Head / Lab Director

George Markakis is a Professor at the Department of Social Work of the Hellenic Mediterranean University and President of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. He is a graduate Mathematician of the Department of Mathematics of the University of Patras (1984). He received his PhD from the University of Patras in the subject Non-Conventional Analysis, Probabilities and Fuzzy Sets (1990).

In the period 1993-1998 he was a Lecturer and an Assistant Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Crete and he taught the course Biometrics at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Level. Since 1998 he is a faculty member of the Hellenic Mediterranean University (former TEI of Crete). He has participated in more than 30 research papers in international peer-reviewed journals.

He has also participated in at least 10 EU-funded research projects. In 2 of them he was the principal investigator. He was Head of the Department of Agriculture for 8 years as well as President of the university academic staff union for 6 years. His research interests are related to applications of Statistics in Biological, Agricultural and Humanities.

Staff and Scientific Associates

Ms. Stavroula Lioliou is a PhD candidate at the Department of Social Work of the Hellenic Mediterranean University. Holds a bachelor degree in Psychology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2008) and a Master’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Psychology from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands (2013). He completed a specialization course in the Education of Persons with Disabilities from the University of Macedonia (2010), while he attended training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at the Center for Applied Psychotherapy and Counseling in Chania (2014-2016). Since 2014, she has been collaborating with LaHeRS Lab at the Hellenic Mediterranean University, as a member in European programs (Wom-Power, Commun-Aid), in delivering undergraduate and postgraduate education and in promoting awareness raising programs in the community and school settings. Since the 2015-2016 she has been working in education as a special education staff, mainly in the assessment of children with special educational needs.

Mrs. Nektaria Pedioti is a graduate of the Department of Social Work of the Technological Educational Institute of Crete. She holds two postgraduate degrees in the subjects of Adult Education and Special Education. She is a PhD candidate at the Department of Social Work of the Hellenic Mediterranean University and a member of the teaching staff. Since 2019, she is a member of the research team of LaHeRS. She has 20 years of experience as a social worker in different population groups and settings, as well as in education.

Ms. Kounali Vasiliki is a PhD candidate in the Department of Social Work of the Hellenic Mediterranean University. She is a registered psychologist and psychotherapist for children, adolescents and adults. Mrs. Kounali completed her undergraduate studies at the Department of Psychology of the University of Crete in 2017 and holds a Master’s Degree in School/Educational Psychology from the University of Neapolis Paphos (2020). She has specialized in Systemic-Family Therapy and Play Therapy and continues to train in the above areas. In addition, she has specialized in Counseling of Abused Women and Victims of Domestic Violence (Disco, 2019), the Education of Persons with Disabilities and/or Special Educational Difficulties and in Braille writing from the University of Macedonia (2020). She is also a certified Adult Educator (EOPPEP certification).She has specialized in the diagnostic evaluation, management and treatment of cases of infants, children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from the Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Unit, First Pediatric Clinic, Medical School of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens and in the administration and interpretation of the MMPI®-2 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Questionnaire. She has worked at the Psychiatric Clinic of the General University Hospital of Crete (2017-2018), from 2018 to 2020 she worked in the Fostering and Adoption sector at the Directorate of Public Health and Social Care, Social Solidarity Department, of Heraklion Prefecture. Since 2018 she is a core member of LaHeRS Lab, as member of European programs, delivering undergraduate and postgraduate education and contributing to awareness raising programs in the community and school setting. In 2020-2021 she took over, as a responsible Psychologist in the Region of Crete, the program of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, which concerns the reduction of school dropout and the strengthening of education in Roma communities and from 2020 until today she has been working in education as a special educational staff. .

Anna Manidaki holds a PhD from School of Medicine of the University of Crete. She is a graduate of the Department of Social Work of T.E.I. of Crete and holder of a master’s degree in Public Health and Health Services Administration with specialization in Epidemiology (School of Medicine University of Crete). Dr. Manidaki has participated in programs of international and European public health bodies, and has many years of experience as a scientific and research associate at the Department of Social Medicine of the School of Medicine University of Crete. She has many years of voluntary work in various community organizations targeting vulnerable groups. She is an Accredited Practitioner Coach (IAPC&M), a member of the International Authority for Professional Coaching & Mentoring (IAPC&M), and has been trained in the areas of personal development and empowerment coaching, health coaching, career and mentoring (University of Yale, Imperial College London, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aegean College, etc.). Since 2021 she belongs to the research group of the LaHeRS Lab, Hellenic Mediterranean University. Her scientific interests are focused on issues related to evidence-based coaching, health coaching, and life and employability skills.