We are pleased to announce that Dr. Anna Onisiforou, Senior Scientist and Head of the AI & Systems Bioinformatics Unit of our lab, has secured €100,000 in funding through the ERC Vision program of the Research and Innovation Foundation of Cyprus. This outstanding achievement recognizes Dr. Onisiforou’s innovative research and her leadership in developing computational methodologies for understanding virus-mediated pathogenic mechanisms in complex neurological diseases.

The funded research project, acronymed ImmUnoForecastMS, leverages artificial intelligence (AI), systems bioinformatics, and experimental approaches to identify and prioritize therapeutic candidates capable of mitigating the pathogenic effects of Epstein-Barr virus-induced immune dysregulation in multiple sclerosis. By applying advanced computational methods to large-scale biological datasets, the project will identify molecular patterns and therapeutic targets that might not be apparent through traditional analytical methods. This integrative strategy has the potential to reveal novel therapeutic candidates that can specifically address the virus-mediated components of multiple sclerosis pathogenesis, potentially leading to more effective and targeted treatment approaches for patients.

The ImmUnoForecastMS project builds directly on a substantial body of original work that Dr. Onisiforou has initiated, developed, and advanced over many years, helping to shape current understanding of how viral infections contribute to disease development. This funding underscores the significance and originality of her contributions to the field and reflects the Research and Innovation Foundation’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge research that addresses critical health challenges.

We congratulate Dr. Onisiforou on this significant achievement and look forward to the important discoveries that will emerge from the ImmUnoForecastMS project.