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Dr. Kostas A.Fanti

Dr. Kostas A. Fanti is the Director of the Developmental Psychopathology Lab (DPL) and Associate Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at the Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus. He received his bachelor degree from the University of New Orleans, USA, and his Master and PhD from Georgia State University, USA. Dr Fanti is the principal investigator on multiple local and international grants investigating the development of child and adolescent psychopathology. His research and scientific interests have a developmental psychopathology and cognitive-neuroscience focus. Specifically, he investigates how individual, environmental, and biological factors influence maladaptive behavior and especially antisocial behavior from preschool to adolescence. His current research focuses on novel cognitive neuroscience informed treatments for children and adolescents at risk for conduct disorder. He published more than 100 journal articles, books and chapters.

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Dr. Katerina Konikkou
(GENAMAT project coordinator)

Dr. Katerina Konikkou is a Clinical Neuroscientist and recently gained her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cyprus. She holds a two-year Master’s degree in Clinical Neurosciences from Vrije University of Amsterdam with scholarships from the Leventis Foundation and Lucy Akritas Foundation. She has worked as a researcher at Monash University in Melbourne and later at Cyprus University of Technology in Limassol, where she has been trained in brain stimulation techniques including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). She also worked as a trainee psychologist at the Kingston Medical Center in Melbourne. She returned to Cyprus to complete her PhD in Clinical Psychology with research interests in psychotherapy combined with innovative neurostimulation methods. During her clinical practice, she has worked as a trainee Clinical Psychologist in various counselling centers in Cyprus and Australia and worked with individuals with different types of psychopathology including personality disorders, depression, anxiety, postraumatic stress disorders, and adult autism. She is currently a research coordinator for GENAMAT project at the dplab-ucy for 2 years, after successfully securing a competitive funding with her team by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation.

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Dr. Maria Sikki
(GENAMAT research associate)

Maria Sikki holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cyprus. She previously obtained her BA in Psychology from the University of Cyprus and then she continued her postgraduate studies in Netherlands, where she gained an MSc in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology, at Leiden University. She completed an internship at Leiden University where she conducted clinical and neuropsychological assessments. Her master thesis was on associations with hemodynamic responses in young adults with psychopathic traits. Her main research interests include clinical neuroscience, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, antisocial behavior and externalizing problems.

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Dr. Maria Petridou
(Biofeedback project coordinator)

Maria Petridou holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cyprus. She previously obtained her BA in Psychology from the University of Cyprus and then she continued her postgraduate studies in the Netherlands, where she gained an MSc in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology, at Leiden University (Universiteit Leiden). Her major research interests include factors that contribute to the development of anxiety, antisocial behavior, and empathy during childhood and adulthood. Through her Ph.D. thesis aimed to apply novel biologically informed to young adults and adolescents with emotional processing difficulties. She has also worked as a Research Assistant in the Developmental Psychopathology Lab in studies focusing on adults’ and children’s physiological reactivity towards affective stimuli and she has three publications and many presentations in international and local conferences. She also has experience in different intervention programs and clinical assessment in adults and children, as currently, she is doing her internship at Mental Health Center of University of Cyprus and Counselling Communities Centers in Nicosia. She is also a member of the Cyprus Psychology Association by providing workshops and writing articles to the newsletter to enhance the awareness and sensitivity regarding mental health difficulties.

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Georgia P. Zacharaki

(Biofeedback research assistant)

Georgia P. Zacharaki completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Cyprus and specifically in the Department of Psychology, graduating in 2015 (BA in Psychology). She then completed her postgraduate studies in Medical Genetics at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics in Nicosia, earning her Master of Science in Medical Genetics in 2017. In the same year, she was accepted to the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology and is currently a PhD student and Research Assistant at the University of Cyprus. Her research interests focus on externalizing behaviours (Antisocial Behaviour), in particular, on the development of Callous Unemotional Traits and the relationship between neurobiology (genetics and psychophysiological measurements) and the environmental factors for the development of these characteristics as well as for other forms of psychopathology. As a Clinical Psychologist Trainee provides counselling and psychological therapy for several mental health difficulties (under supervision) at Mental Health Centre of Aglantzia and Hope For Children. Georgia is a member of the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy, Cyprus Psychological Association, and the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Cyprus Team.

