Invited lectures/workshops
- Workshop "Archaeo - Bio Open Lab": Two distinct presentations by: Despοina Vassou and Eugenia Tabakaki.Τhe workshop was implemented in the context of the International Museum Day 2023 "Museums, Sustainability and Quality of Life", Archaeological Museum of Arta, Arta, 18 and 19 May 2023
- “Written' on bones: Reconstructing past population life-histories through skeletal analysis", Online lPresentation given by Nafplioti Argyro, in the context of seminar series ON-LINE ARCHAEOLOGY LECTURES SERIES, WINTER-SPRING 2022, A look into Prehistoric Crete everyday life, Stegi Vitsentzos Kornaros, Wednesday, 23 March 2022
- “Ancient mitogenomics of the extinct Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus”, Presentation given by Nikolaos Psonis, STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION – FORTH ARCHERS FINAL (VIRTUAL) CONFERENCE, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 6-8 December 2021
- “Ancient DNA Analysis: a novel approach in Cultural Heritage”, Presentation given by Nikos Psonis, Workshop OPTO-CH 2019 meets POLITEIA II, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 6 June 2019
- “Ancient DNA Analysis”, Three separate presentations given by Dimitris Kafetzopoulos, Despoina Vassou, and Nikolaos Psonis, Pre-conference workshop during the 26th annual CIDOC - ICOM Conference, Cultural Conference Centre of Heraklion, Crete, Greece, September 30, 2018
- “Ancient DNA Applications and Perspectives” Nikolaos Psonis, ΙΜΒΒ Joint Colloquia, Heraklion, February 16, 2018 (video)
- “Ancient DNA: a window to the Past and Future”, Dimitris Kafetzopoulos,“ORIGINS: Towards a New, Multidisciplinary ESFRI Research Infrastructure for the Evolution, Environment, Heritage, Identity and Diversity of Humans, throughout their Existence”, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, July 30, 2015
- “Methods & procedures for targeted enrichment and sequence characterization of ancient DNA specimens”, D. Kafetzopoulos, C. Zoumadakis, E. Stratidaki, G. Papagiannakis, 6th Symposium of the Hellenic Society for Archaeometry, Athens, May 16-18, 2013
Seminar presentations
- “The complexity of aDNA studies and the importance of contextual information” presentation given by Eugenia Tabakaki, The 2nd VRE Workshop of ARIADNEplus: Ancient DNA and Environmental Data and Research, 6th May 2021
- Webinar: "Archaeogenetics under HELLAS-CH.gr”, Two presentations given by Despoina Vassou and Eugenia Tabakaki (PDF), 24 September 2020
- “Parallel and complementary approaches in modern bioarchaeological research”, Three presentations given by Dimitris Kafetzopoulos, Argyro Nafplioti and Nikolaos Psonis. Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 3 October 2018
- “Towards the Establishment of the Archaeogenetics Research Infrastructure: Development of Technologies, Methodologies, Services, Collaborations & Synergies” D. Kafetzopoulos, HELLAS-CH Kick-off meeting, Herakleion, March 1-2, 2018
- “Integration of Biology into the Cultural Heritage knowledge system” Dimitris Kafetzopoulos, Workshop on Sustainable solutions for restoration & conservation of cultural heritage E-MRS, May 11, 2015
- “Multidisciplinary Approaches, Accelerating Developments in Archeogenetics & Paleontology”, D. Kafetzopoulos, International Conference on Research Infrastructures, ICRI, Proposal preparation for including E-RIHS in 2016 ESFRI Roadmap, Ministry of Culture, Rome, Italy, Nov 16, 2014, Athens April 2-4, 2014
Conference presentations
- Vassou D., Psonis N., Tabakaki E., Koursioti S., Papakosta D., Xanthopoulos K., Papadopoulou V.N., Tsetsos F., Galanis A., Papagerogopoulou C., Nafplioti A., Pavlidis P., Stamatakis A., & Poulakakis N. "Human genomes from Ancient Amvrakia, Epirus, north-western Greece". 15th International Congress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions, Mytilini, Greece, 12-15 October 2022.
- Psonis N., Vassou D., Kontaxi C., Stravopodi E., Tabakaki E., Nafplioti A., Pavlidis P., Stamatakis A., & Poulakakis N. "Ancient DNA confirms the presence of aurochs (Bos primigenius) in Neolithic Greece". 15th International Congress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions, Μυτιλήνη, Ελλάδα, 12-15 Οκτωβρίου 2022.
