Education / Qualifications

• 1986-1991: D.D.S., Valedictorian, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)
• 1992: Research Fellow, Department of Orthodontics, Kjaer  Laboratory, University of Copenhagen
• 1992-1996: Clinical specialty training in Orthodontics, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
• 1992-1996: D.M.Sc. (equivalent to Ph.D.) in Oral Biology, Harvard Medical School
• 1996-1997: Postdoctoral training, Seidman Lab & Tabin Lab, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School

Academic and professional positions held

• 1996-1997: Clinical Instructor in Orthodontics, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
• 1996-1997: Associate, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• 1997-2000: Lecturer in Orthodontics, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
• 1997-2000: Assistant Professor, Division of Basic Sciences and Division of Growth and Developmental Sciences (Orthodontics), New York University College of Dentistry
• 2000-2005: Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• 2000-2010: Assistant Research Professor, Department of Orthodontics, Tufts University  School of Dental Medicine
• 2009- 2015: Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, NKUA
• 2015-2020: Assistant Professor, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, NKUA
• 2020- : Associate Professor, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, NKUA

Academic and professional responsibilities

Didactic

• Undergraduate: 51253-4 Biology – Genetics (lectures), 51069- Orthodontics I (lectures) School of Dentistry, NKUA
• Postgraduate: ΒΣ1-Morphogenesis of the craniofacial complex (coordination- lectures), ΒΣ2-Dysmorphogenesis and syndromes of the craniofacial complex (coordination- lectures),  ΓΜ4-Oral Biology I (lectures), ΓΜ8- Head and Neck Anatomy (lectures), School of Dentistry, NKUA

Administrative

• Member in Postgraduate Education Committee, Financial Committee, and Ethics Committee, School of Dentistry, NKUA.

Research Grants and Contracts

• 1995-1996: TELP Fellowship Award, American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (Principal Investigator, P.I)
• 1997-1998: Biomedical Research Award, American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (P.I)
• 1997: Start-up funding for setting up a basic science laboratory, New York University School of Dentistry (P.I)
• 1997-1998: Dean’s Research Award, New York University College of Dentistry (P.I)
• 1998-1999: Research Challenge Fund, New York University (P.I)
• 1998-1999: Biomedical Research Award, American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (P.I)
• 1999-2001: Basil O’ Connor Research Award, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (P.I)
• 1999-2005: National Institute of Health (NIH/NIDCR K23DE00422) (co-P.I)
• 2000-2001: Hellenic Scholarship Foundation (P.I)
• 2001-2003: Biomedical Research Award, American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (co-P.I)
• 2002-2005: March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (co-P.I)
• 2002-2005: National Institute of Health (NIH/NIDCR DE 014649-01) (co-P.I)
• 2004-2009: National Institute of Health (NIH/NIDCR RO1 DE016107-01) (co-P.I)
• 2009-2011: Eea grants (Agreement between the Financial Mechanism Committee established by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Hellenic Republic) (co-P.I)
• 2012-2013: T. Koulouridis Foundation (supported by P & G ) (P.I)

Awards and Honours

• 1986-1990: National Hellenic Scholarship Foundation Award
• 1987-1990: Seaman's Welfare
• 1988-1991: Papadakis Scholarship Foundation Award
• 1992: Lilian Voudouris Foundation Award
• 1992-1994: National Hellenic Scholarship Foundation Award
• 1993: Hellenic Harvard Club Award
• 1994: Gerondelis Scholarship Foundation Award
• 1995: Alexander S. Onassis Foundation Award
• 1995: TELP Fellowship Award, American Association of Orthodontists Foundation
• 1996: Joseph L. Henry Award, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
• 1997: Dean’s Faculty Research Fund, New York University College of Dentistry
• 1997: Biomedical Research Award, American Association of Orthodontists Foundation
• 1998: New York University Research Challenge Fund, New York University College of Dentistry
• 1998: Biomedical Research Award, American Association of Orthodontists Foundation
• 1998: Finalist, E. H. Hatton Award Competition, AADR
• 1999: Dean’s Faculty Research Fund, New York University College of Dentistry
• 1999: Basil O’ Connor Starter Scholar Award, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
• 1999: Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences Nominee, New York University
• 1999: Searle Scholars Program Nominee, New York University
• 2000: Best poster presentation, 76^th Congress, European Orthodontic Society
• 1997: Award of Special Merit, American Association of Orthodontists
• 2000-2001: National Hellenic Scholarship Foundation Award

