Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Ioannis Tsialtas

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 2023 - PhD in Biochemistry - University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
    • 2017 - MSc - “Applications of Molecular Biology– Genetics. Diagnostic Biomarkers” - University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
    • 2015 - BSc in Biology - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Research

    My scientific interests center on lipid and energy metabolism, with particular focus on its regulation by circadian rhythms and mitochondrial function. During my PhD, I investigated mitochondrial steroid hormone receptors and their role in metabolic regulation, cellular signaling, and cancer-related processes. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher, I study how lipid and energy metabolism are temporally and spatially coordinated under circadian control, with emphasis on protein–protein interactions, inter-organ communication, and secreted metabolic signals. My work combines molecular and functional approaches to dissect the mechanisms underlying metabolic regulation.

  • Publications

    1. Zhang Q, Litwin C, Dietert K, Tsialtas I, Chen WH, Li Z, Koronowski KB. Frequent Shifts During Chronic Jet Lag Uncouple Liver Rhythms from the Light Cycle in Male Mice. J Biol Rhythms. 2025;40(2):194-207.

    2. Georgantopoulos A, Kalousi FD, Pollastro F, Tsialtas I, et al. Chemical Analysis and Antioxidant Activities of Resin Fractions from Pistacia lentiscus L. var. Chia in Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells. Molecules. 2025;30(5).

    3. Tsialtas I, Koronowski KB. A cell culture-based method for interrogating muscle to liver communication via secreted proteins.  Methods in Cell Biology: Academic Press; 2024.

    4. Mathomes RT, Koulas SM, Tsialtas I, et al. Multidisciplinary docking, kinetics and X-ray crystallography studies of baicalein acting as a glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor and determination of its' potential against glioblastoma in cellular models. Chem Biol Interact. 2023;382:110568.

    5. Karra AG, Tsialtas I, et al. Increased Expression of the Mitochondrial Glucocorticoid Receptor Enhances Tumor Aggressiveness in a Mouse Xenograft Model. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(4).

    6. Kalousi FD, Pollastro F, Karra AG, Tsialtas I, et al. Regulation of Energy Metabolism and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Mastiha Fractions from Pistacia lentiscus L. var. chia. Foods. 2023;12(7).

    7. Georgantopoulos A, Vougioukas A, Kalousi FD, Tsialtas I, Psarra AG. Comparative Studies on the Anti-Inflammatory and Apoptotic Activities of Four Greek Essential Oils: Involvement in the Regulation of NF-kappaBeta and Steroid Receptor Signaling. Life (Basel). 2023;13(7).

    8. Kalousi FD, Pollastro F, Christodoulou EC, Karra AG, Tsialtas I, et al. Apoptotic, Anti-Inflammatory Activities and Interference with the Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling of Fractions from Pistacia lentiscus L. var. chia Leaves. Plants (Basel). 2022;11(7).

    9. Alexopoulos S, Gkouskou A, Stravodimos G, Tsagkarakou AS, Tsialtas I, et al. The druggability of the ATP binding site of glycogen phosphorylase kinase probed by coumarin analogues. Current Research in Chemical Biology. 2022;2:100022.

    10. Tsialtas I, Georgantopoulos A, et al. Anti-Apoptotic and Antioxidant Activities of the Mitochondrial Estrogen Receptor Beta in N2A Neuroblastoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(14).

    11. Tsagkarakou AS, Chasapi SA, Koulas SM, Tsialtas I, et al. Structure activity relationship of the binding of p-coumaroyl glucose to glycogen phosphorylase and its effect on hepatic cell metabolic pathways. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports. 2021;3:100011.

    12. Tsialtas I, et al. Neurotoxic effects of aluminum are associated with its interference with estrogen receptors signaling. Neurotoxicology. 2020;77:114-26.

    13. Karra AG, Tziortziou M, Kylindri P, Georgatza D, Gorgogietas VA, Makiou A, Krokida A, Tsialtas I, et al. Boswellic acids and their derivatives as potent regulators of glucocorticoid receptor actions. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2020;695:108656.

    14. Drakou CE, Gardeli C, Tsialtas I, et al. Affinity Crystallography Reveals Binding of Pomegranate Juice Anthocyanins at the Inhibitor Site of Glycogen Phosphorylase: The Contribution of a Sugar Moiety to Potency and Its Implications to the Binding Mode. J Agric Food Chem. 2020;68(37):10191-9.

    15. Karra AG, Konstantinou M, Tzortziou M, Tsialtas I, et al. Potential Dissociative Glucocorticoid Receptor Activity for Protopanaxadiol and Protopanaxatriol. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;20(1).

    16. Gorgogietas VA, Tsialtas I, et al. Potential interference of aluminum chlorohydrate with estrogen receptor signaling in breast cancer cells. J Mol Biochem. 2018;7(1):1-13.

    17. Eleftheriadis T, Pissas G, Sounidaki M, Antoniadi G, Tsialtas I, et al. Urate crystals directly activate the T-cell receptor complex and induce T-cell proliferation. Biomed Rep. 2017;7(4):365-9.

    Preprints

    1. Sica V, Sato T, Tsialtas I, et al. The liver clock tunes transcriptional rhythms in skeletal muscle to regulate mitochondrial function. bioRxiv. 2025.