Anna Vardi

 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
PERSONAL INFORMATION

 

Name: Anna 

Surname: Vardi 

Nationality: Greek 

Date of birth: January 7th, 1980 

Home address: Exochi 57010, Thessaloniki, Greece 

Tel. (mob): +30.6944.692474 

Tel. (off): +30.2313.307992 

E-mail: anna_vardi@yahoo.com 

 

 
EDUCATION  
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION  DEGREE  YEAR(s)  FIELD OF STUDY 
UNIVERSITY OF CRETE, HERACLION, GREECE 

 

 PhD  2012-2016  Medicine/Molecular Biology 

 
UNIVERSITY OF CRETE, HERACLION, GREECE 

 

 MSc  2008-2010  Medicine/Molecular Biology 

 
ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI, GREECE  MD  1997-2003  Medicine 
           

MSc postgraduate program: Molecular Basis of Human Diseases 

Postgraduate diploma thesis: Functional analysis of innate immune receptors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia 

Supervisor: Dr. Kostas Stamatopoulos, Director, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research and Technology Hellas, Grece 

PhD dissertation title: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia ontogenesis: immunogenetic evidence 

Supervisor: Dr. Helen Papadaki, Professor of Hematology, Medical School, University of Crete, Greece and Dr. Kostas Stamatopoulos, Director, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research and Technology Hellas, Greece 

EMPLOYMENT RECORD 

  • 2019-today:       PostDoc Researcher, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research  

                             and Technology Hellas (INAB|CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece  

  • 2015-today:       Trained Hematologist, Department of Hematology and HCT Unit, G. Papanikolaou   

                             Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece   

  • 2014-2015:        Researcher, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research and Technology      

                             Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece 

  • 2009 – 2014:   Hematology Resident, Hematology Department & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation  

                             Unit, G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece 

  • 2006-2008:   Internal Medicine Resident, General Hospital of Rethymno, Crete, Greece   
  • 2005:                Medical Doctor, Medicins Sans Frontieres, Harare, Zimbabwe 
  • 2004-2005:        Internship, General Hospital of Syros, Greece

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS 

  1. Blanco G, Vardi A, Puiggros A, Gomez-Llonin A, Nuro M, Rodriquez-Rivera M, et al. Restricted T cell receptor repertoire in CLL-like monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis and early stage CLL. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7(6):e1432328  
  1. Vardi A, Vlachonikola E, Karypidou M, et al. Restrictions in the T-cell repertoire of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: high-throughput immunoprofiling supports selection by shared antigenic elements. Leukemia 2017; 31(7):1555-61 
  1. Vardi A, Stamatopoulos K, Hadzidimitriou A. T cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: can they fight? Oncotarget 2017;8(59):99209-99210 
  1. Rawstron AC, Ssemaganda A, de Tute R, Doughty C, Newton D, Vardi A, et al. Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis in a hospital-based UK population and a rural Uganda population: a cross-sectional study. Lancet Haematol 2017;4(7):e334-40 
  1. Mastrodemou S, Stalika E, Vardi A, et al. Cytotoxic T cells in chronic idiopathic neutropenia express restricted antigen receptors. Leuk Lymphoma 2017;58(12):2926-33 
  1. Vardi A, Agathangelidis A, Stalika E, et al. Antigen selection shapes the T-cell repertoire in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Clin Cancer Res 2016; 22(1):167-74 
  1. Vardi A, Agathangelidis A, Sutton LA, et al. Immunogenetic studies of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: revelations and speculations about ontogeny and clinical evolution. Cancer Res. 2014; 74(16):4211-6.                
  1. Agathangelidis A, Vardi A, Baliakas P, Stamatopoulos K. Stereotyped B-cell receptors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 2014; 55(10):2252-61        
  1. Vardi Α, Agathangelidis Α, Sutton LΑ, et al. IGG-switched CLL has a distinct immunogenetic signature from the common MD variant: ontogenetic implications. Clin Cancer Res 2014; 20(2):323-30             
  1. Vardi A, Dagklis A, Scarfò L, Jelinek D, Newton D, Bennett F, Almeida J, Rodriguez-Caballero A, Allgood S, Lanasa M, Cortelezzi A, Orlandi E, Veronese S, Montillo M, Rawstron A, Shanafelt T, Orfao A, Stamatopoulos K, Ghia P. Immunogenetics shows that not all MBL are equal: the larger the clone the more similar to CLL. Blood 2013; 121(22):4521-8. 
  1. Ntoufa S, Vardi A, Papakonstantinou N, Anagnostopoulos A, Aleporou-Marinou V,  Belessi C, Ghia P, Caligaris-Cappio F, Muzio M, Stamatopoulos K. Distinct Innate Immunity Pathways to Activation and Tolerance in Subgroups of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with Distinct Immunoglobulin Receptors. Mol Med. 2012;18:1281-91

