SECONDEES

Maria Kontoe

• Early stage researcher, Harokopio University of Athens, Greece (HUA)
• WP8: Software development for integration of metadata and omics profiles for indexing, management and interpretation. Secondment to Biotechvana, Spain (August 2017- February 2018)
• WP4: Effects of Mastiha on inflammation and adhesion biomarkers and on oxidative stress status indexes. Secondment to Randox Laboratories,Ltd, Crumlin, Country Antrim, UK (February 2018 – May 2018)

Maria is a Nutritionist-Dietitian holding a bachelor's and a master's degree from Harokopio University in Athens, Greece. She finished her master's studies in “Applied Nutrition-Dietetics” in February 2017. When working on her master's thesis, she obtained experience in design and conduct of clinical trials. Having worked as an early stage researcher at the Department of Dietetics and Nutritional Sciences at Harokopio University, Maria is familiar with patients recruitment strategies in RCTs, anthropometric measurements, collection and handling of biological samples.

Her research interests focus mainly on identification of bioactive phytochemicals derived from foodstuffs and their “in vitro” and “in vivo” biological actions.

She was secondeed to Biotechvana in Spain for 6 months and to Randox in Northern Ireland for 3 months. During her secondment in Biotechvana she acquired knowledge regarding omic approaches and became familiarized with basic omic data analysis pipelines and further with the use of GPRO Suite. In Randox she worked in the Research and Development Department within the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory and she was trained in laboratory techniques such as DNA quantification, gel electrophoresis, Polymerase Chain Reaction and Biochip Array Technology.