Research Team

Theano Kokkinaki
Scientific Responsible, Professor of Developmental Psychology, Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Unit for Child Development and Education, University of Crete
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5)
Theano Kokkinaki
Theano Kokkinaki is a Professor of Developmental Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the School of Social Sciences of the University of Crete. Her research interests focus on the dynamics of spontaneous interactions between young infants and Significant Others across different cultures, as well as (more recently) on the combined effects of various biological (heart rate variability and melatonin) and psychosocial factors on infant development. She has published over 70 articles and book chapters in international and Greek scientific journals and books in the field of infant development and intersubjective communication. She has participated in more than 100 presentations at Greek and international scientific conferences. She serves as a reviewer and member of editorial boards for more than 40 international journals. Throughout her academic and professional career, she has received scholarships from the State Scholarships Foundation, the Vardinogiannis Foundation, the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), and the LEGO Foundation. Currently, her research is funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.).

Eleftheria Hatzidaki
Coordinator of the ProMote study at the University General Hospital of Heraklion, Associate Professor of Neonatology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Director of the Neonatology Department and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University General Hospital of Heraklion, University of Crete
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4)
Ελευθερία Χατζηδάκη
Eleftheria Ηatzidaki is a Pediatrician and Neonatologist, Associate Professor of Neοnatology at the University of Crete (UoC), and Director of the Department of Neonatology and NICU at the University General Hospital of Heraklion (UGHH). She pursued further training at the St George’s University Hospital NICU, London. She has successfully completed 6 postgraduate programs, member of 13 scientific societies, member of the editorial board of 1 scientific journal, and peer reviewer for 47 international journals. She has >100 invited lectures at both Greek and international conferences and scientific meetings. She has served as chair or president at 50 conferences and symposia, and as a member of organising and scientific committees in >70 academic events. She has 80 international peer-reviewed articles, 39 in Greek journals, 9 book chapters, 91 abstracts at international conferences, and 210 at national ones. She has 2,114 citations, an h-index of 21 and an i10-index of 40. She has participated and continues to be involved in 36 research projects and multicentre clinical studies.
She is involved in the UoC Medical School undergraduate program and in 6 postgraduate study programs. She supervises 3 PhD theses and 8 MSc dissertations, and serves on advisory committees for 9 doctoral and 11 master’s theses. She is a member of the coordinating Committee of the postgraduate program “Vaccines and Prevention of Infectious Diseases.” She is in numerus committees of the UoC Medical School, the UGHH, the UoC, the Panhellenic Medical Association, the Hellenic Neonatal Society and the Central Health Council.

Aristides Tsatsakis
Professor of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, School of Medicine, University of Crete
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP4)
Aristides Tsatsakis
Professor and Academician Aristidis Tsatsakis, an esteemed academic and researcher, held the position of Director at the Department of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences at the Medical School of the University of Crete, and the University Hospital of Heraklion. Additionally, he is the inspirer, founder and chief scientific leader of the University of Crete spin-off Company ToxPlus S.A. and the startup Life-Plus LLC.

Emmanuel Tzatzarakis
Associate Professor of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, School of Medicine, University of Crete
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP4)
Manolis Tzatzarakis
Manolis Tzatzarakis is associate professor of toxicology at the Medical School of the University of Crete and Head of the Toxicology Unit of the Laboratory of Forensic Sciences. Graduated in Chemistry with a PhD thesis at the Medical School of the University of Crete. He is a member of the Society of Greek Chemists (EEX), the Hellenic Society of Toxicology (HST), the Society of Hair Testing (SOHT), the Hellenic Mass Spectrometry Society, the Hellenic Society of Toxicology (HST) (2017-2019) and the Hellenic Association of Forensic Toxicologists (HAFT)
The research interests of Emmanouil Tzatzarakis focus on the development of analytical methods with application in toxicological investigation, development of analytical methodologies for biomonitoring, assessment of the burden of specific population groups to toxicants, correlation of exposure to xenobiotics with health problems as well as risk assessment exposure studies.
He has participated in national and international research programs as a researcher and/or coordinator while his research work is presented in national and international conferences, in two patents, in 12 book chapters and in more than 180 scientific articles in international journals with total citations exceeding 6000 (google scholar).

