Biography:Nektarios Tavernarakis

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Short description: Greek geneticist and molecular biologist
Nektarios Tavernarakis
Νεκτάριος Νικολάου Ταβερναράκης
Nektarios Tavernarakis 1.jpg
Nektarios Tavernarakis at the Foundation for Research & Technology in Heraklion Crete, Greece (ca. 2020)
Born (1967-05-02) May 2, 1967 (age 56)
Heraklion, Crete, Greece
NationalityGreek Flag of Greece.svg
CitizenshipGreek Flag of Greece.svg
EducationBSc: Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1989)
PhD: Molecular Genetics, University of Crete (1995)
Alma materAristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Known forAgeing, Necrosis, Neurodegeneration
AwardsEuropean Research Council (ERC) Advanced Investigator grant award (twice)
European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept grant award
EMBO Young Investigator award
Academy of Athens BioMedical Research Award
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel research award
Galien Scientific Research Award
Helmholtz International Fellow Award
Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) long-term postdoctoral fellowship
Bodossaki Foundation Scientific Prize for Medicine and Biology
Foundation for Research and Technology Research Excellence award
Empeirikeion Foundation Academic Excellence Prize
Scientific career
FieldsBiology, Cell Biology, Ageing, Neurodegeneration, Systems Biology, Metabolism
InstitutionsFoundation for Research & Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB)
University of Crete, Medical School
ThesisThe yeast transcriptional activator Gcn4p: Expression and function (1995)
Websitewww.elegans.gr
Notes
Member of the Academy of Athens, the German National Academy of Sciences-Leopoldina, the European Academy of Sciences, the EMBO, Academia Europaea, & the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Fellow of the AAAS. Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. Chairman of the EIT Governing Board. Vice President of the ERC Scientific Council.

Nektarios N. Tavernarakis (Greek: Νεκτάριος Ν. Ταβερναράκης) is a Greek bioscientist, who studies Ageing, Cell death, and Neurodegeneration.[1][2] He is currently Distinguished Professor of Molecular Systems Biology at the Medical School of the University of Crete, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Foundation for Research and Technology, in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. He is also the founder and first Director of the Graduate Program in Bioinformatics of the University of Crete Medical School, and has served as Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, where he is heading the Neurogenetics and Ageing laboratory. He was elected Vice President of the European Research Council (ERC) in 2020,[3] and Chairman of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Governing Board and Executive Committee in 2022.[4]

Early years

Nektarios Tavernarakis was born and grew up in Megali Vrisi,[5] a small village in the municipality of Gortyna, about 30 Km to the south of Heraklion, and graduated with honours from the 1st High School of Heraklion (Kapetanakeio).[6]

Biographical information

Nektarios Tavernarakis completed his undergraduate studies at the Department of Biology of the Aristotle University, in Thessaloniki, Greece (graduated with honours in 1989), and obtained his PhD degree from the Department of Biology of the University of Crete, in Heraklion, Greece, having received the best PhD Thesis Award. He trained as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry of Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA. He has made notable contributions relevant to cell death, neurodegeneration and ageing, documented in the scientific literature.[7][8]

In 2020, Nektarios Tavernarakis was elected Vice President of the European Research Council (ERC),[3] and in 2022, he became Chairman of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Governing Board,[4] He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO),[9] the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc),[10] Academia Europaea,[11] the German National Academy of Sciences-Leopoldina[12] and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA).[13] He is also a corresponding member of the Academy of Athens,[14] and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).[15]

His work has received several prominent awards and scientific prizes, including two European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Investigator grant awards (in 2008 and 2016),[16][17] a European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept grant award,[18] the EMBO Young Investigator award, the International Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) long-term postdoctoral fellowship, the BioMedical Research Award of the Academy of Athens, the Valergakis Post-Graduate Award of the Hellenic University Club of New York, the Galien Scientific Research Award,[19] the Helmholtz International Fellow Award,[20] the Bodossaki Foundation Scientific Prize for Medicine and Biology, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel research award, the Research Excellence award of the Foundation for Research and Technology, and the Empeirikeion Foundation Academic Excellence Prize, among others.

