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ARGYRO KARAKOSTA

Postdoctoral researcher
School of Medicine, N.K.U.A.

Argyro Karakosta has received her PhD from the Medical School of Athens (Heraclitus II scholarship). She holds a MSc degree in Occupational and Environmental Health (Medical School of Athens) and has graduated the Department of Social Work of TEI Athens. She has been trained in Existential Systemic Therapy.  

From 2010 she is a research associate at the Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics of the Medical School of Athens and has participated in various European projects as project manager and member of the research team, targeting to health needs assessment, empowering actions for accessing health care, combating prejudice and reducing social inequalities in health, good practices in health for general and vulnerable populations. She is member of the Social Science Sub-Committee of CASCADE collaboration, coordinated by the University College London (UCL) and member of the NCD Risk Factors Collaboration (NCD – RisC) (Imperial College London). From 2003 to 2010 she worked as a social worker at the Greek Council for Refugees and the Municipality of Zografou. She has teaching experience in undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Greek Universities and published original papers in international scientific journal and books and in the proceedings of international and national conferences. She is a reviewer in scientific journals.

Education

  • 2016: PhD in Social Psychiatry/ Epidemiology. Medical School of Athens. Thesis Title: “Acculturation and Symptoms of Depressing and Stress among Young Adult Immigrants in Athens Area”
  • 2011: Interdepartmental Postgraduate Program “Occupational and Environmental Health: Management and Financial Evaluation”. Collaboration of the Medical School NKUA, Department of Political Science and Public Administration NKUA and Department of Social Work TEI of Crete.
  • 2009: Training in Existential Systemic Psychotherapy
  • 2002: Degree in Social Work, TEI of Athens

Academic and scholar work

  • 2021 – Today: Member of the Social Science Sub-Committee of the CASCADE Collaboration (University College London) https://www.ctu.mrc.ac.uk/studies/all-studies/c/cascade/
  • 2020 – Today: Member of the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) (Imperial College London) https://ncdrisc.org/
  • 2019: Member of the working groups “Immigrants” and “Information, Awareness and Anti-Stigma Programs” of the National Strategic Action Plan for HIV / AIDS 2019 – 2025
  • 2017 – Today: Member of the Hellenic Society of Health and Environment
  • 2013-2015: Cashier and Member of the Board of the Greek Council for Refugees
  • Reviewer in the following journals: International Journal of Veterinary Science and Research, JMIR Formative Research, JMIR Research Protocols, BMC Public Health

 

Publications

Scientific articles (last 5 years)