SCHOLARSHIPS 

European Hematology Association, Physician Scientist Research Grant. “Large-scale detection and characterization of T cells with anti-tumor specificity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: can it pave the way for cellular treatments or vaccination strategies?” (Principal Investigator, 2019-2021, 160.000€) 

HONORS/AWARDS 

  1. Vardi, E. Vlachonikola, E. Koravou, C. Galigalidou, K. Gemenetzi, et al. Differential Impact of Signaling Inhibitor Treatment Versus Standard Chemoimmunotherapy on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia T Cells: Clinical Implications. ASH Meeting, Atlanta, US (2017) – Best Abstract Achievement Award
  2. Blanco, A. Puiggros, A. Gómez-Llonín, M. Rodríguez-Rivera, A. Vardi, et al. Antigen selection shapes the T-cell repertoire in CLL-like MBL and early-stage CLL. Young Investigators Meeting, XVI International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, Sydney, Australia (2015) – Awarded with Young Investigators Meeting (YIM) Scholarship
  3. Vardi, E. Stalika, A. Gkoufas, M. Karypidou, S. Pospisilova, et al. High-throughput immunoprofiling of T-cell repertoire in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: molecular evidence of antigen selection. 25th Annual Congress, Hellenic Society of Haematology, Greece (2014) – Best oral abstract 
  4. Vardi, A. Agathangelidis, E. Stalika, N. Cahill, M. Karypidou, et al. T cells of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia expressing stereotyped IGHV4-34/IGKV2-30 B-cell receptors are selected by antigen: immunogenetic evidence. 23rd Annual Congress, Hellenic Society of Haematology, Greece (2012) – Best oral abstract
  5. Baliakas, A. Vardi, N. Stavroyianni, C. Lalayianni, A. Athanasiadou, et al. B-cell receptor stereotypy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: prognostic implications. 22nd Annual Congress, Hellenic Society of Haematology, Greece (2011) – Best oral abstract
  6. Agathangelidis, A. Vardi, E. Stalika, P. Zerva, E. Koravou, et al. Distinct primary sequence changes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia expressing stereotyped IGHV4-34/IGKV2-30 B-cell receptors (subset #4): somatic hypermutation or unknown polymorphisms? 22nd Annual Congress, Hellenic Society of Haematology, Greece (2011) – Best poster

PARTICIPATION IN RESEARCH PROGRAMS 

  1. PR-BT3: “Next-generation sequencing in oncology patients, with focus on chronic lymphocytic leukemia” | Principal Investigator: Kostas Stamatopoulos | Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research and Tecnology Hellas | May 2013 – December 2016
  1. CLL-IBRU: “Signaling profiling of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients treated with ibrutinib” | Principal Investigator: Kostas Stamatopoulos | Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research and Tecnology Hellas | December 2014 – December 2016
  1. AEGLE, H2020: “An analytics framework for integrated and personalized healthcare services in Europe” Principal Investigator: Kostas Stamatopoulos | Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research and Tecnology Hellas | March 2015 – February 2018

PARTICIPATION IN CLINICAL TRIALS 

  1. OMB112517, GlaxoSmithkline, titled: “Phase III trial in Relapsed CLL of a Monoclonal Antibody Ofatumumab maintenance therapy to delay prograssion versus observation” | Subinvestigator
  1. MO28107, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, titled: “A comparative, randomized, parallel group, multi-centre, phase IIIb study to investigate the efficacy of subcutaneous (sc) rituximab versus intravenous (iv) rituximab both in combination with CHOP (R-CHOP) in previously untreated patients with CD20 positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)” | Subinvestigator
  1. Merck & Co., titled: “A Phase II Clinical Trial of MK-3475 (Pembrolizumab) in Subjects with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL)” | Subinvestigator

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES 

  1. Hellenic Society of Haematology, Greece  
  1. European Research Initiative on CLL (ERIC) 
  1. European Haematology Association (EHA)  

AREAS OF INTEREST/EXPERTISE  

  1. Hemato-oncology (special focus on lymphoid malignancies, hematopoietic cell transplantation) 
  1. Immunology – immunogenetics 
  1. Adaptive immune receptor profiling 
  1. Next-generation sequencing 
  1. Neoepitope identification