Research and scientific achievements

Nektarios Tavernarakis has contributed to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of necrotic cell death and neurodegeneration, the interplay between cellular metabolism and ageing, the mechanisms of sensory transduction and integration by the nervous system.[21][22] He has also contributed towards the development of novel genetic tools for biomedical research, including an RNA interference (RNAi) method that allows efficient knockdown of neuronal genes.[23] His PhD Thesis research focused on the expression and function of key stress response transcriptional activators in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and provided original insights on the regulation of these activators by nutrient limitation, and the role of DNA in determining interactions between transcription factors and co-factors.[24] His laboratory at IMBB was the first to commence Caenorhabditis elegans research in Greece. He has published more than 250 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, such as Nature. His work has received more than 55,000 citations.[25] Among the notable discoveries of his team are the sophisticated molecular mechanisms, by which diverse physiological signals are integrated to modulate cellular mitochondrial content,[26] protein synthesis,[27][28] and energy homeostasis during ageing.[29] These studies revealed intricate signaling pathways that coordinate mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis, to determine the number of mitochondria in cells, under stress and during ageing.[30][31][32] Work from his lab implicated autophagy,[33] lysosomal function,[34][35] endocytosis,[36] intracellular calcium homeostasis[37] and specific proteolytic enzymes[38] as major contributors to necrosis and neurodegeneration. His group developed, for the first time, experimental heat stroke models; and identified mechanisms protecting against heat cytotoxicity and other necrotic insults.[39] He has isolated and characterized specific ion channels, involved in proprioception and coordinated locomotion,[40] in dopaminergic signalling and associative learning.[41] His team was the first to delineate the role of autophagy in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and behaviour under nutrient deprivation and stress.[42][43] Work in his laboratory also led to the identification of specific nuclear autophagy mediators and the characterization of their role in ageing and germline immortality.[44][45]

Personal life

Nektarios Tavernarakis is married and the father of two daughters. He is a licensed radio amateur, active mainly in the VHF, UHF and SHF radio bands. His callsign is SV9IOR.[46][47]

Selected awards and distinctions

  • Member of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc), (2023)[10]
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB), London, UK (2023)[48]
  • Chairman of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Governing Board and Executive Committee (2022)[49]
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2020)[15]
  • Elected Vice President, Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC) (2020)[50]
  • Member of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Governing Board and Executive Committee (2020)[51]
  • Member of the German National Academy of Sciences-Leopoldina (2019)[12]
  • Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens (2019)[14]
  • Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2018)[13]
  • Helmholtz International Fellow Award (2017)[20]
  • Galien Scientific Research Award (2017)[19]
  • Honorary Education Business Award (2017)[52]
  • Member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC) (2016)[53]
  • European Research Council (ERC), Advanced Investigator Grant award (2016)[17]
  • Research Support Award, Fondation Santé (2015)[54]
  • BioMedical Research Excellence Award, Academy of Athens, (2014)[55]
  • Member of Academia Europaea (2014)[11]
  • Empeirikeion Foundation, Academic Excellence Prize (2012)
  • Excellence Professor, Medical School, University of Crete (2010)
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) (2009)[9]
  • European Research Council (ERC), Advanced Investigator Grant award (2008)[16]
  • Foundation for Research and Technology, Research Excellence award (2007)
  • Alexander von Humboldt, Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research award (2007)[56]
  • Member of the Faculty of 1000 in Biology/Medicine, section on Cellular Death & Stress Responses (2006)[57]
  • Bodossaki Foundation, Academic Prize in Medicine and Biology (2005)[58]
  • European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Young Investigator (2002–2005)[59]
  • International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) fellow (1996–2000)[60]
  • State of New Jersey, Commission on Cancer Research fellow (1996)
  • Hellenic University Club of New York, Frederick Valergakis, Academic achievement award (1996)

