NIKOLAOS AFRATIS CV

EDUCATION

05/2012–12/2015              PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry,
                                          University of Patras, Patras, Greece 

10/2010–04/2012              Masters in Applied Biochemistry: Clinical chemistry,
                                          Biotechnology and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Products, 
                                          Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, Greece 

09/2006–09/2010              Bachelor in Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras, Greece


PREVIOUS RESEARCH POSITIONS

12/2019-11/2021               Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Regulation, 
                                          Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

12/2016-12/2019               Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Regulation, 
                                          Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

01/2016-11/2016               Postdoctoral Fellow, Biotech Research & Innovation Centre,  
                                          Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark

01/2014–12/2014              Visiting Fellow Scientist, Biotech Research & Innovation Centre, 
                                          Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark

FELLOWSHIPS   

2019        Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship, Feinberg Graduate School,
                Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

2017        Dean of Faculty Postdoctoral Fellowship, Feinberg Graduate School,
                Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

2016        FEBS short-term fellowship

2015        EMBO short-term fellowship

2014        Short-term fellowship, State Scholarships Foundation (IKY)

2013        FEBS Bursary, 38th FEBS Conference, St. Petersburg, Russia 

2012        Scholarship for doctoral studies under Research Funded Project:
                THALES co-financed by the European Union
                (European Social Fund - ESF) and national fund through the
                Operational Program "Education and Lifelong Learning"
                of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF)

2012        FEBS Bursary, 22ο IUBMB & 37ο Συνέδριο της FEBS, Sevilla, Spain.


HONORS AND AWARDS

2023        European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) - EUROTOX       

2019        Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung (BIS) travel grant, EMBO-FEBS Lecture course
                “Molecular mechanisms of Tissue Injury, Repair and Fibrosis”, Spetses, Greece.

                Title: Development of protein-based inhibitors against LOX family in fibrotic diseases. 

2019        FEBS Youth Travel Funds, 7th Matrix Pathobiology, Signaling and Molecular Targets,
                Porto Heli, Greece, 2019.

                Title: Targeting lysyl oxidase fibrotic actions with selective protein-based inhibitors.

2018        Seal of excellence, Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions for postdoctoral research.
                Horizon 2020, European Commission.

                Title: Targeting Lysyl Oxidase for successful treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

2018        Young Scientist Award, 1st FEBS-MPST Advanced Lecture Course ECM:
                Cell regulation, Epigenetics & Modeling, Patras, Greece.

                Title:    Promoting native cell-derived activated MMPs (collagenases) by using
                             Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) inhibitors to resolve fibrotic tissues.

2017        Travel grant from International Society of Matrix Biology for the 6th FEBS-MPST  
                Advanced Lecture Course on Matrix Pathobiology, Signaling and

                Molecular Targets, Spetses, Greece.

                Title: IGF-IR inhibits breast cancer cells aggressiveness via regulation of syndecan-4
                          and MMPs expression.

2016        Award from Matrix Biology Section of Hellenic Society of Biochemistry
                and Molecular Biology, Dick Heinegard European Young Investigation Award

                Title: Syndecan-4 is a key modulator of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
                         in breast cancer cells

2014        FEBS Journal top-cited Paper award

                Title: Glycosaminoglycans: key players in cancer cell biology and treatment.


PATENTS
  • COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING THE PROPEPTIDE OF LYSYL OXIDASE AND USES THEREOF. Filed: PCT/US: 62/977,792; PCT/IL2020/050486
  • BI-SPECIFIC INHIBITION OF LOX AND HSP70 MELANOMA REDUCES METASTASIS AND ACTIVATES IMMUNE SYSTEM, U.S. Patent Application No. 63/311,047 and filed on February 17, 2022
  • ANTI-KLK4 ANTIBODIES AND USES THEREOF, US Provisional Patent Application No. 63/405,446 Filed on September 11, 2022