Nikolina-Hilda Anagnostatou
Pediatrician-Neonatologist, PhD Candidate, University of Crete School of Medicine, University General Hospital of Heraklion
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP4)
Nicolina-Hilda Anagnostatou
Nicolina Anagnostatou is a Pediatrician-Neonatologist and Consultant in the Neonatology Dept/NICU of the University Hospital of Heraklion since 2011, with a wide range of clinical expertise in all aspects of modern Neonatology (care of extremely premature neonates, advanced mechanical ventilation strategies, optimal nutritional practices, cardiovascular support of critically ill neonates, pre- and postsurgical care of neonates, long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up). She has special clinical and research interest in breastfeeding and the benefits breastmilk confers to premature neonates, and she actively helps mothers with breastfeeding issues (certified IBCLC). She is also clinically involved in the Outpatient Clinic of the Neonatology Dept/NICU “Follow-up of High-risk neonates”, as she has completed the “Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley III)”. She holds a MSc in Medicine, has completed multiple postgraduate programs and is a PhD candidate, with her thesis being “Temporal progression of nutrients and bioactive factors in premature human milk at different lactation stages and association with neurodevelopment of premature neonates”. She has participated as an invited speaker in 40 conferences, presented abstracts in 75 conferences and participated in the organizing committee of 6 conferences. She is active in teaching pediatric residents, neonatology consultants and medical students. She has also participated in 8 national and international research protocols as one of the main investigators.

Maria Markodimitraki
Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια Αναπτυξιακής Ψυχολογίας Βρεφών και Νηπίων, Παιδαγωγικό Τμήμα Προσχολικής Εκπαίδευσης, Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP4)
Maria Markodimitraki
Maria Markodimitraki is a Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Department of Preschool Education, University of Crete, where she has been teaching Psychology since 2003. She has also taught postgraduate courses in her field at both the University of Crete and the Hellenic Open University.
Her research primarily focuses on the psychological development of infants and toddlers, including both typical and atypical developmental trajectories, with a particular interest in twin studies — the subject of her doctoral dissertation. She has also conducted extensive research on preterm and full-term infants during the first year of life, investigating early markers of emotional, cognitive, and social development.
Her work explores critical aspects of emotional and language development, parent–child relationships, and the role of parenting in shaping early developmental outcomes. Professor Markodimitraki is also engaged in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of developmental psychology and environmental education, examining how early childhood experiences influence empathy, animal welfare awareness, and human–animal coexistence.
She has published extensively in both Greek and English, and has edited academic volumes in psychology in the Greek language. Her scientific contributions aim to bridge theory and practice in early childhood development and well-being, informing educators, parents, and policymakers alike.

Eleni Vakonaki
Biologist, Researcher, Toxicology Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Crete
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP4)
Eleni Vakonaki
Eleni Vakonaki is a Biologist and has been working since 2010 at the Toxicology Unit of the Laboratory of Forensic Sciences at the Medical School of the University of Crete. She is a graduate of the University of Federico II in Naples and completed her PhD at the Medical School of the University of Crete.
She is a member of the Hellenic Society of Toxicology (HST), the Hellenic Association of Forensic Toxicologists (HAFT), and the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT).
Her research interests focus on the toxicological investigation of cases of forensic interest, the development of analytical methods for biomonitoring in conventional and non-conventional biological samples, the assessment of population exposure to xenobiotics and its correlation with health problems. She is also involved in the determination of cellular aging through the measurement of telomere length in patients with neoplasms and individuals with substance dependencies.
Her research work includes 66 publications in international journals, with more than 2,200 citations and an h-index of 27.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6ZREEZcAAAAJ&hl=el&authuser=1