Selected publications

References

  1. ↑ Search Results for author Tavernarakis N on PubMed.
  2. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis - Google Scholar". https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Nektarios+Tavernarakis. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Composition of the ERC Scientific Council on the site of ERC: https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/erc-president-and-scientific-council
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nektarios Tavernarakis appointed EIT Governing Board Chair: https://eit.europa.eu/news-events/news/nektarios-tavernarakis-appointed-eit-governing-board-chair
  5. ↑ "Megali Vrisi, Towns and villages - Heraklion". https://www.originalcrete.gr/en/article/megali-vrusi. 
  6. ↑ "1ο Γενικό Λύκειο Ηρακλείου (Καπετανάκειο)". https://1lyk-irakl-new.ira.sch.gr/. 
  7. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis B-9684-2013". ResearcherID.com. 2014-01-02. http://www.researcherid.com/rid/B-9684-2013. 
  8. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis (0000-0002-5253-1466) - ORCID | Connecting Research and Researchers". ORCID. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5253-1466. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "EMBO members". Embo.org. http://www.embo.org/members/find-a-member. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Members – European Academy of Sciences". https://www.eurasc.eu/members/. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Academy of Europe: Tavernarakis Nektarios". Ae-info.org. http://www.ae-info.org/ae/User/Tavernarakis_Nektarios. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Prof. Dr. Nektarios Tavernarakis". leopoldina.org. https://www.leopoldina.org/en/members/list-of-members/list-of-members/member/Member/show/nektarios-tavernarakis/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "European Academy of Sciences and Arts members". euro-acad.eu. https://members.euro-acad.eu/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Εκλογή του Καθηγητή της Ιατρικής Σχολής του Πανεπιστημίου Κρήτης κ. Νεκτάριου Ταβερναράκη ως αντεπιστέλλοντος μέλους της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών στην Έδρα της Νευροβιολογίας-Βιολογίας της Γήρανσης". academyofathens.gr. http://www.academyofathens.gr/el/announcements/%CE%B4%CE%B5%CE%BB%CF%84%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CF%84%CF%8D%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%85/20190613. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "AAAS Announces Leading Scientists Elected as 2020 Fellows". aaas.org. https://www.aaas.org/news/aaas-announces-leading-scientists-elected-2020-fellows. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "European Commission : CORDIS : Projects & Results Service : Molecular Basis of Neuronal Ageing". Cordis.europa.eu. http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/90207_en.html. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "ERC Advanced Grants: €647 million from the EU to 277 senior research leaders". erc.europa.eu. https://erc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/press_release/files/erc_press_release_adg2015_results.pdf. 
  18. ↑ "ERC Proof of Concept Grants: 45 ERC grantees receive top-up innovation funding". erc.europa.eu. https://erc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/press_release/files/erc-highlight-poc2016-second-results.pdf. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Prix Galien: Galien Scientific Research Award". prixgalien.gr. http://www.prixgalien.gr/en/. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Helmholtz International Fellow Award". helmholtz.de. https://www.helmholtz.de/en/. 
  21. ↑ pubmeddev. "Tavernarakis N - PubMed - NCBI". https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Tavernarakis+N. 
  22. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis - Google Scholar". https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Nektarios+Tavernarakis. 
