Spiridoula Athanasiadou

Personal profile

Research interests

Host-pathogen-environment interactions in ruminants and monogastric hosts; use of in situ (broilers), in vivo (sheep, rodents)and in vitro models to study the interactions.
Application of molecular methodologies to identify markers for disease susceptibility and environmental predisposition to disease in mammals.
Molecular interactions between nutrition and immunity to gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants.
Plant-based control strategies for endo- and ecto-parasites in ruminants.
Improving gut health in poultry to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease.
Improving gut health in broilers via genotype x environment interactions for improved efficiency and health.

Recent Grants

2018-22	Horizon 2020. Replacement of Contentious Inputs in Organic Farming Systems (RELCS). 28 Partners form 11 countries; collaborators include IFOAM, FiBL, Soil Association WP Leader.on Replacement of anthelmintics in livestock production	£3,800,000
2017-20	Norway Research Council. Barkcure: condensed tannins from Norwegian pine and spruce bark: antiparasitic effects and potential commercial exploitation. Collaborators include SINTEF (N), University of Copenhagen (DK). WP Leader.	£1,100,000
2015-18	CORE Organic Plus (ERANET) and EU. ProPara: Tackling the parasitological challenges in organic ruminant farming practices. Collaborators include Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (CH), Louis Bolk Institute (NL), WUR (NL), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (S). Coordinator	£1,000,000
2016-17	Danisco Ltd. Effect of disease challenge and DFM supplementation on broiler performance and gene expression. PI	£86,000
2014-18	BBSRC. Impact of genetics and growth promoters on avian intestinal microbiota and health. Collaborators include Aviagen Ltd PI	£117,000
2013-16	Japan Student Services Organisation and SRUC. Nutritional regulation of resistance to nematodes in mammals. Collaborators include University of Edinburgh PI	£65,000
2012-17	Scottish Government. Environmental impact of parasitism. Collaborators include University of Edinburgh Co-investigator	£75,250
2011-16	Scottish Government. Antiparasitic plants in Ethiopia. Collaborators include University of Edinburgh Co-investigator	£52,500
2013-14	Regionalt Forskningsfond Midt-Norge, Norway. Bark in feed – for improved feed utilization and animal health. Collaborators include Norwegian Centre for Organic Agriculture (Norway) and Natural Resources Institute (Finland) Co-investigator	£100,000
2011-15	BBSRC. Genotype x environment interactions for necrotic enteritis susceptibility in broilers. Collaborators include Zoetis and University of Guelph, Canada PI	£140,000
2011-16	Scottish Government (SPASE). Transcriptome sequencing of poultry during Campylobacter spp infection to define host-pathogen interaction. Collaborators include the Roslin Institute and Moredun Research Institute Co-investigator	£400,000
2010-14	BBSRC and DIFID. Identification, investigation and implementation of plant-based parasite control strategies. Collaborators include Hawassa University, Ethiopia, Moredun Research Institute and the Roslin Institute Co-investigator	£928,000

Supervision

PhD student supervision

Fran Shepard (UoE, Royal School of Veterinary Studies) 2018-2022

The role of heather for parasite control in sheep (main supervisor)

Lindsay Fulton (UoE, Royal School of Veterinary Studies)

Impact of genetics and growth promoters on avian intestinal

microbiota and health (main supervisor) 2014-2018

Zulfa Insani (UoE, Royal School of Veterinary Studies) Understanding the

relationship between host tolerance resistance and nutrition to multiple

pathogen challenge 2019-2022

Ketema Tolossa (UoE, Molecular Cell Biology- Plant Sciences)

Anti-parasitic properties of selected indigenous Ethiopian plant(s)

as alternative parasite control strategy in livestock (co-supervisor) 2013-2017

Aya Masuda (UoE, Evolutionary Biology, Immunology and Infection research)

Nutritional regulation of resistance to nematodes in mammals
(main supervisor) 2013-2016

Sokratis Ptochos (UoE, School of Biology)

Environmental change impacts on sheep parasitism (main supervisor;
currently on interruption of studies, on health grounds) 2012-2017

Kay Russell (UoE, Royal School of Veterinary Studies)

Genotype x environment interactions for the control of necrotic

enteritis in broilers (main supervisor) 2011-2015

Panos Sakkas (UoE, School of Biology)

Consequences of nutrient supplementation on parasitized
periparturient animals (co-supervisor) 2007-2010

Alem Kidane (UoE, School of Biology)

Nutritional alternatives to parasite control in sheep (co-supervisor) 2006-2009

Ouranios Tzamaloukas (UoE, Science and Engineering)

The control of parasitism in organic systems of sheep

production (co-supervisor) 2001-2004

Teaching

1) Coordinator for online distance learning MSC in Veterinary Epidemiology

Provide strategic leadership for programme development
Create, develop and deliver new courses within the programme
Liaise with other programmes within the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Coordinate the day to day running and administration of the programme
Provide tutoring and mentoring to students, organise and undertake project supervision, oversee student course assessment, administrate examination procedures
Liaise with students and supervisors on the dissertation part of the programme

2) Course organizing (online MSc veterinary Epidemiology)