Georgia Xiromerisiou

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Georgia Xiromerisiou

Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Thessaly, Medical School


Positions and Honors.

1994 first place in the national admission exams for the Medical School, University of Thessaly

2000 -2001 Senior House Officer (ST10) Internal Medicine,ER

2001-2002 Primary Care in rural areas – employed by Greek government

2002-2003 Senior House Officer (ST1) Internal Medicine

2003 SHO (ST2) in Psychiatry

2005-2009 Neurology Residency – employed by Greek government

2009-2010 Clinical Assistant in Neurophysiology

2010-2011 Honorary Clinical Assistant to Professor Andrew Lees

2010-2011 Research fellow to Professor John Hardy

2011-now Consultant Neurologist in Papageorgiou Hospital, Specialist in Movement Disorders and Neurogenetics Thessaloniki Greece

2013-now Lecturer in Neurology in Medical School of University of Thessalia

2005-now Member of the Greek Neurological Society

2009-now Member of GMC full and Specialist registration

Member of Movement Disorders Society

Member of the European Stroke Society

Member of the Medical Council of Thessaloniki

2005-now Collaborator for GEO-PD consortium (Genetic PD Epidemiology)

2009 first place in the exams organized by the Hellenic (Greek) Neurological Society for a one year scholarship abroad (in a special field in Neurology

2010 20th Greek neurological conference. First award

2014 Course Director of the MDS course Genetics of Parkinson’s Disease and Other Parkinsonian Symptoms in Clinical Practice


Selected peer-reviewed publications

44 peer reviewed Publications can be found in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=xiromerisou

Another 6 manuscripts have been submitted and are waiting for approval

Selected publications

  • Bettencourt C, Salpietro V, Efthymiou S, Chelban V, Hughes D, Pittman AM, Federoff M, Bourinaris T, Spilioti M, Deretzi G, Kalantzakou T, Houlden H, Singleton AB, Xiromerisiou G. Genotype-phenotype correlations and expansion of the molecular spectrum of AP4M1-related hereditary spastic paraplegia. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2017 Nov 2;12(1):172. doi: 10.1186/s13023-017-0721-2. PubMed PMID: 29096665.

  • Tsironis T, Tychalas A, Kiourtidis D, Kountouras J, Xiromerisiou G, Rudolf J, Deretzi G. Periodic Paralysis and Encephalopathy as Initial Manifestations of Graves’ Disease: Case Report and Review of the Literature. Neurologist. 2017 Jul;22(4):134-137. doi: 10.1097/NRL.0000000000000125. PubMed PMID: 28644255.

  • Kountouras J, Polyzos SA, Katsinelos P, Tzivras D, Boziki M, Gavalas E, Zavos C, Vardaka E, Romiopoulos I, Anastasiadis S, Tsiaousi E, Kountouras C, Xiromerisiou G, Deretzi G. Helicobacter pylori on portal hypertension-related hepatic encephalopathy. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2017 Apr;39(2):105-106. doi: 10.1080/08923973.2017.1286503. Epub 2017 Feb 10. PubMed PMID: 28211305.

  • Kountouras J, Boziki M, Polyzos SA, Katsinelos P, Gavalas E, Zeglinas C, Tzivras D, Romiopoulos I, Giorgakis N, Anastasiadou K, Vardaka E, Kountouras C, Kazakos E, Xiromerisiou G, Dardiotis E, Deretzi G. Impact of reactive oxygen species generation on Helicobacter pylori-related extragastric diseases: a hypothesis. Free Radic Res. 2017 Jan;51(1):73-79. doi: 10.1080/10715762.2016.1271122. Epub 2017 Jan 17. PubMed PMID: 28095729.