  23. ↑ Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Wang, Shi L.; Dorovkov, Maxim; Ryazanov, Alexey; Driscoll, Monica (1 February 2000). "Heritable and inducible genetic interference by double-stranded RNA encoded by transgenes". Nature Genetics 24 (2): 180–183. doi:10.1038/72850. PMID 10655066. 
  24. ↑ "Διατριβή: Ο ΜΕΤΑΓΡΑΦΙΚΟΣ ΕΝΕΡΓΟΠΟΙΗΤΗΣ GCNH: ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΦΡΑΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΜΗΧΑΝΙΣΜΟΥ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ - Κωδικός: 3450". http://thesis.ekt.gr/3450. 
  25. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis Google Scholar". https://scholar.google.gr/citations?user=afQKKl8AAAAJ&hl. 
  26. ↑ Palikaras, K.; Lionaki, E.; Tavernarakis, N. (1 September 2015). "Balancing mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy to maintain energy metabolism homeostasis". Cell Death & Differentiation 22 (9): 1399–1401. doi:10.1038/cdd.2015.86. PMID 26256515. 
  27. ↑ Syntichaki, Popi; Troulinaki, Kostoula; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (22 February 2007). "eIF4E function in somatic cells modulates ageing in Caenorhabditis elegans". Nature 445 (7130): 922–926. doi:10.1038/nature05603. PMID 17277769. Bibcode: 2007Natur.445..922S. 
  28. ↑ "Maintenance of proteostasis by P body-mediated regulation of eIF4E availability during ageing in Caenorhabditis elegans". Cell Reports 25 (1): 199–211. 2018. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.009. PMID 30282029. 
  29. ↑ Artal-Sanz, Marta; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (8 October 2009). "Prohibitin couples diapause signalling to mitochondrial metabolism during ageing in C. elegans". Nature 461 (7265): 793–797. doi:10.1038/nature08466. PMID 19812672. Bibcode: 2009Natur.461..793A. 
  30. ↑ Palikaras, Konstantinos; Lionaki, Eirini; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (28 May 2015). "Coordination of mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis during ageing in C. elegans". Nature 521 (7553): 525–528. doi:10.1038/nature14300. PMID 25896323. Bibcode: 2015Natur.521..525P. 
  31. ↑ "Mechanisms of mitophagy in cellular homeostasis, physiology and pathology". Nature Cell Biology 20 (9): 1013–1022. 2018. doi:10.1038/s41556-018-0176-2. PMID 30154567. 
  32. ↑ "Mitochondrial protein import determines lifespan through metabolic reprogramming and de novo serine biosynthesis". Nature Communications 13 (1): 651. 2022. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28272-1. PMID 35115503. Bibcode: 2022NatCo..13..651L. 
  33. ↑ Samara, C.; Syntichaki, P.; Tavernarakis, N. (28 September 2007). "Autophagy is required for necrotic cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans". Cell Death & Differentiation 15 (1): 105–112. doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4402231. PMID 17901876. 
  34. ↑ Artal-Sanz, Marta; Samara, Chrysanthi; Syntichaki, Popi; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (24 April 2006). "Lysosomal biogenesis and function is critical for necrotic cell death in Caenorhabditis elegans". J Cell Biol 173 (2): 231–239. doi:10.1083/jcb.200511103. PMID 16636145. 
  35. ↑ Syntichaki, Popi; Samara, Chrysanthi; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (12 July 2005). "The Vacuolar H+-ATPase Mediates Intracellular Acidification Required for Neurodegeneration in C. elegans". Current Biology 15 (13): 1249–1254. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.05.057. PMID 16005300. 
  36. ↑ Troulinaki, Kostoula; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (1 February 2012). "Endocytosis and intracellular trafficking contribute to necrotic neurodegeneration in C. elegans". The EMBO Journal 31 (3): 654–666. doi:10.1038/emboj.2011.447. PMID 22157748. 
  37. ↑ Xu, Keli; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Driscoll, Monica (27 September 2001). "Necrotic Cell Death in C. elegans Requires the Function of Calreticulin and Regulators of Ca2+ Release from the Endoplasmic Reticulum". Neuron 31 (6): 957–971. doi:10.1016/S0896-6273(01)00432-9. PMID 11580896. 
