Dr. Michalakis Christoforou

Special Teaching Staff, 
Department of Agriculture Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology

m.christoforou@cut.ac.cy

Biography

Dr. Michalakis Christoforou is currently a Special Teaching Staff at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science and a Research Fellow at Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence (ECoE). He received his B.Sc. in Plant Protection from the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece, an M.Sc. in Horticulture from the University of Reading, U.K, an MSc in Geographical Information Systems and Geospatial Technologies and a PhD in Plant Pathology – Nematology, from the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). Since 2008, he is working as a Special Scientist and a Research Fellow at CUT and he is an active member of the ECoE, the Agricultural Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab and the Geodesy Lab. During his career, he performed research in several areas of Agricultural Nematology (PENEK), Plant Pathology (Life Green Grapes), Ecology (CASCADE) and Agricultural Innovation (AGROINNOECO), Cost action projects (Sustainable Control of grapevine trunk diseases and Genomic BIodiversity Knowledge for Resilient Ecosystems), ESA projects (SWSOIP) and is participating in EIT FOOD projects (Black to the Future). His scientific interests focuses on the study of biotic and abiotic plant and their monitoring using remote sensing applications with the use of Multispectral UAVs. He published articles in scientific journals, book chapters and proceedings of international conferences. Dr Christoforou is a member the European Society of Nematologist (ESN), the Association of Applied Biologist (AAB), the Hellenic Phytopathological Society (HPS) and the Cyprus Association of Agronomists.

Interests

  • Swimming
  • Scuba Diving
  • Sky Diving
  • Reading
  • Wine Testing

Education

  • B.Sc. in Plant Protection, from the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • M.Sc. in Horticulture, from the University of Reading, U.K
  • MSc in Geographical Information Systems and Geospatial Technologies, from the Cyprus University of Technology
  • PhD in Plant Pathology – Nematology, from the Cyprus University of Technology

Publications

CyCLOPS: A National Integrated GNSS/InSAR Strategic Research Infrastructure for Monitoring Geohazards and Forming the Next Generation Datum of the Republic of Cyprus. In: International Association of Geodesy Symposia. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Danezis, C., Kakoullis D., …. Christoforou M., … et al. (2022).
https://doi.org/10.1007/1345_2022_161

Advances in understanding and managing sudden ecosystem shifts in Mediterranean drylands. Ecology and Evolution
Erik Elsen, L. C Stringer,…..  M. Christoforou et al. 2020.

How does land management contribute to the resilience of Mediterranean forests and rangelands? A participatory assessment. Land Degrad Dev. 2018; 29: 3721–3735.
Jucker Riva M, Baeza J, Bautista S, Christoforou M, et al. 2018.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3104

“Monitoring of Land Degradation from Overgrazing using Spaceborne Radar and Optical Imagery: case study in Randi Forest, Cyprus”, SPIE, Edinburgh International Conference Centre Edinburgh, United Kingdom, September 26 – 29 (2016).
Papoutsa, C., Kouhartsiouk, D., Themistocleous, K., Christoforou, M., Hadjimitsis, D.

“Characterization of Rhizoctonia solani Associated with Black Scurf in Cyprus”. Plant Disease.
Kanetis L., Tsimouris D. and Christoforou M. 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-10-15-1238-RE

“The use of UAV to document sloping landscapes to produce digital elevation models to examine environmental degradation”. Proc. SPIE 9644, Earth Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing/GIS Applications VI, 96440N (20 October 2015);
Themistocleous K., Agapiou A, Papadavid G., Christoforou, M., Hadjimitsis D. G. 2015.
doi: 10.1117/12.2195623

“Use of remote sensing and UAV for the management of degraded ecosystems: the case study of overgrazing in Randi Forest, Cyprus “, Proc. SPIE 9229, Second International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation of the Environment (RSCy2014), 92291V (August 12, 2014); doi:10.1117/12.2069515;
Themistocleous K , Papadavid G., Christoforou, M., Agapiou A. ,  Andreou K.,  Tsaltas D., Hadjimitsis D. G. 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2069515

“Rapid detection and quantification of viable potato cyst nematodes using qPCR in combination with propidium monoazide” Plant Pathology Doi: 10.1111/ppa.12193.
Christoforou, Μ.,  Pantelides I. S., Kanetis L., Ioannou N. and Tsaltas, D. 2014.

“Molecular typing of cyst-forming nematodes Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis, using real-time PCR and evaluation of five methods for template preparation”. Journal of Phytopathology. doi: 10.1111/jph.12091.
Papayiannis, L.C., Christoforou, M., Markou, Y.M. and Tsaltas, D. 2013

Molecular Diagnostic Tools for Nematodes, Nematology – Concepts, Diagnosis and Control, Dr. Mohammad Manjur Shah (Ed.), InTech, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.69075.
Michalakis Christoforou, Michael Orford and Dimitris Tsaltas (2017).
https://www.intechopen.com/books/nematology-concepts-diagnosis-and-control/molecular-diagnostic-tools-for-nematodes