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Georgia Soursou (Special Scientist
Neo-PRISM-C)

Georgia Soursou is a Special Scientist at the Center for Applied Neuroscience and a member of the Developmental Psychopathology lab as a PhD Fellow in the University of Cyprus under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network entitled Neo-PRISM-C. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics (2011-2016) from the University of Thessaly, Faculty of Science, where she developed an interest in neurodegenerative diseases and brain research with the usage of computer science. Then, she spent a year (2016-2017) as a Research Associate in Neuroinformatics, supervised by Dr. Athanasios Alexiou. She, also, holds a Master’s Degree in Bioinformatics (2017-2019) from the University of Crete, School of Medicine. For her Master thesis, she had the opportunity to join the Poirazi lab, where she developed computer skills to investigate dendritic computations taking place in the human neocortex. There, she became interested in what our cortex can compute and how this affects our behavior.

Georgia Fragkou (Ph.D. candidate)

Georgia Frangou is a Doctorate candidate in general psychology doctoral program at the University of Cyprus. Her research interests emphasize on narcissistic personality disorder, psychopathology, and deviant behaviors. She is a researcher at the Developmental Psychopathology Lab and works under the supervision of Dr. Kostas Fanti. She is also a registered clinical psychologist since 2011. In her career as a professional, she provided services in the Military Force, as well as her private practice. Later on she was employed at the Governmental mental health sector where she predominantly worked as a clinical psychologist for abuse and addictions with legal and illegal substances where she worked with individuals with comorbidity with personality disorders, depression, anxiety, postraumatic stress disorders, and psychosis. She was also appointed as a coordinator of the smoking cessation programs of the Ministry of Health. Currently, she holds an advising officer position at the Center of Student Development of the Cyprus University of Technology, where she primarily provides counseling services and coordinates the provision for accommodations for college students with learning disabilities and other health issues. She has graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a B.A in Psychology and from Pittsburg State University with a M.S in clinical psychology

Ioannis Mavrommatis ( Ph.D. candidate)

Ioannis Mavrommatis is a Phd student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cyprus. He obtained a BA in Psychology from the University of Cyprus in 2019. During his undergraduate studies he was involved as a research assistant in physiological and neurocognitive projects and gained experience in applying psychoeducation in prison and school settings. Upon graduation, he received the “Ntinos Leventis award for excellence in the Social Sciences” and the “Department of Psychology award”. He continued his studies in the Netherlands, where he obtained a MSc in Clinical Psychology from the University of Leiden and completed a practical internship providing individual coaching to international students. In 2020, he returned to Cyprus to start his PhD, for which he received full scholarship. He is interested in the biological and environmental factors associated with psychopathic traits, antisocial behavior and aggression.

Evita Katsimicha (Ph.D. candidate)

Evita Katsimicha is a licenced School / Educational Psychologist and works as a psychologist in Limassol and Nicosia. She is also currently working as a Special Scientist at the University of Cyprus for the coordination and supervision of the practical training of students of Postgraduate degree «School Counseling and Guidance». At the same time she is doing her PhD in Psychology. She earned her first degree at the University of Crete where she studied at the Department of Philosophy and Social Studies. She continued her studies in England, where she completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology. She then continued her postgraduate studies at the University of Cambridge where he obtained a Master's degree in Counseling Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents and later in School Psychology at the University of Cyprus. Her clinical practice was at the Educational Psychology Service of the Ministry of Education of Cyprus at schools in Limassol and Paphos. She has been trained in Parent psychoeducation for behavioral problems and Parent-Child Interaction therapy (PCIT). Her research activity focuses on the study and treatment of antisocial behavior, Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence in infancy, childhood and adolescence. Part of her research work has been presented in local and international scientific journals and conferences. She was a member of the Cyprus Psychological Registration Board during the period 2016 – 2019 and she is currently the Vice President of Cyprus Psychological Association.

Polyvios Theodorou ( Ph.D. candidate)

Polyvios Theodotou is a PhD candidate in the Developmental Psychopathology Lab, under the supervision of Dr Kostas Fanti. He is interested in the translational neurobiology and cognitive pathology of callousness, and their implications for psychopathy. Polyvios holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Leicester, an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from UCL, and an MSc in Neuroscience (Developmental Neurobiology) from King’s College London.

Dr. Chara Demetriou

Dr Chara A. Demetriou is a licensed School / Educational Psychologist (#230), and holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology (University of Cyprus, #542). She is currently working as a Special Scientist at the Mental Health Center, University of Cyprus for the coordination and supervision of the internship of students of Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. At the same time, she offers a number of postgraduate modules in School and Clinical Psychology postgraduate programs. She also earned a Master of Science in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Institute of Child Health, University College London (UCL). Her research interests combine topics of School and Clinical Psychology in the context of Developmental Psychopathology. More specifically, she focuses on the study of behavioral problems experienced by infants and middle-aged children, family and school support, and the implementation of effective management and coping strategies. She has presented part of her research studies in a number of scientific conferences and journals. She is a member of the Cyprus Psychological Association Board from 2018.