Ph.D. / Postdoctoral Researcher
Expertise: Cancer Cell Biology; Molecular Oncology; Protein Interactions; Stem Cell Biology;
Cornea Endothelium
Email: t.poullikkas.ne [at] juntendo.ac.jp
Researchmap: English (https://researchmap.jp/thanasis_poullikkas?lang=en) Japanese
(https://researchmap.jp/thanasis_poullikkas)
ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1006-1483
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/thanasis-poullikkas-279865208
Selected papers:
Poullikkas, T. et. al., (2021). Viroinformatics-Based Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Core Proteins for
Potential Therapeutic Targets. MDPI Antibodies, 10(1), 3. LINK
Manevich, L. & Poullikkas, T et. al., (2022). Glycoprotein NMB promotes tumour formation and malignant progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Science. LINK
Xie, X., Lee, J., & Poullikkas, T et. al., (2023). Abstract LB042: Targeting ATR enhances the antitumor efficacy of patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) in tamoxifen-resistant ER+ breast cancer cells by inducing DNA damage and apoptosis. Cancer Research. LINK
Haque, Md. A. & Poullikkas, T. et. al., (2025). PHLPP1 Depletion Promotes Tumorigenesis and Stemness in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells Through Activating AKT Signalling. Medical
Oncology. LINK
Biography:
Dr. Thanasis Poullikkas is a cancer biologist with a Ph.D. in Human Biology from the University of
Tsukuba (2023). His research focuses on tumour cell signalling and its microenvironment,
particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). His doctoral work identified GPNMB as a
novel receptor for WNT5a and characterized its oncogenic role in TNBC, providing new insight into
therapeutic resistance and tumour aggressiveness. He currently serves as a Postdoctoral
Researcher at Juntendo University and a Visiting Researcher at the National Cancer Center. His
current research explores the potency of repurposed drugs against glioblastoma organoids
assisted by in silico models, tissue clearing and light-sheet microscopy. Dr. Poullikkas has
previously worked at the MERLN Institute in the Netherlands (2024) on iPSC-derived corneal
endothelium, and he has collaborated with MD Anderson Cancer Centre (2022) on DNA damage-
targeted therapy for endocrine-resistant breast cancer. Throughout his career, he has maintained
a strong interest in translating molecular insights into novel therapeutic strategies, with the ultimate
focus on improving the quality of life for cancer and corneopathy patients.