Spiridoula Athanasiadou

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Spiridoula Athanasiadou

Dr

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9188-837X

  • Easter Bush, Roslin Institute Building

    EH25 9RG Midlothian

    United Kingdom

20002023

Research activity per year

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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)

  • Introduction to Veterinary Epidemiology (Year 1)                                          2017
  • Livestock management impacts on disease risk and control (Year 1)             2017
  • Host-pathogen arms race (Year 2)                                                               2018
  • Livestock nutrition and disease control (Year 2)                                            2018

 

3) Lecturing Nutrition, Parasitology and Immunology

 

  • Veterinary Epidemiology (MSc, UoE and SRUC)                                   2017-present
  • International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law
    (MSc, SRUC and UoE)                                                                            2014-present
  • Clinical Animal Behaviour (MSc, UoE)                                                   2016-present
  • Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare (MSc,
    SRUC and UoE)                                                                                      2010-present
  • Biological Sciences (BSc, Newcastle University)                                   2011-present
  • Animal Sciences (BSc, Newcastle University)                                        2011-present
  • Agriculture Course (BSc Hons, SRUC)                                                  2009-present
  • Applied Animal Science (BSc Hons, SRUC)                                          2008-present

4) Assessment of PhD Theses

-Leeds University, UK. Fiona Reynolds on: The feeding behaviour 
of the piglet in the immediate post weaning period                2012
-University of Guelph, Canada. Louis Dionissopoulos:  Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in subacute ruminal acidosis in 
ruminants                                    2013
-University of Glasgow, UK. Emily O’Reilly. Acute phase proteins and biomarkers for health in chickens                                    2016
-University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Olivier Desrues: Alternative control of bovine gastroinetstinal nematodes: studies on the legume sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and other natural bioactive products                            2016
- University of Newcastle, UK. Nikolaos Voutzourakis: Effect of climatic and agronomic factors on animal health, milk yield and quality parameters in extensive and semi-intensive Sfakiano dairy sheep production systems in Crete                    2019
- University of Lincoln, NZ. Reny Debora Tambunan. Targeted supplementation of sheep to control nematode populations                             2021
- Queens University Belfast, UK. Antony George. Interactions and epidemiology of nematode worm control in livestock                             2021
- The University of Western Australia, Australia. Suyog Subedi. Athelmintic activity in plant secondary metabolites from Khaya senegalensis (African mahogany)          2022

Biography

2016-now        Reader in Gastrointestinal Health/ Senior Research Scientist (Band 2),
Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC

2016-now        Coordinator of online MSc Veterinary Epidemiology, UoE and SRUC

2015-2016       Reader in Gastrointestinal Health/ Research Scientist (Band 3+), Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC

2012-2015       Research Scientist (Band 3+), Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC

2008-2012       Research Scientist (Band 3), Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC

2005-2007       Postdoctoral Fellow (VTRI), Moredun Research Institute.

2001-2004       Post-doctoral Scientist, Animal Health, SAC

Education/Academic qualification

PhD, The role of condensed tannins towards gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh

Award Date: 6 Jul 2001

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