- Mavridou D., Τsafaras S, Karyati E., Vassou D., Tabakaki E., Psonis N., Papageorgopoulou C., Xatnthopoulos K., Georgiadou A., Aidonis A., Papadopoulou V., Vasios A., Papakosta D., Korka E., Evaggeloglou P., Christidis I., Ioannou M., & Panailidis P., "Museum Archaeo-Bio Open Lab experience using new technologies and interactive multimedia applications". 26th ICOM General Conference, Πράγα, Τσεχία, 20-28 Αυγούστου 2022.
- Theodoridou M., Vassou D., Felicetti A., Tabakaki E., Psonis N., & Kafetzopoulos D., "Forth to the past: Modeling Complex Scientific Ancient DNA Protocols", 27th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists - Widening Horizons (Virtual Conference), Kiel, Germany, 06-11 September 2021 (oral presentation).
- Molloy B., Fibiger L., Michael D., & Nafplioti A,. "Taking The Pulse Of Biomolecular And Bioarchaeological Insights Into Mobility And Change Ca. 1200 BC In Southeastern Europe". 27th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists - Widening Horizons (Virtual Conference), Kiel, Germany, 06-11 September 2021 (oral presentation).
- Psonis N., Vassou D., Tabakaki E., Stravopodi E., & Kafetzopoulos D., "Early Bronze Age Aegean Genomes From Perachora Cave, Corinth, Greece". 27th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists - Widening Horizons (Virtual Conference), Kiel, Germany, 06-11 September 2021 (poster presentation).
- Psonis N., Vassou D., Nicolaou L., Poulakakis N., Roussiakis S., Iliopoulos G., Sfenthourakis S. & Kafetzopoulos D., "Mitogenomics of the extinct Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus. Ancient Biomolecules of Plants, Animals, and Microbes" (Virtual Conference), Wellcome Genome Campus, UK, 29-31 March 2021.
- Patramanis I., Tabakaki E., Vassou D., Psonis N., Papadopoulou V., Pavlidis P. & Kafetzopoulos D., "Dynamic demographic models for the study of the second Greek colonization (8th - 6th century BCE)", Conference "Reconstructing the Human Past - Using Ancient and Modern Genomics", EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, 31 Mar - 3 Apr 2019.
Teaching activities
- Annual Lecture: Psonis N. “Ancient DNA and applications” lecture in the context of the course New technologies in Environmental Science, Postgraduate M.Sc. Program of Environmental Biology, Biology Department, University of Crete, Greece, 2019 – 2023
- Annual lecture: Psonis N. “Ancient DNA and applications” lecture in the context of the Environmental Course: "Tracing the Past", Environmental Education Program, 7th High School of Chania, Greece, 2021 – 2022
- Lecture: Psonis N. “Ancient DNA and applications” online lecture, in the context of seminar series for graduate students of the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Cyprus, 31 March 2021
- Lecture: Psonis N.“Α general introduction to ancient DNA analysis” online lecture in the context of the Aegean Seminars for Computational Ecology and Evolution, 28 April 2021
- Practical Course: Psonis N."Ancient DNA Bioinformatics" One-day practical course by Nikolaos Psonis during the "Aegean seminars for computational ecology and evolution", Izmir, Turkey, 16-22 September, 2018
Public engagement
- European Researchers’ Night 2019
The Researchers' Night event was held (September 27, 2019), at FORTH premises with the active participation of the aDNA research Lab. The members of the Lab focused on the aDNA thematic research area with high interest for the general public. Applications and technologies from the field were presented during the event. The main aim of the event was to engage the public with research and, in particular, to stimulate youth and students participate in interactive scientific activities organised especially for the purpose of the event.
- European Researchers’ Night 2018
Participation to the "European Researcher's Night", September 28, 2018, which was organized in the premises of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion. The aDNA Lab participated in the theatrical play "for a cent.." The theatrical play was a journey of discovery, science, history and myth. The protagonists of the show were four skeletons (performers) of ancient ancestors who dance, sing, entertain and narrate the stories of their afterlife. The play was written by Eugenia Tabakaki.
- European Researchers’ Night 2017
Participation to the "European Researcher's Night", September 29, 2017, which was organized in the premises of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion. The aDNA Lab participated in the interactive presentation entitled “Tea with Albert and Marie”. In an informal discussion at a café in Paris, two world renowned scientists, Albert Einstein and Marie Sklodowska-Curie discuss their work, life achievements and their dreams. The play was written by Eugenia Tabakaki.
- European Researchers’ Night 2016
Participation to the "European Researcher's Night", (September 30, 2016), which was organized in the premises of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion. Presentation of the aDNA Lab in the context of Cultural Heritage at FORTH.
- Colorbook : Adventures in Archaeological Science - 2017 (Translation in Greek)
Christina Warinner (editor), Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 24 November 2017, Jena, Germany, 15 pages. [Translation From English to Greek by Nikos Psonis]