Memberships

• 1991-2000: Dental Society of Attica, Greece
• 1991-today: Harvard Society for the Advancement of Orthodontics
• 1991-today: American Dental Association
• 1991-today: American Association of Orthodontists
• 1994-today: American Association for Dental Research
• 1994-today: International Association for Dental Research
• 1996-today: Hellenic Association of Medical Geneticists
• 1999-today: Greek Association for Orthodontic Study & Research
• 1999-today: European Orthodontic Society
• 2000-today: Hellenic Society of Odontostomatological Research
• 2007-today: Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics

Research Theses - Books

• Genetic Approaches to Understanding Tooth Development. A Human MSX1 Homeodomain Missense Mutation Causes Selective Tooth Agenesis. (Doctoral degree thesis, 1991)
• Craniosynostosis: Phenotype, diagnosis, surgical correction, research. From the operating room to the laboratory bench. (Research monography, 2002)            

Selected publications in scientific journals

• A human MSX1 homeodomain missense mutation causes selective tooth agenesis. Vastardis H, Karimbux N, Guthua SW, Seidman JG, Seidman CE. Nature Genet. 13:417-21, 1996.
• Haploinsufficiency of MSX1: A mechanism for selective tooth agenesis. Hu GZ*, Vastardis H*, Bendall AJ*, Wang Z, Logan MP, Zhang H, Stein S, Greenfield N, Seidman CE, Seidman JG, Abate-Shen C.  Mol Cell Biol. 18(10):6044-6051, 1998.* Authors contributed equally
• Human NELL-1 expressed in unilateral coronal synostosis.  Ting K, Vastardis H, Mulliken JB, Soo C, Tieu A, Do H, Kwong E, Bertolami CN, Kawamoto H, Kuroda S, Longaker MT.  J Bone Miner Res. 14(1): 80-89, 1999.
• The genetics of human tooth agenesis: New discoveries for understanding dental anomalies.  Vastardis H.  Am. J. Orthod. Dentofac. Orthop. 117(6):650-656, 2000.
• Overexpression of Nell-1, a craniosynostosis-associated gene, induces apoptosis in osteoblasts during craniofacial development. Zhang X, Carpenter D, Bokui N, Soo C, Miao S, Truong T, Wu B, Chen I, Vastardis H, Tanizawa K, Kuroda S, Ting K. J Bone Miner Res. 18(12):2126-34, 2003.
• Unilateral coronal synostosis: a histomorphometric study. Vastardis H, Mulliken JB, Glowacki J. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 41(4):439-446, 2004.
• Expression of stem cell factor and its receptor, c-kit, in oral mesenchymal cells. Gagari E, Rand MK, Tayari L, Vastardis H, Sharma P, Hauschka PV and Damoulis PD. J Oral Sci. 114:409-415, 2006.
• Periodontitis associated with Hajdu-Cheney syndrome. Bazopoulou-Kyrkanidou E, Vrahopoulos TP, Eliades G, Vastardis H, Tosios K, Vrotsos IA. J Periodontol. 78(9):1831-1838, 2007.
• Cephalometric Evaluation of the Craniofacial Complex in Patients Treated with an Intra-oral Distraction Osteogenesis Device. A Long Term Study. Chow A, Lee H-F, Trahar M, Kawamoto H, Vastardis H, Ting K. Am. J. Orthod. Dentofac. Orthop. 134(6):724-731, 2008.
• Revisiting the morphogenesis of the human lower lip: An overlooked paradigm. Vastardis H, Spyropoulos MN. Front. Physiol. 3:333, 2012.
• Endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated chaperones, Bip/GRP78 and calnexin are overexpressed in keratocystic odontogenic tumours. Pavli M, Farmaki E, Merkourea S, Vastardis H, Sklavounou A, Tzerbos F, Chatzistamou I. J Oral Maxillofac Res. 1:5(1), 2014.
• Signaling mechanisms implicated in cranial sutures pathophysiology: Craniosynostosis. Katsianou MA, Adamopoulos C, Vastardis H, Basdra EK. BBA Clin. 6:165-176, 2016.
• Evidence for APOBEC3B mRNA and protein expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas. Fanourakis G, Tosios K, Papanikolaou N, Chatzistamou I, Xydous M, Tseleni-Balafouta S, Sklavounou A, Voutsinas GE, Vastardis H. Exp Mol Pathol. 101(3):314-319, 2016.
• Continuous hydrostatic pressure induces differentiation phenomena in chondrocytes mediated by changes in polycystins, SOX9, and RUNX2. Karamesinis K, Spyropoulou A, Dalagiorgou G, Katsianou MA, Nokhbehsaim M, Memmert S, Deschner J, Vastardis H, Piperi C. J Orofac Orthop. 78(1):21-31, 2017.

 Areas of scientific interest

• Cranio-oro-facial development and genetics

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