Dr. Eldem Sadikoglou, Research Assistant

Eldem Sadikoglou is a dedicated neuroscientist with extensive experience in academic research, currently serving as a research assistant at DZNE (Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen), the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. With a strong foundation in molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology, Sadikoglou has demonstrated exceptional capabilities in project management and rigorous research methodologies. Their career is characterized by a persistent drive to expand scientific knowledge through collaborative efforts and mentoring of future researchers, with the ultimate goal of contributing meaningfully to the scientific community and creating a positive impact on society through groundbreaking research in neurodegenerative diseases.

Education

Sadikoglou’s academic journey demonstrates a progressive specialization in molecular and cellular sciences. They obtained their Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the Faculty of Science at Ankara University in Turkey, establishing a solid foundation in biological sciences. Building upon this foundation, they pursued a Master of Science degree in Medicinal Chemistry through the Interdepartmental Master Program in Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the Molecular Pharmacology Department of the University of Patras in Greece. Their academic training culminated in a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the Molecular Biology & Genetics Department at the Health Sciences School of Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) in Alexandroupoli, Greece, where they developed advanced expertise in molecular mechanisms underlying disease processes.

Research Focus

Sadikoglou’s research encompasses a broad spectrum of molecular and cellular neuroscience, with particular emphasis on neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and tauopathies. Their work integrates molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology approaches, utilizing advanced cellular models including cancer cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), stem cells, and neurons. They specialize in developing high-throughput screening assays with iPSC-derived neurons and employs microscopy techniques to investigate cellular mechanisms. Their research particularly focuses on understanding genetic risk factors, such as the Chr:17q21.31 locus and MAPT haplotypes, and their roles in disease susceptibility through mechanisms including ferroptosis and endolysosomal pathway dysfunction. Additionally, they have contributed to understanding the effects of retinoic acid derivatives on cancer cell growth and angiogenesis, as well as insecticide resistance mechanisms in agricultural pests.

Experience

Sadikoglou’s professional experience spans over a decade of continuous research contributions. Since 2016, they have been serving as a research assistant at DZNE, where they have been involved in cutting-edge neurodegenerative disease research. Between 2023 and 2024, they participated in “The Foundational Data Initiative for Parkinson’s Disease (FOUNDIN-PD)”, a significant international collaborative effort. Earlier in their career, from 2012 to 2014, they worked as an external scientific collaborator on multiple cross-border projects funded through INTERREG IIIA programs, including “Cross-Border Collaboration for the Promotion of Technological Applications and Scientific Education on Medicinal Molecular Biology” and “Development of infrastructure for the carrier identification of inherited diseases”, as well as a project on “Genomic and functional approaches for understanding insecticide resistance in major agricultural pests”. Throughout their career, they have regularly supervised undergraduate students, first during their PhD studies and subsequently at DZNE, demonstrating a commitment to training the next generation of scientists.

Research Timeline

Sadikoglou’s research career has evolved through distinct phases, each building upon previous expertise. Their early work (2007-2014) focused on medicinal chemistry and cancer biology, investigating the effects of retinoic acid analogues and their conjugates on prostate cancer cells and angiogenesis. During their PhD period, they developed expertise in molecular genetics, studying transcription factors and gene regulation in the developing nervous system, while simultaneously contributing to insecticide resistance research in agricultural pests (2012-2015). A major transition occurred in 2016 when they joined DZNE, shifting their focus to neurodegenerative diseases. From 2018 onwards, their work has concentrated on developing iPSC-based disease models, investigating genetic risk factors for tauopathies and frontotemporal dementia, and most recently (2023-2025) examining the molecular mechanisms by which genetic variants influence disease susceptibility, particularly through ferroptosis and endolysosomal pathways.

Research Publications

Sadikoglou has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications across diverse research areas. Their publication record includes work on medicinal chemistry and cancer biology, with papers examining retinoic acid derivatives and their effects on cancer cells. They have contributed significantly to molecular genetics research, publishing on internal ribosomal entry sites and gene regulation. Their work in applied entomology includes publications on insecticide resistance mechanisms and diagnostic tools. More recently, their publications have focused on neurodegenerative diseases, including iPSC-based disease modeling, multi-omics approaches to frontotemporal dementia, and mechanisms of genetic susceptibility to neurodegeneration. Their most recent publication (2025) in Cell Death & Disease represents a significant contribution to understanding how genetic risk factors mediate disease susceptibility through specific cellular pathways.