  38. ↑ Syntichaki, Popi; Xu, Keli; Driscoll, Monica; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (31 October 2002). "Specific aspartyl and calpain proteases are required for neurodegeneration in C. elegans". Nature 419 (6910): 939–944. doi:10.1038/nature01108. PMID 12410314. Bibcode: 2002Natur.419..939S. 
  39. ↑ Kourtis, Nikos; Nikoletopoulou, Vassiliki; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (11 October 2012). "Small heat-shock proteins protect from heat-stroke-associated neurodegeneration". Nature 490 (7419): 213–218. doi:10.1038/nature11417. PMID 22972192. Bibcode: 2012Natur.490..213K. 
  40. ↑ Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Shreffler, Wayne; Wang, Shiliang; Driscoll, Monica (1 January 1997). "unc-8, a DEG/ENaC Family Member, Encodes a Subunit of a Candidate Mechanically Gated Channel That Modulates C. elegans Locomotion". Neuron 18 (1): 107–119. doi:10.1016/S0896-6273(01)80050-7. PMID 9010209. 
  41. ↑ Voglis, Giannis; Tavernarakis, Nektarios (17 December 2008). "A synaptic DEG/ENaC ion channel mediates learning in C. elegans by facilitating dopamine signalling". The EMBO Journal 27 (24): 3288–3299. doi:10.1038/emboj.2008.252. PMID 19037257. 
  42. ↑ "Modulation of autophagy by BDNF underlies synaptic plasticity". Cell Metabolism 26 (1): 230–42. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2017.06.005. PMID 28683289. 
  43. ↑ "Regulation and roles of autophagy at synapses". Trends in Cell Biology 28 (8): 230–42 646–661. 2018. doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2018.03.006. PMID 29731196. 
  44. ↑ "Nucleophagy delays ageing and preserves germline immortality". Nature Aging. 2022. doi:10.1038/s43587-022-00327-4. 
  45. ↑ "Research Briefing: Nuclear autophagy promotes longevity and germline immortality". Nature Aging. 2022. doi:10.1038/s43587-022-00336-3. 
  46. ↑ "SV9IOR - Callsign Lookup by QRZ Ham Radio". https://www.qrz.com/db/SV9IOR. 
  47. ↑ "Station info for SV9IOR". https://aprs.fi/info/a/SV9IOR. 
  48. ↑ "Royal Society of Biology Membership". rsb.org.uk. https://my.rsb.org.uk/membership.php. 
  49. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis appointed EIT Governing Board Chair". eit.europa.eu. 29 March 2022. https://eit.europa.eu/news-events/news/nektarios-tavernarakis-appointed-eit-governing-board-chair. 
  50. ↑ "Andrzej Jajszczyk and Nektarios Tavernarakis elected new ERC Vice Presidents". erc.europa.eu. https://erc.europa.eu/news/andrzej-jajszczyk-and-nektarios-tavernarakis-elected-new-erc-vice-presidents. 
  51. ↑ "European Commission: 4 members to EIT Governing Board". eit.europa.eu. 2 July 2020. https://eit.europa.eu/news-events/news/european-commission-welcomes-four-new-members-governing-board-eit. 
  52. ↑ "Education Business Award". educationbusinessawards.gr. http://www.educationbusinessawards.gr/. 
  53. ↑ "ERC Scientific council". erc.europa.eu. https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/organisation-and-working-groups/scientific-council. 
  54. ↑ "Fondation Santé". Fondationsante.org. 2015-10-01. http://www.fondationsante.org/index.php?id=researchgrants. 
  55. ↑ "Ακαδημια Αθηνων". Academyofathens.gr. http://www.academyofathens.gr/. 
  56. ↑ "Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation - Researching the Network". Humboldt-foundation.de. http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/pls/web/pub_hn_query.humboldtianer_details?p_externe_id=7000214584&p_lang=en. 
  57. ↑ "Nektarios Tavernarakis: Faculty Member in Cellular Death & Stress Responses - F1000Prime". F1000.com. 2006-07-18. http://f1000.com/prime/thefaculty/member/2082108301366449. 
  58. ↑ "Scientific Awards | Bodossaki Foundation" (in el). Bodossaki.gr. http://www.bodossaki.gr/en/initiatives/scientific-prizes. 
  59. ↑ "Search the YIP database". 194.94.44.233. http://194.94.44.233/EMBO_YIP_search/search.htm. 
  60. ↑ "Awards Archive | Human Frontier Science Program". Hfsp.org. http://www.hfsp.org/awardees/awards-archive. 

External links



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