Theano Roumeliotaki
Statistician, Clinic of Preventive Medicine and Nutrition, Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4)
Theano Roumeliotaki
Η Θεανώ Ρουμελιωτάκη είναι στατιστικός και υποψήφια διδάκτορας (12/2023 – σήμερα) στην Ιατρική Σχολή του Πανεπιστημίου Κρήτης, με αντικείμενο τη διατριβή «Ψυχοκοινωνικό προφίλ της μητέρας και οι διαχρονικές επιδράσεις του στη σωματική ανάπτυξη και καρδιομεταβολικούς παράγοντες κινδύνου του παιδιού». Η έρευνά της εστιάζει στην επίδραση ψυχολογικών και κοινωνικών χαρακτηριστικών της μητέρας κατά την εγκυμοσύνη στην υγεία του παιδιού από τη νηπιακή έως την εφηβική ηλικία.
Από το 2008 έως το Δεκέμβριο 2024 ήταν η κύρια στατιστικός της μελέτης μητέρας-παιδιού Κρήτης ΡΕΑ, η οποία υλοποιείται από την Κλινική Προληπτικής και Κοινωνικής Ιατρικής της Ιατρικής Σχολής Κρήτης. Τον Ιανουάριο του 2025 διορίστηκε ως Ειδικό Επιστημονικό Προσωπικό στο Τμήμα Στατιστικών Υγείας και Κοινωνικής Προστασίας της Ελληνικής Στατιστικής Αρχής (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ). Διαθέτει πτυχίο Στατιστικής από το University of the West of England (2002) και μεταπτυχιακό δίπλωμα στη Δημόσια Υγεία και τη Διοίκηση Υπηρεσιών Υγείας. Με εμπειρία άνω των 21 ετών στη στατιστική ανάλυση δεδομένων, έχει εργαστεί σε πληθώρα ερευνητικών έργων σε εθνικό και διεθνές επίπεδο. Παράλληλα, έχει πολυετή διδακτική εμπειρία σε μαθήματα Στατιστικής, Βιοστατιστικής, και Μεθοδολογίας Έρευνας, ενώ παράλληλα ειδικεύεται στη διαχείριση και εναρμόνιση μεγάλων βάσεων δεδομένων και στη χρήση προηγμένων εργαλείων όπως το OBiBa Opal Server και το DataSHIELD. Έχει συμβάλει καθοριστικά σε τουλάχιστον 13 ερευνητικά προγράμματα, όπως τα H2020 ATHLETE, LifeCycle, HELIX, και ΕΛΙΔΕΚ Promote.
Το ερευνητικό της έργο περιλαμβάνει 112 δημοσιεύσεις σε έγκριτα διεθνή περιοδικά, με περισσότερες από 4.500 βιβλιογραφικές αναφορές και δείκτη απήχησης h-index: 40. Έχει παρουσιάσει το έργο της σε πάνω από 70 συνέδρια στην Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό.

Haridimos Kondylakis
Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Επιστήμης Υπολογιστών και Συνεργαζόμενο Μέλος ΔΕΠ στο Εργαστήριο Υπολογιστικής Βιοιατρικής, Ινστιτούτο Πληροφορικής, Ίδρυμα Τεχνολογίας και Έρευνας
(participation in WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4)
Haridimos Kondylakis
Haridimos Kondylakis is an Associate Professor of Big Data Engineering at Computer Science Department (CSD), University of Crete (UOC) and an Affiliated Researcher at Computational BioMedicine Laboratory (CBML), Institute of Computer Science, Foundation of Research & Technology-Hellas (FORTH). His research interests include Big Data Management, Semantics and Artificial Intelligence and their application in Health. In the past he has participated in more that 30 EU research projects all involving clinical studies, with a total budget over 150Mie and he is currently participating in seven H2020 EU projects (SUNRISE, ALTHEA, EUCAIM, MULTIPULM as PI, SafePolyMed, RadioVal, ProCAncer-I ) and three national research projects (DEDALUS as PI, TALE as co—PI, PROMOTE). He has more than 250 publications in international conferences, books and journals including BMJ, Nature Scientific Reports, IJMI, JMIR etc. He is the leader of Data Storage, Curation and Management Working Group of the EU commission for the AI for health imaging projects. He has an H-Index of 37 and more than 4200 citations.
AGENTS INVOLVED IN THE PROPOSED RESEARCH PROJECT
The proposed project is implemented through the cooperation of the Department of Psychology of the University of Crete, the University General Hospital of Heraklion and the Technology and Research Foundation.
More specifically, Scientific Responsible of the proposed research project is Theano Kokkinaki, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Department of Psychology at the University of Crete. The members of the research team who come from the University General Hospital of Heraklion, University of Crete, and in particular from the Neonatology Department are Eleftheria Hatzidaki, Associate Professor of Neonatology at the School of Medicine (UoC), Director of the Neonatology Department and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Nicole Anagnostatou, Pediatrician-Neonatologist, Doctoral Candidate, Director (National Health System). In addition, Aristides Tsatsakis, Professor of Toxicology, Emmanuel Tzatzarakis, Associate Professor of Toxicology, Eleni Vakonaki, Biologist, Researcher, Toxicology Laboratory as well as Theano Roumeliotaki, Statistician, Clinic of Preventive Medicine and Nutrition, Department of Social Medicine, all come from the School of Medicine of the University Crete. Haris Kondylakis, Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, comes from the Foundation of Research and Technology, Institute of Informatics.
WEBSITE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
Dimitris Sakellaridis
Design and Technical Implementation
Anna Arkoulaki
Graphic Design