Nourhan Hassan
Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery-University Hospital Cologne
Nectarios Nicolaou
Clinical Laboratory Scientist - Special Teaching Staff, Vioanalysis Medical Diagnostic Center - Frederick University
I am active in the field of Clinical Biosciences for over fifteen years. I began my studies at Intercollege, Nicosia, Cyprus and the University of Indianapolis, USA, achieving a Diploma in Pre-Medicine. Subsequently, I studied at Kingston University, London, UK and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Biochemistry in 2006. Returning to Cyprus, I joined the newly established Aretaeio Hospital in Nicosia, as a member of the Clinical Laboratory. While there, I was accepted as a postgraduate student in Immunology and Immunogenetics at the University of Manchester, UK. Focusing my research interest on the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, I investigated the changes of the levels of two adipokines, leptin and adiponectin, as well as their potential use as inflammatory markers in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. As of October 2019, I am a doctoral student at the Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus, aiming to investigate and evaluate various biological molecules as potential diagnostic factors in different pathological conditions. I am a Chartered Biologist (CBiol) and Member of the Royal Society of Biology (MRSB) as well as a member of the Biological Society of Cyprus where I sit on the Health Committee. In addition, I am a member of the Biochemical Society, participating in the Early Career Researcher (ECR) Taskforce, the British Society for Immunology, the Institute of Biomedical Science, the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, the Microbiology Society, the Hellenic Society of Immunology, the Society of Biological Sciences in Cyprus and the Cyprus Association of Clinical Laboratory Directors, Biomedical and Clinical Laboratory Scientists. As of October 2015, I collaborate with Frederick University in Nicosia as Special Teaching Staff for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes on the topics of Clinical Biochemistry and Immunology.
Investigating the cellular mechanisms of stromule formation in plant cells
Stromules are stroma-filled protrusions of plastids that involve a drastic and dynamic change of the organelle’s shape by extending its surface. Although the phenomenon has been observed and reported, especially during stress-related conditions, the underlying mechanism behind stromule formation remains to be elucidated. In my work, I am studying whether various protein candidates alter plastid morphology and their relation to stromulation by combining confocal microscopy of living cells with AI-assisted image analysis.