Dr. Anna Onisiforou, BA, BSc, MSc, MSc, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Head of the AI & Systems Bioinformatics Unit

Dr. Onisiforou holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Natural Sciences with direction in Biology and Chemistry, a M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. She also holds a B.A. (Hons) in Accounting and Finance and a M.Sc. in Finance and Financial Law.

Her current research work is centered on the investigation of microbial pathogenesis in neurodegenerative diseases. Meanwhile, her ongoing project involves a human clinical trial, where she examines ketamine-induced changes in EEG activity, gene expression, and treatment response in patients dealing with comorbid opioid addiction and depression.

Research Interests: Her research interests include neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, with a particular focus on the role of microbial organisms in their development. She specializes in the development and application of computational methods, such as multi-omics analysis and network-based approaches. Currently, she is integrating her computational expertise with experimental methods in the fields of addictions and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Selected Publications:

• Georgiou, A., Zanos, P., Onisiforou, A. Metformin Shows Greater Potential Than Semaglutide in Reducing Alzheimer’s Risk in Diabetes Type II via Dual Actions: Tackling Disease Pathways and Environmental Herpesvirus Triggers. bioRxiv. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.14.643306.
• Onisiforou, A., Koumas, M., Michael, A., Zanos, P. Selective transcriptomic recovery by (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine in opioid-abstinent mice: Machine learning identifies predictive biomarkers. bioRxiv. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.04.657935.
• Michael, A.*, Onisiforou, A.*, Georgiou, P., Koumas, M., Powels, C., Mammadov, E., Georgiou A.N., Zanos, P. (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine prevents opioid abstinence-related negative affect and stress-induced reinstatement in mice. British Journal of Pharmacology, 2025, In Press. * Equal contribution. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.70018.
• Onisiforou, A., Charalambous, E., Zanos, P. Shattering the Amyloid Illusion: The Microbial Enigma of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis—From Gut Microbiota and Viruses to Brain Biofilms. Microorganisms. 2025, 13(1), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13010090
• Onisiforou, A., Zanos, P. One path, two solutions: Network-based analysis identifies targetable pathways for the treatment of comorbid type II diabetes and neuropsychiatric disorders, Computational & Structural Biotechnology Journal, 2024, 23, 3610-3624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2024.10.011
• Onisiforou, A., Zanos, P. From viral infections to Alzheimer’s Disease: Unveiling the mechanistic links through Systems Bioinformatics. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2024, 230, S128–S140. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiae242.
• Onisiforou, A., Christodoulou, P., Zamba-Papanicolaou, E., Zanos P., Georgiou P. Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Sex-Specific Patterns in the Hippocampus in Alzheimer’s Disease. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2024, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2024.1345498.
• Michael, A.*, Onisiforou, A.*, Georgiou, P., Koumas, M., Mammadov, E., Zanos, P. (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine facilitates extinction and prevents emotional impairment and stress-induced reinstatement in morphine abstinent mice. bioRxiv (2023), 12.07.570550. * Equal Contribution. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.12.07.570550.
• Onisiforou A., Zanos P. From Viral Infections to Alzheimer’s Disease: Unveiling the Mechanistic Links Through Systems Bioinformatics. bioRxiv (2023), 12.05.570187. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.12.05.570187.
• Christodoulou C*, Onisiforou A*, Zanos P, Zamba-Papanicolaou E. Unraveling the transcriptomic signatures of Parkinson’s Disease and Major Depression using single-cell and bulk data. Frontiers Aging Neuroscience (2023) 15:  doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1273855. *Equal Contribution. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1273855.
• Onisiforou A, Spyrou GM. Systems Bioinformatics Reveals Possible Relationship between COVID-19 and the Development of Neurological Diseases and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Viruses (2022) 14:2270. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14102270.
• Onisiforou A, Spyrou GM. Immunomodulatory effects of microbiota-derived metabolites at the crossroad of neurodegenerative diseases and viral infection: network-based bioinformatics insights. Frontiers in Immunology (2022) 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.843128.
• Onisiforou A, Spyrou GM. Identification of viral-mediated pathogenic mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases using network-based approaches. Briefings in Bioinformatics (2021) 22. https://doi.org/10.1093/bib/bbab141.

Contact info:

E-mail: onisiforou.anna@ucy.ac.cy

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3380-7356