Dr. Alexandra Monastirli, MD, PhD

BRIEF CURRICULUM VITAE

MEDICAL  COUNCIL  REGISTRATION:

LANGUAGES:

Academic appointments and activities

POST TITLE :
Lecturer  (1997-2002)
Department of Dermatology, University of Patras, Greece

Together with Dr. Georgiou, Dr. Monastirli was in charge of the in-patient ward.

POST TITLE :
Assistant  Professor   (2002-2010)
Department of Dermatology, University of Patras, Greece

She was in charge of the out-patient Division and Director of the Phototherapy-Photochemotherapy Unit.

LAST POST:  Associate  Professor   (29.1.2010 – 9.6.2015 )
Department of Dermatology,  Patras University Medical Center,  University of Patras, Greece

She was in charge of the Dermatology Department in-patient ward, teaching and supervising Dermatology residents and Director of the Phototherapy-Photochemotherapy Unit. Additionally, since 2000 she served as Dermatology Consultant in the other Departments of the University Hospital.

Dr. Monastirli has acquired many years of experience in the clinical diagnosis and management of severe and recalcitrant skin disorders and of sexually transmitted diseases.

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

Department of Dermatology, University of Patras, Greece

In the capacity of lecturer and Assistant Professor Dr. Monastirli has actively participated in the corresponding Graduate and Dermatology Residency Education Program.

Additionally, in the capacity of assoc. Professor, Dr. Monastirli was Vice-Director of the Dermatology Residency Program assisting the Director in organizing and supervising the program of lectures, conferences, seminars and symposia, grand rounds, clinical visits, journal club and bed-side teaching and actively participated in these activities.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

1. Synthetic retinoids: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of action in vivo and in vitro
2. Changes of P450 activity and protein content in epithelial and non epithelial cells under  the  influence of physical factors and drugs
3. Development of a new method for the analysis and quantitative determination of viscoela
   stic parameters of human hair
4. Differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation of normal and neoplastic keratinocytes
5. Phospholipid and carbohydrate composition of cell membranes and microsomes of epithelial  and non epithelial cells
6. HPV involvement in the pathogenesis of cutaneous neoplasms
7. Experimental porphyria cutanea tarda
8. Efficacy and safety of interferon alpha in the treatment of Behcet’s disease and cutaneous HPV infections
9. Systemic immunomodulation of topically applied TLR7/8 agonists

SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENTS AND RESEARCH CENTERS

Department of Dermatology, University of Düsseldorf, Germany
German Wool Research Institute of Aachen, Germany
Department of Dermatology, RWTH Aachen, Germany
Department of Dermatology, University of Göttingen, Germany
Institute of Anatomy and Embryonic Pharmacology, University of Berlin, Germany
Department of Dermatology, University of Zürich, Switzerland
Institute for Genetics and Neurology, Cyprus
Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Göttingen, Germany
Ιstituto per l’ Infanzia, Trieste, Italy
Institute for Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Germany

SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION TO DERMATOLOGY

Assoc. Prof. Monastirli and the research group of Prof. Tsambaos at the University of Patras were the first to:

1. Introduce oral isotretinoin monotherapy in the treatment of Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis.
2. Detect the effects of oral thalidomide on porphyrin metabolism in the liver and to report that this compound is capable of inducing an impressive and rapid clinical and biochemical remission in male patients with porphyria cutanea tarda.
3. Find out that topical application of imiquimod, a TLR 7/8 agonist, is capable of inducing a systemic immunomodulation.  Moreover, they were the first to report the complete remission of recurrent herpes labialis subsequent to the topical application of imiquimod to distant normal skin.
4. Introduce the combined topical application of anthralin and calcipotriol to the lesions of chronic plaque psoriasis, that rapidly leads to a complete and long term remission of this disorder.
5. Find out that seborrheic keratoses are not mere manifestations of cutaneous aging, but skin infections due to the human papilloma viruses (HPV).

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

Greek Dermatological Society
Greek Society of Dermatosurgery
Greek Biochemical Society
Greek Society for Investigative Dermatology

REVIEWER IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS

Hospital Chronicles
New England Journal of Medicine
Pediatric Dermatology
Acta Dermato-Venereologica                                                                                                            Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine

Journal of Medical Virology

OFFICES/MAJOR COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

Vice-Director: Dermatology  Residency Education Programm Committee
Vice-Director: Dermatology  Graduate and Postgraduate Education Program Committee
Member: Committee for Dermatology Board  Examination
Member: Laboratory  Equipment  Committee, School of Medicine

AWARDS

1990   First Prize for the best Poster Presentation
Greek Medical Congress, 12.-16.5.1990, Athens, Greece

1996    First  Prize for the best basic research presentation
Internal Medicine Congress,  Kalamata, Greece

2000    First Prize for the best clinical  research presentation,
International Symposium “Modern Trends in Skin Pharmacology”, 8.-11.6.2000, Athens, Greece