Dr Christoforos Giannaki

Associate Head of Department
Associate Professor
Programme Coordinator (Phd Exercise Science and Physical Education)
School of Life and Health Sciences
Department of Life Sciences
Director of the Research Centre for Exercise and Nutrition (RECEN)

Dr Christoforos Giannaki is Associate Professor in the Department of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. He received his BSc degree in Sports Science & Physical Education at the University of Thessaly, Greece with distinction, his MSc degree in Sports Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University, UK and his PhD degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the Department of Medicine of the University of Thessaly, Greece.

His is actively involved in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of various courses of the Department of Life and Health Sciences at the University of Nicosia related to exercise and health, human physiology and exercise physiology. In addition, he is supervising a number of BSc, MSc and PhD students.

Dr Giannaki has an extended research experience in the area of human physiology and medicine. His research interests are focused in the areas of: 1) exercise and health/exercise in patients with chronic diseases; 2) sleep physiology and non-pharmacological management of sleep disorders; 3) effects of omega fatty acids on health and wellbeing; 4) prevention and management of knee osteoarthritis.

At the moment, he has 33 publications in international peer-reviewed scientific journals (PubMed), including first-authorship publications in high-impact factor journals. In addition, he has more than 50 publications in scientific congresses in the area of Physiology, Exercise Science and Medicine. Moreover, is a co-author of chapters in scientific books including a chapter related to sleep disorders in the scientific book entitled “Oxford textbook of sleep disorders”.

Dr Giannaki is an active committee member in a European COST action project and actively involved in a workgroup aiming to examine the effect of plant food bioactives on cardiometabolic health biomarkers. He is also a member of various European scientific research groups, academic and professional organizations. He is
also an Editorial board member of the international scientific journals BMC Nephrology and Austin Sports Medicine.

Finally, he acts as coordinator of a European research project (funded by Horizon 2020) related to knee osteoarthritis. In addition, he is the coordinator of a funded research programme related to elderly individuals, whilst he recently completed a funded research project related to the effect of dehydration on sleep.