  • Wang L, Heckman MG, Aasly JO, Annesi G, Bozi M, Chung SJ, Clarke C, Crosiers D, Eckstein G, Garraux G, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Hattori N, Jeon B, Kim YJ, Kubo M, Lesage S, Lin JJ, Lynch T, Lichtner P, Mellick GD, Mok V, Morrison KE, Quattrone A, Satake W, Silburn PA, Stefanis L, Stockton JD, Tan EK, Toda T, Brice A, Van Broeckhoven C, Uitti RJ, Wirdefeldt K, Wszolek Z, Xiromerisiou G, Maraganore DM,

  • Gasser T, Krüger R, Farrer MJ, Ross OA, Sharma M; GEOPD Consortium. Evaluation of the interaction between LRRK2 and PARK16 loci in determining risk of Parkinson’s disease: analysis of a large multicenter study. Neurobiol Aging. 2017 Jan;49:217.e1-217.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.09.022. Epub 2016 Oct 6.PubMed PMID: 27814993; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5154911.

  • Kara E, Tucci A, Manzoni C, Lynch DS, Elpidorou M, Bettencourt C, Chelban V, Manole A, Hamed SA, Haridy NA, Federoff M, Preza E, Hughes D, Pittman A, Jaunmuktane Z, Brandner S, Xiromerisiou G, Wiethoff S, Schottlaender L, Proukakis C, Morris H, Warner T, Bhatia KP, Korlipara LV, Singleton AB, Hardy J, Wood NW, Lewis PA, Houlden H. Genetic and phenotypic characterization of complex hereditary spastic paraplegia. Brain. 2016 Jul;139(Pt 7):1904-18. doi: 10.1093/brain/aww111. Epub 2016 May 23. PubMed PMID: 27217339; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4939695.

  • Nalls MA, ……Xiromerisiou G, Myers RH, Clark LN, Stefansson K, Hardy JA, HeutinkP, Chen H, Wood NW, Houlden H, Payami H, Brice A, Scott WK, Gasser T, Bertram L, Eriksson N, Foroud T, Singleton AB. Large-scale meta-analysis of genome-wide association data identifies six new risk loci for Parkinson’s disease. Nat Genet.2014 Sep;46(9):989-93.

  • Nalls MA et al International Parkinson’s Disease Genomics Consortium (IPDGC); Parkinson’s Diseasemeta-analysis consortium. NeuroX, a fast and efficient genotyping platform forinvestigation of neurodegenerative diseases. Neurobiol Aging. 2015Mar;36(3):1605.

  • Xiromerisiou G et Identical twins with Leucine rich repeat kinase type 2 mutations discordant for Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord. 2012 Sep 1;27(10):1323.

  • Michelakakis H, Xiromerisiou G, Dardiotis E, Bozi M, Vassilatis D, Kountra PM, Patramani G, Moraitou M, Papadimitriou D, Stamboulis E, Stefanis L, Zintzaras E, Hadjigeorgiou GM. Evidence of an association between the scavenger receptor class B member 2 gene and Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord. 2012 Mar;27(3):400-

  • Wiethoff S, Xiromerisiou G, Bettencourt C, Kioumi A, Tsiptsios I, Tychalas A, Evaggelia M, George K, Makris V, Hardy J, Houlden H. Novel single base-pair deletion in exon 1 of XK gene leading to McLeod syndrome with chorea, muscle wasting, peripheral neuropathy, acanthocytosis and haemolysis. J Neurol Sci. 2014 Apr 15;339(1-2):220-2.

  • Xiromerisiou G, et al THAP1 mutations in a Greek primary blepharospasm series. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2013 Mar;19(3):404-5

  • Xiromerisiou G et al THAP1 mutations and dystonia phenotypes: genotype phenotype correlations. Mov Disord. 2012 Sep 1;27(10):1290-4.

  • Heckman MG, Elbaz A, Soto-Ortolaza AI, Serie DJ, Aasly JO, Annesi G,…………, Wirdefeldt K, Wszolek ZK, Wu RM, Xiromerisiou G, Maraganore DM, Farrer MJ,Ross OA; Genetic Epidemiology Of Parkinson’s Disease (GEO-PD) Consortium. Protective effect of LRRK2 p.R1398H on risk of Parkinson’s disease is independent of MAPT and SNCA variants. Neurobiol Aging. 2014 Jan;35(1):266.e5-14

  • Kara E, Xiromerisiou G, Spanaki C, Bozi M, Koutsis G, Panas M, Dardiotis E, Ralli S, Bras J, Letson C, Edsall C, Pliner H, Arepalli S, Kalinderi K, Fidani L, Bostantjopoulou S, Keller MF, Wood NW, Hardy J, Houlden H, Stefanis L, Plaitakis A, Hernandez D, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Nalls MA, Singleton AB. Assessment of Parkinson’s disease risk loci in Greece. Neurobiol Aging. 2014 Feb;35(2):442.e9-442.e16.

