
- Histology II (Semester: 3rd)
Postgraduate Courses
- Basic Medical Sciences Postgraduate Program
- Medical Physics Postgraduate Program
- Biomedical Engineering Postgraduate Program
- Informatics for Life Sciences Postgraduate Program
Selected Publications
1997
Assimakopoulou M., Sotiropoulou-Bonikou G., Maraziotis T., Varakis Ι. (1997) Prognostic significance of Hsp27 in astrocytic brain tumors: an immunohistochemical study. Anticancer Res, 17 (4A): 2677-2682.
Assimakopoulou M., Sotiropoulou-Bonikou G., Maraziotis T., Papadakis N., Varakis I. (1997) Microvessel density in brain tumors. Anticancer Res, 17(6D): 4747-4753.
1998
Assimakopoulou M., Sotiropoulou-Bonikou G., Maraziotis T., Varakis I. (1998) Does sex steroid receptor status have any prognostic or predictive significance in brain astrocytic tumors? Clin Neuropathol, 17(1): 27-34.
2000
Assimakopoulou M.* (2000) Human meningiomas: immunohistochemical localization of progesterone receptor and heat shock protein 27 and absence of estrogen receptor and PS2. Cancer Detect Prev (Cancer Epidemiology), 24(2): 163-168.
2001
Assimakopoulou M.*, Varakis J. (2001) AP-1 and heat shock protein 27 expression in human astrocytomas. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol, 127(12): 727-732. Doi: 10.1007/s004320100280.
Pharmakakis N., Assimakopoulou M. (2001) Immunohistochemical detection of heat shock protein 27 and Ki-
Katsetos CD., Del Valle L., Geddes JF., Assimakopoulou M., Legido A., Boyd JC., Balin BJ., Parikh NA., Maraziotis T., de Chadarevian JP., Varakis JN., Matsas R., Spano A., Frankfurter A., Herman MM., Khalili K. (2001) Aberrant localization of the neuronal class III beta-tubulin in astrocytomas. Arch Pathοl Lab Med 125(5): 613-624. Doi: 10.1043/0003- 9985(2001)125< 0613:ALOTNC>2.0.CO;2.
Del Valle L., Gordon J., Assimakopoulou M., Enam S., Geddes JF., Varakis JN., Katsetos CD., Croul S., Khalili K. (2001) Detection of JC virus DNA sequences and expression of the viral regulatory protein T-antigen in tumors of the Central Nervous System. Cancer Res, 61(10): 4287-4293.
2002
Del Valle L., Gordon J., Enam S., Delbue S., Croul S., Abraham S., Radhakrishnan S., Assimakopoulou M., Sujatha R., Katsetos CD., Khalili K. (2002) Expression of human neurotropic polyomavirus JCV late gene product agnoprotein in human medulloblastomas. J Natl Cancer Inst, 94(4): 267-273. doi: 10.1093/jnci/94.4.267.
2005
Kondyli M., Varakis J., Assimakopoulou M.* (2005) Expression of p75NTR and Trk neurotrophin receptors in the enteric nervous system of human adults. Anat Sci Int, 80(4): 223-228. Doi: 10.1111/j.1447-073X.2005.00120.x.
2007
Assimakopoulou M.*, Kondyli M., Gatzounis G., Maraziotis Th., Varakis J. (2007) Neurotrophin receptors expression and JNK pathway activation in human astrocytomas. BMC Cancer, 7:202. Doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-7-202.
2008
Assimakopoulou M.*, Zolota V., Chondrogianni C., Gatzounis G., Varakis J. (2008) p75ΝΤR and TrkC neurotrophin receptors demonstrate a different immunoreactivity profile in comparison to TrkA and TrkB receptors in human normal pituitary gland and adenomas. Neuroendocrinology, 88(2): 127-134. Doi: 10.1159/000119743.
2010
Kondyli M., Gatzounis G., Kyritsis A., Varakis J., Assimakopoulou M.* (2010) Immunohistochemical detection of JAK-2 and STAT-5 proteins and correlation with erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) expression status in human brain tumors. J Neuro-Oncol, 100(2): 157-164. Doi: 10.1007/s11060-010-0156-2.
2014
Pagoulatos D., Lakoumentas J., Pharmakakis N., Assimakopoulou M.* (2014) Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α, pVHL and Heat Shock Proteins expression in ophthalmic pterygium and normal conjunctiva. Molecular Vision, 20:441-457. eCollection 2014.
2016
Assimakopoulou M.*, Androutsopoulou C., Zolota V., Matsoukas J. (2016) Immunoexpression patterns for Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1α and von Hippel-Lindau protein, in relation to Hsp90, of human brain tumors. Histol Histopathol. 31(5):535-546. Doi: 10.14670/HH-11-692.
2017
Assimakopoulou M.*, Pagoulatos D., Nterma P., Pharmakakis N. (2017) Immunolocalization of cannabinoid receptor type 1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, and transient receptor potential vanilloid channels in pterygium. Mol Med Rep. 16(4):5285-5293. Doi: 10.3892/mmr.2017.7246.
2018
Rizopoulos T., Papadaki-Petrou H., Assimakopoulou M.* (2018) Expression Profiling of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) Channels 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Mucosal Epithelium of Human Ulcerative Colitis. Cells. 061. 7(6). pii: E61. Doi: 10.3390/cells7060.
2019
Goutsou, S., Tsakona, C., Polia, A., Moutafidi A., Zolota V., Gatzounis G., Assimakopoulou M.* (2019) Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channel expression in meningiomas: prognostic and predictive significance. Virchows Archiv. 475(1):105-114. Doi: 10.1007/s00428-019-02584-y.
2020
Nterma P., Panopoulou E., Papadaki-Petrou E., Assimakopoulou M.* (2020) Immunohistochemical Profile of Tumor Suppressor Proteins RASSF1A and LATS1/2 in Relation to p73 and YAP Expression, of Human Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Normal Intestine. Pathology & Oncology Research, 26(1):567-574. Doi: 10.1007/s12253-018-00575-z.
2021
Faropoulos K., Polia A., Tsakona C, Pitaraki E., Moutafidi A., Gatzounis G., Assimakopoulou M.* (2021) Evaluation of AQP4/TRPV4 channel co-expression, microvessel density and its association with peritumoral brain edema in intracranial meningiomas. J Mol Neurosci.71(9):1786-1795. Doi:10.1007/s12031-021-01801-1.
Rizopoulos T., Assimakopoulou M.* (2021) Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in human colorectal cancer: evidence and perspectives. Histol Histopathol. 36: 515-526. Doi: 10.14670/HH-18-308.
Moutafidi A., Zolota V., Gatzounis G., Assimakopoulou M.* (2021) Heat shock factor 1 in gliomas: a link with the Transient Receptor Potential channels TRPV1 and TRPA1. J Mol Histol. 52(6):1233-1244. Doi: 10.1007/s10735-021-10025-x.
2023
Assimakopoulou M.*, Christopoulou M.-E., Karamani V., Aletras A.J., Gatzounis G. (2023) Polycystin-2 associates with malignancy in meningiomas. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. 31(4):239-244. Doi: 10.1097/PAI.0000000000001 113.
2024
Papageorgacopoulou MA., Bania A., Lagogianni I-A., Birmpas K., Assimakopoulou M.* (2024) The role of glia telomere dysfunction in the pathogenesis of Central Nervous System diseases. Mol Neurobiol, Doi:10.1007/s12035-024-03947-6
* Corresponding author