Research Impact

Sadikoglou’s research has made substantial contributions to multiple fields. In cancer biology, their work elucidated the mechanisms by which retinoic acid derivatives affect cancer cell growth and angiogenesis, potentially contributing to therapeutic development. In agricultural science, their diagnostic tools for insecticide resistance have practical applications for pest management strategies. Most significantly, their neuroscience research has advanced understanding of genetic risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases, providing insights into disease mechanisms that could inform therapeutic interventions. Their development of automated protocols for producing iPSC-derived neurons has contributed to standardizing research methodologies in the field. The multi-omics datasets they have helped generate serve as valuable resources for the broader research community investigating frontotemporal dementia and related disorders.

Innovation & Intellectual Property

Sadikoglou has contributed to methodological innovations in neuroscience research, particularly in the development of high-throughput screening assays using iPSC-derived neurons and automated cell production systems with integrated live-cell monitoring. Their work on diagnostic tools for insecticide resistance represents practical innovation in applied biology. They have also contributed to translational research by publishing detailed visual protocols in the Journal of Visualized Experiments, making complex methodologies accessible to the broader scientific community. Additionally, their work translating scientific textbooks from English to Greek, including indexes for “iGenetics: A Mendelian Approach” by Peter J. Russell and “The Cell: A Molecular Approach” by Geoffrey M. Cooper and Robert E. Hausman (5th edition), has facilitated scientific education in Greek-speaking communities.

Research Projects & Funding

Throughout their career, Sadikoglou has been involved in several funded research initiatives. They received a prestigious PhD fellowship from the Greece-State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), supporting their doctoral research. They participated as an external scientific collaborator in two INTERREG IIIA cross-border cooperation projects focused on medicinal molecular biology education and infrastructure development for inherited disease carrier identification, as well as a project on insecticide resistance genomics. Most notably, they contributed to “The Foundational Data Initiative for Parkinson’s Disease (FOUNDIN-PD)” from 2023 to 2024, a major international consortium aimed at establishing foundational datasets for understanding Parkinson’s disease. Their ongoing position at DZNE, one of Germany’s premier research centers for neurodegenerative diseases, reflects sustained institutional support for their research activities.

Conference Contributions

Sadikoglou has actively disseminated their research findings through conference presentations, demonstrating engagement with the scientific community. At the 8th International Conference of Medicinal Chemistry in 2007 in Patras, Greece, they presented work on “Effects of retinoic acid analogues on prostate cancer”, which received recognition as the Best Poster Presentation. At the 6th Panhellenic Congress of Pharmacology in Heraklion, Crete (June 2010), they co-presented research on the effects of all-trans-retinoic acid conjugates on cancer cell growth and angiogenesis. At the 61st Greek Conference of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, they contributed two presentations: one on “Characterization of the DNA binding properties of the transcription factor Lhx7” and another on “Expression and regulation of the tle4 gene in the developing mouse nervous system”, demonstrating their versatility across different research topics.

Academic Excellence

Sadikoglou’s academic excellence has been recognized through multiple achievements. They received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 8th Medicinal Chemistry Conference in 2007 in Patras, Greece, recognizing the quality and impact of their research communication. Their selection for a PhD fellowship from the Greece-State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) reflects recognition of their academic merit and research potential. Their multilingual capabilities—being bilingual in Greek and Turkish with proficiency in English—enable effective collaboration in international research environments. Their progression from undergraduate supervision during their PhD to continued mentoring at DZNE demonstrates their commitment to academic excellence not only in research but also in education and training of future scientists.

Societal / Industry Contribution

Sadikoglou’s research has direct relevance to addressing major societal challenges. Their work on neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and tauopathies, addresses conditions that affect millions worldwide and place significant burden on healthcare systems and families. By elucidating genetic risk factors and disease mechanisms, their research contributes to the foundation for developing therapeutic interventions. Their earlier work on insecticide resistance has practical applications for agriculture and food security, providing diagnostic tools that help manage pest populations more effectively. Their contribution to translating scientific textbooks into Greek has facilitated science education and knowledge dissemination in Greek-speaking communities. Through mentoring and supervision of students, they contribute to building scientific capacity and training the next generation of researchers who will continue addressing societal challenges.

