Staff Catalogue
EL

NIOVI SANTAMA

SANTAMA NIOVI
22892881
...
PROFESSOR
Department of Biological Sciences
FST 02 - Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, 051
University Campus
Studies
  • Degree in Biology (B.Sc.) (awarded with grade 83.3%), University of Athens, Greece (1987)
  • Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Genetic Manipulation and Molecular Biology. University of Sussex, UK. (1988)
  • Ph.D. in Neuroscience, University of Sussex, UK (1992).
 
Professional Posts
  • Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Sussex Centre for Neuroscience (an Interdisciplinary Research Centre of Excellence) at the University of Sussex, U.K. (1992-93)
  • EMBO Fellow at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany (1994-95)
  • Marie Curie HCM Fellow at the EMBL in Heidelberg, Germany (1995-97)
  • Lecturer at the Department of Natural Sciences, University of Cyprus (1996-98)
  • Assistant Professor at the Department of Natural Sciences, University of Cyprus (1998-2002)
  • Transfer as Assistant Professor at the newly-established Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus (2002-07)
  • Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus (2007-17) and Department Head (2015-17)
  • Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus (2018- )
 

CV Summary

Niovi Santama, Ph.D. is Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cyprus. She is a molecular cell biologist, trained at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK, following her basic studies at the University of Athens. She was the recipient of long-term postdoctoral Fellowships from EMBO and the Marie Curie HCM Programme (EU). In 2016 she was awarded a Fulbright Visiting Scholar Award to conduct experiments (April-August 2016) at the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the University of California at Berkeley.

Her research background and contributions are in the fields of the molecular and cell biology of molecular motor proteins and ciliogenesis in mammalian cells, the mechanisms of nuclear envelope formation and Endoplasmic Reticulum morphogenesis in human cells and the molecular physiology of neurodegenerative disease. Earlier work focussed on neuropeptide gene expression in the brain and the structure and function of subnuclear domains in mammalian neurons.

She has published 36 papers in international refereed journals (accessible via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Santama_N), including papers in the EMBO Journal, The Journal of Cell Science, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, etc. For her publications, she scores an H-factor of 21 and total citations over 1200. She collaborates with research groups internationally (Singapore, Germany, Spain, Dernmark, Italy, Greece, Belgium, the UK and the USA). She has attracted significant external research funding, obtained from the European Commission, the US Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Telethon Foundation (Cyprus), the A.G. Leventis Foundation (France) and the Research Promotion Foundation (RPF, Cyprus) and also internal funding from the University of Cyprus.

She has supervised 26 undergraduate, 14 M.Sc.,  and 6 doctoral students, and 7 post-doctoral researchers. Members of her group received short-term Fellowships during their studies in her group (5 EMBO and 1 FEBS) to visit European laboratories for collaborative research. At the University of Cyprus she designed and taught 6 new undergraduate courses and 4 new postgraduate courses.

She represents Cyprus at EMBO, is the National Contact Point for the EMBO Young Investigator Award, and was an invited Reviewer in Life Sciences (Panels LS1, LS3) of the European Research Council (ERC, Starting Grants) (2007-14), in European Commission-funded programs and invited reviewer for the Wellcome Trust, UK (Neuroscience and Mental Health Projects), the Israeli Science Foundation and the Greek Secretariat of Research. She regularly serves as reviewer in international peer-reviewed scientific journals.

She has served as President of the Board (2015-2019) of the national authority for administering the Erasmus+ Programme in Cyprus (IDEP; Foundation for the Management of European Lifelong Learning Programmes). She has served as Chair and Vice Chair (2 terms) of the Department of Biological Sciences, Member of the UCY Senate, Member of the Council of the School of Pure and Applied Sciences (3 terms) and Member of the Council of the Postgraduate School of the UCY (2 terms). She is currently Vice Chair of her Department (2023-2025).

She is a founding member, president of the Interim Board (2021), president of the first Elected Board (2021-2024) of the βιος-Society of Biological Sciences in Cyprus (βιος-SBSCy; https://sbscy.org/) and Member Society Representative to the FEBS (Federation of the European Biochemical Societies).

Current research interests

rRNA transcription in mammalian cells

Centrosome and cilogenesis regulation in mammalian cells

Molecular and cell biology of motor proteins and cytoskeleton in mammalian mitotic cells and in the mammalian nervous system

Mechanisms of nuclear envelope formation and endoplasmic reticulum morphogenesis in human cells

Previous work

Identification and functional characterisation of receptors for motor proteins in the nervous system

Neurodegeneration and motor neuron disease in humans

RNA metabolism and nuclear organisation in the mammalian neuron

Molecular and cell biology of neuropeptidergic systems in the central nervous system of simple model organisms

Publications
 
  1. Maimaris, G., Christodoulou, A., Santama, N. and Lederer, C.W. (2021). Regulation of ER Composition and Extent, and Putative Action in Protein Networks by ER/NE Protein International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22 (19):10231. doi: 10.3390/ijms221910231.
  1. Christodoulou, A., Maimaris, G., Makrigiorgi, A., Charidemou, E., Lüchtenborg, C., Ververis, A., Georgiou, R., Lederer, C.W., Haffner, C., Brügger, B. and Santama, N. (2020). ER protein TMEM147 interacts with lamin B receptor, regulates its localization and levels, and affects cholesterol homeostasis. Journal of Cell Science 133: jcs245357; doi: 10.1242/jcs.245357.

