Thermodynamics and Biophysics of Biomedical Nanosystems: Applications and Practical Considerations

This book highlights the recent advances of thermodynamics and biophysics in drug delivery nanosystems and in biomedical nanodevices. The up-to-date book provides an in-depth knowledge of bio-inspired nanotechnological systems for pharmaceutical applications.

Biophysics and thermodynamics, supported by mathematics, are the locomotive by which the drug transportation and the targeting processes will be achieved under the light of the modern pharmacotherapy. They are considered as scientific tools that promote the understanding of physicochemical and thermotropic functionality and behavior of artificial cell membranes and structures like nanoparticulate systems. Therefore, this book focusses on new aspects of biophysics and thermodynamics as important elements for evaluating biomedical nanosystems, and it correlates their physicochemical, biophysical and thermodynamical behaviour with those of a living organism.

In 2018, Prof. Demetzos was honored with an award by the Order of Sciences of the Academy of Athens for his scientific contribution in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology.

Since 1991, Professor Demetzos’ scientific and teaching work is related to Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology. The innovation of his research, apart from being in numerous publications and announcements in international scientific journals and conferences, has led to awards of international and national patents in Greece and in many European countries, USA, Australia, having as main objects the nanotechnological drug delivery systems and nanodevises. His research work has international recognition and there are more than 4000 cross references related to his research (h index 32). The total number of publications in international journals is greater than 240, while the total number of announcements is greater than 300. Being a scientific director he participates in national and European research programs. He has concluded many scientific collaborations internationally and within the Greek scientific community. Prof. Costas Demetzos is well known for his research activity inthe field of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and for this reason he has been and still is invited for lectures and speeches in international scientific conferences, while he collaborates with a great number of scientists in European level, in the field of Nanotechnology. He acts as a member of the editorial board of scientific journals and has also been awarded in pharmaceutical congresses.  He is the author of related University notes, textbooks and monographs. He was responsible for dozens of PhD students and their theses, Master's Diplomas and Undergraduate Dissertations. Also, he has been invited to teach Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology in other Greek Universities. It must be mentioned that he participates as a member of Organizing Committees but also as a president of International and European scientific Conferences, while being an evaluator in many committees. He is the chairman of the Hellenic Pharmaceutical Society (HPS), from 2008. He was also an elected member of the ExCo of EUFEPS (Network Coordinator) (2014-2016). 

In 2018, Prof. Demetzos was honored with an award by the Order of Sciences of the Academy of Athens for his scientific contribution in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology.

Natassa Pippa is post-doctoral researcher in Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.   She has completed her PhD in 2015 from Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, under the guidance of the expert of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Prof. Costas Demetzos. She developed bio-inspired delivery systems, especially chimeric advanced Drug Delivery nano Systems (aDDnSs), which are complex self-assembled soft nanostructures, act as facilitators for the development of innovative therapeutic devices, with added value and respondto the requirements of modern trends in the therapeutics. During her PhD, she participated in the Research Programme “NANOMACRO: Functional Self-assembled Nanostructures from Block Copolymers and Proteins” (under the guidance of Dr. Stergios Pispas) in Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation. She has published more than 60 peer –review papers and 6 chapters in Books. She has been selected as speaker in National and International Conferences and presented more than 70 posters. She has been awarded in Congresses for her oral and poster presentations. She also participated in several research programs with pharmaceutical industries in order to develop medicines, cosmetics and food supplements. She also received two scholarships for post-doctoral research in Greece and in France. She also received a Scholarship from French Government:"Séjours cientifique de haut niveau" (SSHN) in the Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), University of Bordeaux (France) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sébastien Lecommandoux. Finally, she was awarded by International Association of Advanced Materials  with the prestigious “International Association of Advanced Materials Scientist Medal (IAAM Scientist medal) for the year 2016” due to her contribution in the field of "Advanced Materials Science and Technology" (at European Advanced Materials Congress 2016 on 24th August 2016  Stockholm, Sweden).