Global Recognition

Sadikoglou’s work has achieved international recognition through publications in prestigious journals and participation in global research initiatives. Their publications appear in internationally renowned journals including Cell Death & Disease, Scientific Data, Frontiers in Cellular and Developmental Biology, Pest Management Science, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, European Journal of Pharmacology, and Journal of Biotechnology, among others. Their participation in The Foundational Data Initiative for Parkinson’s Disease (FOUNDIN-PD) represents involvement in a major international collaborative effort. Their position at DZNE, a leading German research institution with global partnerships, places them within an international network of neuroscience researchers. Their research is accessible through their ORCID profile, facilitating global discoverability and citation of their work within the international scientific community.

Publications

Sadikoglou E, Magoulas G, Theodoropoulou C, Athanassopoulos C, Giannopoulou E, Theodorakopoulou O, Drainas D, Papaioannou D, Papadimitriou E. “Effect of conjugates of all-trans-retinoic acid and shorter polyene chain analogues with amino acids on prostate cancer cell growth”. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2009.

Vourtsis D, Lamprou M, Sadikoglou E, Giannou A, Theodorakopoulou O, Sarrou E, Magoulas G, Bariamis S, Athanassopoulos CM, Drainas D, Papaioannou D, Papadimitriou E. “Effect of all-trans retinoic acid conjugate with spermine in viability of human prostate cancer and endothelial cells in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo”. European Journal of Pharmacology, 2013.

Sadikoglou E, Daoutsali E, Petridou E, Grigoriou M, Skavdis G. “Comparative analysis of internal ribosomal entry sites as molecular tools for bicistronic expression”. Journal of Biotechnology, 2014.

Voudouris C, Kati A, Sadikoglou E, Williamson M, Skouras P, Georgiou S, Fenton B, Skavdis G, Margaritopoulos J. “Insecticide resistance status of Myzus persicae in Greece: long term surveys and new diagnostics for resistance mechanisms”. Pest Management Science, 2015.

Kapantaidaki DE, Sadikoglou E, Tsakireli D, Kampanis V, Stavrakaki M, Schorn C, Ilias A, Riga M, Tsiamis G, Nauen R, Skavdis G, Vontas J, Tsagkarakou A. “Insecticide resistance in Trialeurodes vaporariorum populations and novel diagnostics for kdr mutations”. Pest Management Science, 2018 Jan; 74(1).

Dhingra A, Täger J, Bressan E, Rodriguez-Nieto S, Bedi MS, Bröer S, Sadikoglou E, Fernandes N, Castillo-Lizardo M, Rizzu P, Heutink P. “Automated Production of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cortical and Dopaminergic Neurons with Integrated Live-Cell Monitoring”. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2020.

Strauß T, Marvian-Tayaranian A, Sadikoglou E, Dhingra A, Wegner F, Trümbach D, Wurst W, Heutink P, Schwarz SC, Höglinger GU. “iPS Cell-Based Model for MAPT Haplotype as a Risk Factor for Human Tauopathies Identifies No Major Differences in TAU Expression”. Frontiers in Cellular and Developmental Biology, 2021.

Menden K, Francescatto M, Nyima T, Blauwendraat C, Dhingra A, Castillo-Lizardo M, Fernandes N, Kaurani L, Kronenberg-Versteeg D, Atasu B, Sadikoglou E, Borroni B, Rodriguez-Nieto S, Simon-Sanchez J, Fischer A, Craig DW, Neumann M, Bonn S, Rizzu P, Heutink P. “A multi-omics dataset for the analysis of frontotemporal dementia genetic subtypes”. Scientific Data, 2023 Dec 1; 10(1):849. doi: 10.1038/s41597-023-02598-x. PMID: 38040703; PMCID: PMC10692098.

Sadikoglou E, Domingo-Fernández D, Savytska N, Fernandes N, Rizzu P, Illarionova A, Strauß T, Schwarz SC, Kodamullil A, Höglinger GU, Dhingra A, Gasser T, Heutink P. “Chr:17q21.31 locus risk haplotype H1 susceptibility to ferroptosis is mediated by endolysosomal pathway”. Cell Death & Disease, 2025 Nov 13; 16(1):828. doi: 10.1038/s41419-025-08147-1. PMID: 41238560; PMCID: PMC12618564.