    The article was associated with a featured “First-Author article” with Dr Andri Christodoulou (https://journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/133/16/jcs252684/225746/First-person-Andri-Christodoulou)
  1. Willsey, H.R., Walentek, P., Exner, C.R.T., Xu, Y., Lane, A.B., Harland, R.M., Heald, R. and Santama, N. (2018) Katanin-like protein Katnal2 is required for ciliogenesis and brain development in Xenopus Developmental Biology 442: 276-287.
  1. Christodoulou, A., Santarella_Melwig, R., Santama, N. and Mattaj, I.W. (2016) Transmembrane protein TMEM170A is a newly discovered regulator of ER and nuclear envelope morphogenesis in human cells. Journal of Cell Science 129: 1552-1565.
  1. Ververis, A., Christodoulou, A., Christoforou, M., Kamilari, C., Lederer, C.W. and Santama, N. (2016). A novel family of katanin-like 2 protein isoforms (KATNAL2), interacting with nucleotide-binding proteins Nubp1 and Nubp2, are key regulators of different MT-based processes in mammalian cells. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 73: 163-184. (COVER STORY)
  1. Kypri, E., Christodoulou, A., Maimaris, G., Lethan, M., Markaki, M., Lyssandrou, C., Lederer, C.W., Tavernarakis, N., Geimer, S., Pedersen, L.B. Santama, N. (2014) The nucleotide binding proteins Nubp1 and Nubp2 are negative regulators of ciliogenesis. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 71: 517-538.
  1. Charalambous, D.C., Pasciuto, E., Mercaldo, V., Pilo Boyl, P., Munck, S., Bagni, C, Santama, N. (2013). KIF1Bβ transports dendritically localized mRNPs in neurons and is recruited to synapses in an activity-dependent manner. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 70: 335-356.
  1. Ioannou, A, Santama, N, Skourides P.A. (2013) laevis nucleotide binding protein 1 (xNubp1) is important for convergent extension movements and controls ciliogenesis via regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Developmental Biology 380: 243-258.
  1. Drakou, C.E., Malekkou, A., Hayes, J.M., Lederer, C.W., Leonidas, D.D., Oikonomakos, N.G., Lamond, A.I., Santama, N, Zographos, S.E. (2012) hCINAP is an atypical mammalian nuclear adenylate kinase with an ATPase motif: structural and functional studies. Proteins 80: 206-220.
  1. Malekkou, A., Lederer, C.W., Lamond, A.I., Santama, N. (2010) The nuclear ATPase/adenylate kinase hCINAP is recruited to perinucleolar caps generated upon RNA pol.II inhibition. FEBS Letters 584: 4559-4564.
  1. Lederer, C.W. and Santama, N. (2008) Neural Stem Cells: mechanisms of fate specification and nuclear reprogramming in regenerative medicine. Biotechnology Journal 3: 1521-1538.
  1. Lederer, C.W. and Santama, N. (2007) ALS-The tools of the trait. Biotechnology Journal 2: 608-621.
  1. Pantelidou, M., Zographos, S.E., Lederer, C.W., Kyriakides, T., Pffafl, M.W., and Santama, N. (2007). Differential expression analysis of molecular motors in ALS motor neuron disease. Neurobiology of Disease 26: 577-589.
  1. Lederer, C.W., Torrisi, A., Santama, N. and Cavallaro, S. (2007). Comprehensive expression profiling of motor cortex in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Pathways and genes differentially expressed in the motor cortex of patients with sporadic ALS. BMC Genomics 8:26 (p.1-26). Flagged as “highly accessed” by Biomed Central.
  1. Christodoulou, A., Lederer W., Surrey, T., Vernos, I. and Santama, N. (2006). Motor protein KIFC5A interacts with Nubp1 and Nubp2 and is implicated in the regulation of centrosome duplication. Journal of Cell Science 119: 2035-2047.
  1. Santama, N., Ogg S.C., Malekkou A., Zographos S.E., Weis K. and Lamond A.I. (2005). Characterization of hCINAP, a novel coilin-interacting protein encoded by a transcript from the transcription factor TAFIID32 locus. Journal of Biological Chemistry 280: 36429-36441.
  1. Santama, N., Er, C.P., Ong, L.L. and Yu, H. (2004). Distribution and functions of kinectin isoforms. Journal of Cell Science 117: 4537-4549.
  1. Santama, N. (2001). RT-PCR for the identification of developmentally-regulated novel members of the kinesin-like superfamily, Chapter 2, pp. 9-20. In: Neurotransmitter and Neuroreceptor Methods (I. Vernos, ed), Methods in Molecular Biology 164, Humana Press Inc. Totowa, NJ. ISBN 0-89603-766-5.
  1. Santama, N. and Benjamin, P.R. (2000). Gene expression and function of FMRFamide-related neuropeptides in the snail Special issue (K. Elekes, ed), Microscopy Research and Technique 49: 547-556.
  1. Santama, N., Krijnse-Locker, J., Griffiths, G., Noda, Y., Hirokawa, N. and Dotti, C.G. (1998). KIF2β, a new kinesin superfamily protein, is associated with lysosomes and may be implicated in their centrifugal translocation. EMBO Journal 17: 5855-5867.
  1. Perry, S.J., Straub,V.A., Kemenes, G., Santama, N., Worster, B.M., Burke, J.F. and Benjamin, P.R. (1998). Neural modulation of gut motility by the myomodulin peptides and acetylcholine. Journal of Neurophysiology 79: 2460-2474.
  1. Santama, N. (1997). In situ hybridisation for the detection of neuropeptide transmitters, Chapter 12, pp. 159-170. In: Neurotransmitter and Neuroreceptor Methods (R.C. Rayne, ed), Methods in Molecular Biology 72, Humana Press Inc. Totowa, NJ. ISBN 0-89603-394-5.
  1. Santama, N., Dotti, C.G. and Lamond, A.I. (1996b). Neuronal differentiation in the rat hippocampus involves a stage-specific re-organisation of subnuclear structure both in vivo and in vitro. European Journal of Neuroscience 8: 892-905.
  1. Santama, N., Li, K.W., Geraerts, W.P.M., Benjamin, P.R. and Burke, J.F. (1996a). Post-translational processing of the alternative neuropeptide precursor encoded by the FMRFamide gene in the pulmonate snail Lymnaea stagnalis. European Journal of Neuroscience 8: 968-977.

