Assistant Professor Panos Galanos has established his research group at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, starting August 2024, backed by the prestigious Lundbeck Foundation Fellowship.
Panos initiated his scientific journey with a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Medical University of Athens under the mentorship of Professor Vassilis Gorgoulis, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of cancer and cellular senescence. After completing his Ph.D., he joined Professor Jiri Bartek’s team at the Danish Cancer Institute (Kræftens Bekæmpelse) in 2017 as a postdoctoral researcher. Over seven years, he deepened his understanding of DNA repair mechanisms and their critical role in deciding cellular fate during tumorigenesis. In recognition of his innovative research and potential, in 2023, Panos was awarded the Talented Young Cancer Researcher grant by the Danish Cancer Society and the Knæk Cancer foundation.
At SDU, Panos’s research will focus on the paradoxical role of cellular senescence in cancer. Often termed "zombie cells," senescent cells can both suppress and promote cancer, depending on their microenvironment and state. His lab aims to unravel how these cells switch between being dormant cancer suppressors and active cancer promoters.
To achieve these goals, his lab will employ a suite of advanced techniques, integrating artificial intelligence with high-content and high-resolution microscopy to explore cellular senescence at the molecular level. Additional cutting-edge methods include CRISPR-based genetic screens to identify new regulatory pathways, single-cell sequencing to dissect cellular heterogeneity, and patient-derived organoid cultures to model disease progression and drug response in a clinically relevant context.
Head of research: Panagiotis (Panos) Galanos
Researchers and research group: Panagiotis (Panos) Galanos
Part of the Research section of Translational Biology at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