  • Ling H, Kara E, Bandopadhyay R, Hardy J, Holton J, Xiromerisiou G, Lees A, Houlden H, Revesz T. TDP-43 pathology in a patient carrying G2019S LRRK2 mutation and a novel p.Q124E MAPT. Neurobiol Aging. 2013 Dec;34(12):2889.e5-9

  • Kojovic M, Pareés I, Lampreia T, Pienczk-Reclawowicz K, Xiromerisiou G, Rubio-Agusti I, Kramberger M, Carecchio M, Alazami AM, Brancati F, Slawek J, Pirtosek Z, Valente EM, Alkuraya FS, Edwards MJ, Bhatia KP. The syndrome of deafness-dystonia: clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Mov Disord. 2013 Jun;28(6):795-803.

  • Krommyda M, Xiromerisiou G, Ameridis E, Tsiptsios D, Tsironis T, Tsiptsios I.Familial case of speech-induced tongue-protrusion dystonia. Mov Disord. 2013 Aug;28(9):1315

  • Dardiotis E, Xiromerisiou G, Hadjichristodoulou C, Tsatsakis AM, Wilks MF, Hadjigeorgiou GM. The interplay between environmental and genetic factors in Parkinson’s disease susceptibility: the evidence for pesticides. Toxicology. 2013 May 10;307:17-23

  • Sharma M, Ioannidis JP…….Wszolek Z, Xiromerisiou G, Yomono HS, Yueh KC, Zhao Y, Gasser T, Maraganore D,Krüger R; GEOPD consortium. A multi-centre clinico-genetic analysis of the VPS35 gene in Parkinson disease indicates reduced penetrance for disease-associated variants. J Med Genet. 2012 Nov;49(11):721-6.

  • Michelakakis H, Xiromerisiou G, Dardiotis E, Bozi M, Vassilatis D, Kountra PM, Patramani G, Moraitou M, Papadimitriou D, Stamboulis E, Stefanis L, Zintzaras E, Hadjigeorgiou GM. Evidence of an association between the scavenger receptor class B member 2 gene and Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord. 2012 Mar;27(3):400-5.

  • Ross OA et al, Genetic Epidemiology Of Parkinson’s Disease (GEO-PD) Consortium. Association of LRRK2 exonic variants with susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease: a case-control study. Lancet Neurol. 2011 Oct;10(10):898-908

  • Moraitou M, Hadjigeorgiou G, Monopolis I, Dardiotis E, Bozi M, Vassilatis D, Vilageliu L, Grinberg D, Xiromerisiou G, Stefanis L, Michelakakis H. β-Glucocerebrosidase gene mutations in two cohorts of Greek patients with sporadic Parkinson’s disease. Mol Genet Metab. 2011 Sep-Oct;104(1-2):149-52.

  • Xiromerisiou G et al Lack of association of the UCHL-1 gene with Parkinson’s disease in a Greek cohort: a haplotype-tagging approach. Mov Disord.2011 Aug 15;26(10):1955-7.

  • Elbaz A,…… Xiromerisiou G, Maraganore DM, Farrer MJ; Genetic Epidemiology of Parkinson’s Disease (GEO-PD) Consortium. Independent and joint effects of the MAPT and SNCA genes in Parkinson disease. Ann Neurol. 2011 May;69(5):778-92

  • Dardiotis E, Jagiella J, Xiromerisiou G, Dardioti M, Vogiatzi C, Urbanik A, Paterakis K, Komnos A, Fountas KN, Slowik A, Hadjigeorgiou GM. Angiotensin-converting enzyme tag single nucleotide polymorphisms in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2011 Mar;21(3):136-41.