  • Karakosta A, Ruiz-Burga E, Tariq S, Touloumi G, Nicholls EJ, Pantazis N, Jarrin I, Van der Valk M, Sabin C, Mussini C, Meyer L, Anne AV, Carlander C, Grabar S, Wittkop L, Spire B, Gill J, Porter K, Burns F, for CASCADE Collaboration. HIV prevention and missed opportunities among people with recently acquired HIV infection: A protocol for a systematic review. Preprint. December 2023. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Nicholls EJ, Policek N, Volny-Anne A, Spire B, Burns F, Ruis-Burga E, Tariq S, for CASCADE Collaboration. A systematic review of qualitative research on recently-acquired HIV. AIDS, 2023,37:2199-2212.
  • Ruiz-Burga E., Tariq S. ,Touloumi G., Gill J., Nicholls E.J., Sabin C., Mussini C., Meyer L., Volny A.A., Carlander C., Grabar S., Jarrin I., Van der Valk M., Wittkop L., Spire B., Pantazis N., Burns FM, Porter K; For CASCADE Collaboration. “CASCADE protocol: exploring current viral and host characteristics, measuring clinical and patient-reported outcomes, and understanding the lived experiences and needs of individuals with recently acquired HIV infection through a multicenter mixed-metLihods observational study in Europe and Canada”. BMJ Open. 2023 May 11;13(5):e070837. Doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070837. PMID: 37169505.
  • Venetsanopoulou A.I., Kalpourtzi N., Alamanos Y., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Hadjichristodoulou C., Mouchtouri V.A., Chlouverakis G., Trypsianis G., Drosos A.A., Touloumi G., Voulgari P.V.; EMENO study group. “Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Greece: results from the national health examination survey EMENO”. Rheumatol Int. 2023 Jul;43(7):1349-1355. Doi: 10.1007/s00296-023-05316-3. Epub 2023 Mar 31.PMID: 37000296
  • NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). “Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development”. Nature. 2023 Mar;615(7954):874-883. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-05772-8. Epub 2023 Mar 29.PMID: 36991188.
  • Stergiou G.S., Ntineri A., Menti A., Kalpourtzi N., Vlachopoulos Ch., Liberopoulos E.N., Rallidis L., Richter D., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Chlouverakis G., Hajichristodoulou Ch., Trypsianis G., Voulgari P.V., Alamanos Y., Karakosta A., Touloumi G. “Twenty-first century epidemiology of dyslipidemia in Greece: EMENO national epidemiological study”. Hellenic J Cardiol. 2023 Jan – Feb; 69:1-8. Doi: 10.1016/j.hjc.2022.10.002. Epub 2022 Oct 13.
  • Kaskafetou S.*, Karakosta A.*, Sypsa V., Kalpourtzi N., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Rachiotis G., Chlouverakis G., Trypsianis G., Voulgari P.V., Alamanos Y., Papatheodoridis G., Touloumi G.; Hprolipsis study group. “Hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency virus knowledge among the general Greek population: results from the Hprolipsis nationwide survey”. BMC Public Health. 2022 Nov 5;22(1):2026. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14353-9.PMID: 36335324. (*=equal contribution)
  • Petraki I., Kalpourtzi N., Terzidis A., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Rachiotis G., Karakosta A., Sypsa V., Touloumi G. and Hprolipsis Study Group. “Living in Roma Settlements in Greece: Self-Perceived Health Status, Chronic Diseases and Associated Social Determinants of Health”. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 8403. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168403.
  • Gangadi M., Kalpourtzi N., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Chlouverakis G., Hadjichristodoulou Ch., Trypsianis G., Voulgari P.V., Alamanos Y., Karakosta A., Touloumi G., Karakatsani A. “Prevalence of tobacco smoking and association with other unhealthy lifestyle risk factors in the general population of Greece: Results from the EMENO study”. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation. 2021;7(September):61. doi:10.18332/tpc/140242.
  • Petraki I., Kalpourtzi N., Terzidis A., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Rachiotis G., Karakosta A., Sypsa V. Touloumi G., Hprolipsis Study Group. “Living in Roma Settlements in Greece: Self-Perceived Health Status, Chronic Diseases and Associated Social Determinants of Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(16):8403. doi: 103390/ijerph18168403. 
  • NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). “Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight”. eLife. 2021;10:e60060. doi: 10.7554/eLife.60060. 
  • Menti A., Kalpourtzi N., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Voulgari V.P., Hadjichristodoulou Ch., Gkaliagkousi E., Doumas M., Kalaitzidis R.., Kallistratos M.S., Karakosta A., Katsi V., Krokidis X., Manios E., Marketou M., Ntineri A., Papadakis J.A., Papadopoulos D., Sarafidis P., Trypsianis G., Chatzopoulos M., Chlouverakis G., Alamanos Y., Zebekakis P., Touloumi G., Stergiou G. “Opportunistic screening for hypertension: what does it say about the true epidemiology?”. J Hum Hypertens. 2021 Apr 9. doi: 10.1038/s41371-021-00532-5.
  • Karakosta A., Riza E. “Increased vulnerability to gender-based violence (GBV) in refugee women in humanitarian settings. Identifying the gaps.”. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience & Mental Health. 2020, vol.3(2), p.117-125. doi: 10.26386/obrela.v312.169. 
  • Touloumi G., Kalpourtzi N., Papastamopoulos V., Paparizos V., Adamis G., Antoniadou A., Chini M., Karakosta A., Makrilakis K., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Psychogiou M., Metallidis S., Sipsas N.V., Sambatakou H., Hajichristodoulou C., Voulgari P.V., Chrysos G., Gogos C., Chlouverakis G., Tripsianis G., Alamanos Y., Stergiou G., AMACS and EMENO. “Cardiovascular risk factors in HIV infected individuals: Comparison with general adult control population in Greece”. PLoS One. 2020 Mar 30;15(3):e0230730. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230730.eCollection 2020. PMID: 32226048.
  • Riza E., Karakosta A., Tsiampalis T., Lazarou D., Karachaliou A., Ntelis S., Karageorgiou V., Psaltopoulou T. “Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions about Cervical Cancer Risk, Prevention and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in Vulnerable Women in Greece”. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 21;17(18):6892. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186892. PMID: 32967173.
  • Touloumi G., Karakosta A., Kalpourtzi N., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Kantzanou M., Hajichristodoulou C., Chlouverakis G., Trypsianis G., Voulgari P.V., Alamanos Y., Makrilakis K., Liatis S., Chatzipanagiotou S., Stergiou G., EMENO study group. “High prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in adults living in Greece: the EMENO National Health Examination Survey”. BMC Public Health. 2020 Nov 7;20(1):1665. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09757-4. PMID: 33160307.
  • Stergiou G.S., Menti A., Kalpourtzi N., Gavana M., Vantarakis A., Chlouverakis G., Hajichristodoulou C., Trypsianis G., Voulgari P.V., Alamanos Y., Karakosta A., Touloumi G. “Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Greece: EMENO national epidemiological study”. J Hypertens. 2020 Nov 24. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002714. PMID: 33239548.
  • Touloumi G., Karakosta A., Sypsa V., Petraki I., Anagnostou O., Terzidis A., Voudouri N.M., Doctors of the World Greek Delegation, Gavana M., Vantarakis A, Rachiotis G., Kantzanou M., Rosenbarg T, Papatheodoridis G., Hatzakis A., Hprolipsis Study Group. “Design and Development of Viral Hepatitis and HIV Infection Screening Program in the General, Greek Roma, and Migrant Populations (Hprolipsis): Protocol for Three Cross-Sectional Health Examination Surveys”. JMIR Research Protocols. 2020 Jan 31;9(1):e13578. doi: 10.2196/13578. PMID: 32004142.
  • Touloumi G., Karakatsani A., Karakosta A., Sofianopoulou E., Koustenis P., Gavana M., Alamanos Y., Kantzanou M., Konstantakopoulos G., Chryssochoou X., Benos A., Vantarakis A., Hajichristodoulou Ch., Chlouverakis G., Trypsianis G., Voulgari P.V., Makrilakis K., Liatis S., Stergiou G., EMENO Study Group. “National Survey of Morbidity and Risk Factors (EMENO): The protocol of a Health Examination Survey representative of the adult Greek population. JMIR Res Protoc. 2019;8(2):e10997. doi: 10.2196/10997. 

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