  2. Kellett, E., Perry, S.J., Santama, N., Worster, B.M., Benjamin, P.R. and Burke, J.F. (1996). Myomodulin gene of Lymnaea: structure, expression and analysis of neuropeptides. Journal of Neuroscience 16: 4949-4957.
  1. Bohmann, K., Ferreira, J., Santama, N., Weis, K. and Lamond, A.I. (1995). Molecular analysis of the coiled body. Journal of Cell Science19: 107-113.
  1. Santama, N., Wheeler, C.H., Skingsley, D.R., Yeoman, M., Bright, K., Kaye, I., Burke, J.F. and Benjamin, P.R. (1995b). Identification, distribution and physiological activity of three novel peptides of Lymnaea: EFLRIamide and pQFYRIamide encoded by the FMRFamide gene, and a related peptide. European Journal of Neuroscience 7: 234-246.
  1. Santama, N., Benjamin, P.R. and Burke, J.F. (1995a). Alternative RNA splicing generates diversity of neuropeptide expression in the brain of the snail Lymnaea: In situ analysis of mutually exclusive transcripts of the FMRFamide gene. European Journal of Neuroscience 7: 65-76.
  1. Santama, N., Brierley, M.J., Burke, J.F. and Benjamin, P.R. (1994b). A neural network controlling feeding in Lymnaea stagnalis: Immunocytochemical localization of Myomodulin, Small Cardioactive Peptide (SCP), Buccalin and FMRFamide-related peptides. Journal of Comparative Neurology 342: 352-365.
  1. Santama, N., Wheeler, C.H., Burke, J.F. and Benjamin, P.R. (1994a). Neuropeptides Myomodulin, Small Cardioactive Peptide (SCP) and Buccalin in the Central Nervous System of Lymnaea stagnalis: Purification, Immunoreactivity and Artifacts. Journal of Comparative Neurology 342: 335-351.
  1. Santama, N., Li, K.V., Bright, K.E., Yeoman, M., Geraerts, W.P.M., Burke, J.F. and Benjamin, P.R. (1993). Processing of the FMRFamide precursor protein in the snail Lymnaea stagnalis: Characterisation and neuronal localization of a novel peptide, "SEEPLY". European Journal of Neuroscience 5: 1003-1016.
  1. Skingsley, D.R., Bright, K, Santama, N., van Minnen, J., Brierley, M.J., Burke, J.F. and Benjamin, P.R. (1993). A molecularly defined cardio-respiratory interneuron expressing SDPFLRFamide/GDPFLRFamide in the snail Lymnaea: monosynaptic connections and pharmacology. Journal of Neurophysiology 69: 915-927.
  1. Burke, J.F., Kellett, E., De Lange, R.P.J., Santama, N., Saunders, S.E. and Benjamin, P.R. (1992). Neuropeptide FMRFamide gene expression. Methods in Neuroscience 9: 64-78. San Diego, CA, Academic Press.
  1. Smith, A., Santama, N., Dacey, S., Edwards, M., Bray, R.C., Thorneley, R.N.F. and Burke, J.F. (1990). Expression of a synthetic gene for Horseradish Peroxidase in coli and folding and activation of the recombinant enzyme with Ca2+and heme. Journal of Biological Chemistry 265: 13335-13343.
  1. Burke, J.F., Smith, A., Santama, N., Bray, R.C., Thorneley, R.N.F., Dacey, S., Griffiths, J., Catlin, G. and Edwards, M. (1989). Expression of recombinant Horseradish Peroxidase C in coli. Biochemical Society Transactions 17: 1077-1078.
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