  • Dardiotis E, Fountas KN, Dardioti M, Xiromerisiou G, Kapsalaki E, Tasiou A, Hadjigeorgiou GM. Genetic association studies in patients with traumatic brain injury. Neurosurg Focus. 2010 Jan;28(1):E9

  • Xiromerisiou G, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Gourbali V, Papakonstantinou I, Papadimitriou A, Singleton AB. Screening for SNCA and LRRK2 mutations in Greek sporadic and autosomal dominant PD: identification of two novel LRRK2 variants. European Journal of Neurology 2007;14(1):7-11

  • Xiromerisiou G, Dardiotis E, Tsimourtou V, Kountra P, Paterakis K, Fountas K, Hadjigeorgiou GM. Genetic basis of Parkinson’s disease. Neurosurgical Focus 2010;28(1):E7.1-E7.7

  • Xiromerisiou G, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Eerola J, Fernandez HH, Tsimourtou V, Mandel R, Hellström O, Gwinn-Hardy K, Okun MS, Tienari PJ, Singleton AB. BDNF tagging polymorphisms and haplotype analysis in sporadic Parkinson’s disease in diverse ethnic groups. Neurosci Lett. 2007 Mar 19;415(1):59-63. Epub 2006 Dec 30

  • Xiromerisiou G, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Papadimitriou A, Katsarogiannis E, Gourbali V, Singleton AB. Association between AKT1 gene and Parkinson’s disease: a protective haplotype. Neurosci Lett. 2008 May 9;436(2):232-4. Epub

  • Fung HC, Xiromerisiou G, Gibbs JR, Wu YR, Eerola J, Gourbali V, Hellström O, Chen CM, Duckworth J, Papadimitriou A, Tienari PJ, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Hardy J, Singleton AB. Association of tau haplotype-tagging polymorphisms with Parkinson’s disease in diverse ethnic Parkinson’s disease cohorts. Neurodegener Dis. 2006;3(6):327-33

  • Scholz SW, Xiromerisiou G, Fung HC, Eerola J, Hellström O, Papadimitriou A, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Tienari PJ, Fernandez HH, Mandel R, Okun MS, Gwinn-Hardy K, Singleton AB.The human prion gene M129V polymorphism is not associated with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease in three distinct populations. Neurosci Lett. 2006 Mar 13;395(3):227-9. Epub 2005 Nov 18.

  • Cookson MR, Xiromerisiou G, Singleton A. How genetics research in Parkinson’s disease is enhancing understanding of the common idiopathic forms of the disease. Curr Opin Neurol. 2005 Dec;18(6):706-11

  • Elbaz A, Ross OA, Ioannidis JPA, Soto-Ortolaza AI, Moisan F, Aasly J, Annesi G, Bozi M, Brighina L, Chartier-Harlin M, Destée A, Ferrarese C, Ferraris A, Gibson JM, Gispert S, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Jasinska-Myga B, Klein C, Kruger R, Lambert JC, Lohmann K, van de Loo S, Loriot MA, Lynch T, Mellick G, Mutez E, Nilsson C, Opala G, Puschmann A, Quattrone A, Sharma M, Silburn PA, Stefanis L, Uitti RJ, Valente EA, Vilariño-Güell C, Wirdefeldt K, Wszolek ZK, Xiromerisiou G, Maraganore DM, Farrer MJ, on behalf of the Genetic Epidemiology Of Parkinson’s Disease (GEO-PD) consortium. Independent and joint effects of the MAPT and SNCA genes in Parkinson’s disease. Annals of Neurology (accepted 2010)

  • Xiromerisiou G, Kyratzi E, Dardiotis E, Bozi M, Tsimourtou V, Stamboulis E, Ralli S, Vassilatis D, Gourbali V, Kountra P, Fountas K, Papadimitriou A, Stefanis L, Hadjigeorgiou GM. Lack of association of the UCHL-1 gene with Parkinson’s disease in a Greek cohort: a haplotype tagging approach. Movement Disorders (accepted 2010)

