Zafeiriou, Maria Patapia Ph.D

Group leader, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology

1997–2002: Undergraduate studies in Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
2002: Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Chemistry/Biochemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
2004: Master of Science (MSc) in Biochemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
2007: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biochemisty, Center of Exp. Gynecology & Eicosanoid research, Charité, Berlin and Biochemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
2008 – 2010: Postdoctoral fellow, Experimental Cardiology, Max Delbrück Center (MDC), Berlin-Buch, Germany
2010 – 2019: Postdoctoral fellow, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
Since 2019: Application Specialist “Stem cells and organoids” in the cluster of excellence „Multiscale Bioimaging: from molecular machines to electrically excitable cells”, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
Since 2020: Group leader “3D excitable cell networks” at the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany

Major Research Interests

Our research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying electrically excitable cell network function and connectivity. With a special interest in the communication between heart and brain, we investigate how common channelopathies can lead to network imbalance in both organs and how miscommunication due to autonomic dysregulation can lead to cardiac dysfunction. To investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying infantile epilepsy and sudden cardiac death, we employ human tissue engineering, genome editing and induced pluripotent stem cell technologies. Bioenginneered neuronal organoids representing specific regions of the central (cortex, medial ganglionic eminence, midbrain) and peripheral (spinal motor neurons, autonomic neurons) nervous system are some of the human in vitro models we established and utilize to investigate neuron-neuron and neuron-cardiomyocyte cross-talk.

Homepage Department / Research Group

https://pharmacology.umg.eu/zafeiriou/

Selected Recent Publications

Zafeiriou MP, Bao G, Hudson J, Halder R, Blenkle A, Schreiber MK, Fischer A, Schild D, Zimmermann WH. (2020) Network Activity and Plasticity in Bioengineered Neuronal Organoids. Nature Comm., 11(1):3791

Rathjens FS, Iyer LM , Blenkle A, Renger A, Syeda F, Noack C, Jungmann A, Dewenter M, Toischer K, El-Armouche A. , Müller OJ, Fabritz L, Zimmermann WH, Zelarayan LC, Zafeiriou MP (2020) Preclinical evidence for the therapeutic value of TBX5 normalization in arrhythmia control. Cardiovascular Research, Ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvaa239

Noack C, Iyer LM, Liaw NY, Schoger E, Khadjeh S, Wagner E, Woelfer M, Zafeiriou MP, Milting H, Sossalla S, Streckfuss-Boemeke K, Hasenfuß G, Zimmermann WH, Zelarayán LC. (2019) KLF15-Wnt-Dependent Cardiac Reprogramming Up-Regulates SHISA3 in the Mammalian Heart. J Am Coll Cardiol., 74(14):1804-1819

Wiedmann F, Schulte JS, Gomes B, Zafeiriou MP, Ratte A, Rathjens F, Fehrmann E, Scholz B, Voigt N, Müller FU, Thomas D, Katus HA, Schmidt C. (2018) Atrial fibrillation and heart failure-associated remodeling of two-pore-domain potassium (K2P) channels in murine disease models: focus on TASK-1. Basic Res Cardiol.,113(4):27

Castillo-Gómez E, Oliveira B, Tapken D, Bertrand S, Klein-Schmidt C, Pan H, Zafeiriou MP, Steiner J, Jurek B, Trippe R, Prüss H, Zimmermann WH, Bertrand D, Ehrenreich H, Hollmann M. (2016) All naturally occurring autoantibodies against the NMDA receptor subunit NR1 have pathogenic potential irrespective of epitope and immunoglobulin class. Mol Psychiatry., 00: 1–9

Zafeiriou MP, Noack C, Unsold B, Didie M, Pavlova E, Fischer HJ, Reichardt HM, Bergmann MW, El-Armouche A, Zimmermann WH, Zelarayan LC. (2014) Erythropoietin Responsive Cardiomyogenic Cells Contribute to Heart Repair Post Myocardial Infarction. Stem Cells, 32(9):2480-91