Inaugural Lecture | University of Nicosia Medical School, Athens
Speaker: Professor Andriana Margariti
Professor, UNIC Athens Medical School
Introduction by: Dr Dimitrios Karatzas
Director, UNIC Athens Medical School
Clinical Associate Professor
Over the past two decades, advances in stem cell science have transformed our understanding of human disease and opened new avenues for personalised medicine.
In this inaugural lecture, Professor Andriana Margariti will reflect on her scientific journey, from pioneering research in vascular stem cell biology to developing patient-specific blood vessel and vascularised cardiac organoids. She will explore how emerging stem cell technologies and regenerative medicine are advancing disease modelling, drug discovery and the development of novel therapeutic strategies, particularly in cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The lecture will also present Professor Margariti's research vision for the University of Nicosia Medical School in Athens, including the establishment of an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) research platform, the development of international collaborations, and the creation of new opportunities for students, researchers and clinicians to engage in innovative biomedical research.
About the speaker
Professor Andriana Margariti
Professor, UNIC Athens Medical School
Professor Andriana Margariti is Professor of Vascular and Regenerative Medicine at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast (QUB), and has recently been appointed to the University of Nicosia (UNIC) Medical School in Athens, strengthening international collaboration in regenerative medicine and precision disease modelling.
With over two decades of research experience, she is an internationally recognised expert in stem cell biology, vascular regeneration and patient-specific disease modelling. Her pioneering research has advanced the generation of vascular cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the development of human blood vessel and vascularised cardiac organoids to investigate cardiovascular disease, diabetes and regenerative therapies.
Her international academic career includes research affiliations with Harvard University, the University of California, San Francisco, and King's College London. Her research has received funding from major organisations, including the British Heart Foundation and the Medical Research Council. She is a co-founder of ReproGO Limited, a biotechnology company established in 2020 to advance stem cell technologies towards clinical applications.
In 2022, she became the first living scientist to be featured in the Ulster Transport Museum's Innovator in Focus exhibition, in recognition of her contributions to biomedical innovation.
Her research bridges fundamental scientific discoveries, cellular engineering and clinical translation, with the aim of transforming how human diseases are understood and treated through personalised regenerative medicine.
Through her appointment at UNIC Medical School in Athens, she aims to establish a collaborative research and training environment that brings together international expertise, advanced human stem cell technologies and the next generation of biomedical scientists.