  • Krüger R, Sharma M, Riess O, Gasser T, Van Broeckhoven C, Theuns J, Aasly J, Annesi G, Bentivoglio AR, Brice A, Djarmati A, Elbaz A, Farrer M, Ferrarese C, Gibson JM, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Hattori N, Ioannidis JP, Jasinska-Myga B, Klein C, Lambert JC, Lesage S, Lin JJ, Lynch T, Mellick GD, de Nigris F, Opala G, Prigione A, Quattrone A, Ross OA, Satake W, Silburn PA, Tan EK, Toda T, Tomiyama H, Wirdefeldt K, Wszolek Z, Xiromerisiou G, Maraganore DM; for the Genetic Epidemiology of Parkinson’s disease consortium. A large-scale genetic association study to evaluate the contribution of Omi/HtrA2 (PARK13) to Parkinson’s disease. Neurobiol Aging. 2009 Dec 23. [Epub ahead of print]

  • Plaitakis A, Latsoudis H, Kanavouras K, Ritz B, Skoula I, Mastorodemos V, Papapetropoulos S, Zaganas I, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Xiromerisiou G, Spanaki C. Gain-of-Function Variant in GLUD2 Glutamate Dehydrogenase Modifies Parkinson’s Disease Onset. European Journal of Human Genetics 2010;18(3):336-341

  • Li Y, Rowland C, Xiromerisiou G, Lagier RJ, Schrodi SJ, Dradiotis E, Ross D, Bui N, Catanese J, Aggelakis K, Grupe A, Hadjigeorgiou G. Neither replication nor simulation supports a role for the axon guidance pathway in the genetics of Parkinson’s disease. PLoS ONE. 2008 Jul 16;3(7):e2707.

I presented many poster and oral presentations in International and Greek conferences


Research Support.

1.Identification of genes for Parkinson’s disease in an isolated Greek community and a Greek

population cohort. Grant from Parkinson’s Disease Foundation-USA. Duration: 2011-2013. Grant award:

PDF-IRGP-1102. Total amount: 150.000 dollars. Coordinator-PI: G. Xiromerisiou

2.Research Committee University of Thessaly (code 2845), 2005-2010: Genetic basis of Neurological Diseases.Role: Investigator

3. Alzheimer’s Association, USA: Mediterranean Diet and AD in the Mediterranean region, (PI: Nikolaos Scarmeas, Columbia University, NY) 2009-2012. Award Number: IIRG-09-133014

Role: Investigator (Total amount: 210.000 dollars, 70% for University of Thessaly)

 4. Open label, multicenter, multinational, exploratory trial, in patients with partial onset seizures(SP954) Vimpat Efficacy Response and safety as first ADD-on

 5. Epigene study : A multicenter study of the genetic basis of epileptic syndromes in Greece Grant from Technology CERETETH (Centre for research and Technology-Thessaly )

6. A phase 2 trial of the GSK-3 inhibitor tideglusib in progressive supranuclear palsy The Tau Restoration on PSP (TAUROS) study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability oftideglusib, a GSK-3 inhibitor, as potential treatment for PSP

7. Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease. Maraganore D (Global – PI) 2005-2006

Independent validation study (“MJFF Validation Study”) of designated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously associated with Parkinson’s disease in the Michael J. Fox Foundation-funded project “High-resolution whole genome study to determine the genetic loci of Parkinson’s disease”

Role: Investigator

8.Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease. Maraganore D (Global – PI) 2004-2005

Consortium for the study: Association of Rep1 alpha-synuclein polymorphisms with Parkinsons’s disease (GEO-PD)

Role: Investigator

9 .FLEX mobile Dementia Assistant: funded by FINODEX http://www.finodex-project.eu/

Role:Scientific Advisor

10. Research Collaboration to Understand the Genetic Architecture of Founder Populations Throughout the World to Impact Health and Disease

Roma population of Northern Greece

DRIFT Consortium: Discovery Research Investigating Founder Population Traits

Role: Investigator

11. ALS Greece-DRIFT Discovery Research Investigating Founder Population Traits

Role: Investigator

12. Research Committee University of Thessaly (code 2845), 2005-2010: Genetic basis of Neurological Diseases.

Role: Investigator