Meet our Team
Senior Researchers
Dr George
Giannakopoulos
LEAD RESEARCHER
George Giannakopoulos, PhD, is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher at NCSR Demokritos (Greece), with 20 years of experience in AI applications across various domains. He specializes on the fields of Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Bio-medical and Chemical Informatics, the Semantic Web and others. Since 2017, he has been actively involved in designing and implementing four Master’s programs and has (co)supervised and mentored over 100 students in AI-related practical training, postgraduate theses, and PhD research.
ggianna [at] iit [dot] demokritos [dot] gr
Dr Panagiotis
Krokidas
POSTDOC RESEARCHER
Dr. Panagiotis Krokidas is a physicist with an MSc and PhD in Computational Materials Chemistry, specializing in the intersection of Machine Learning and molecular simulations. His primary research focuses on functionalized nanoporous materials for energy-related applications, such as hydrogen storage and gas separations. He explores AI-driven methods, including active learning and Bayesian optimization, to optimize the cost and efficiency of both in-vivo and in-silico experiments.
p.krokidas [at] iit [dot] demokritos [dot] gr
Dr Christoforos
Rekatsinas
POSTDOC RESEARCHER
Christoforos Rekatsinas holds a degree in Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering (2010) and a Ph.D. (2016) from the University of Patras, specializing in the computational mechanics of composite and smart materials. His current research focuses on the optimization and machine learning-driven damage identification of composite structures through closed-loop computational program interfaces. He also aspires to develop knowledge-informed surrogate models utilizing Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) and Neural Ordinary Differential Equations (Neural ODEs).
crek [at] iit [dot] demokritos [dot] gr
Research Fellows
Current
Artemis Dampa
PhD Candidate
Artemis is a Research Fellow in Demokritos Insane group, specializing in Knowledge-informed AI to support scientific research. She holds an MSc in Web Science and Big Data Analytics from University College London (UK, 2016) and a degree in Informatics and Telematics from Harokopeio University of Athens (Greece, 2014)
adampa [at] iit [dot] demokritos [dot] gr
Vassilis Gkatsis
PhD Candidate
Vassilis Gkatsis is a PhD candidate at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) in collaboration with NCSR Demokritos. The subject of his dissertation is Informed Machine Learning with applications in scarce data scenarios. His research interests also include Explainable Machine Learning, Design Space Exploration Methods, and Integration of Machine Learning with Natural Sciences. Vassilis’s background includes a bachelors degree in Informatics and Telecommunications from NKUA, and a masters degree in Artificial Intelligence from University of Piraeus and NCSR Demokritos.
vgkatsis [at] iit [dot] demokritos [dot] gr
Vassilis Sioros
Phd Candidate
Vasilis Sioros is a PhD candidate at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, specializing in the intersection of Neurosymbolic AI and Generative AI to develop validated and knowledgeable AI systems. Supervised by Dr. George Giannakopoulos, he is a member of the INSANE Group. Vasilis holds a BSc in Informatics and Telecommunications from NKUA and an MSc in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence from NTUA.
v.sioros [at] iit [dot] demokritos [dot] gr
Ioannis Theocharis
MSc Student
Ioannis Theocharis is a master’s student in Data Science at NCSR Demokritos, where he collaborated with the INSANE group during his thesis, titled “Multi-fidelity Bayesian Optimization for Targeted Design Space Exploration“. This research led to a paper presentation and publication at the AINST 2024 conference, under the title “Multi-fidelity Bayesian Optimization for Efficiently Sampling the Design Space of Functionalized Nanoporous Materials”. He is also a PhD candidate in Physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), within the Department of Condensed Matter.
dit2219dsc [at] go [dot] uop [dot] gr
Petros – Fotis Kamberi
MSc Student
Petros- Fotis Kamberi is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Data Science at the University of the Peloponnese, in collaboration with the Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications at NCSR Demokritos, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Informatics and Telecommunications from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. As a member of the INSANE group, he is working on his Master’s thesis focused on the inverse design of nanoporous materials, utilizing machine learning techniques to propose materials with tailored properties by working backward from specified performance goals.
pkamberi [at] ahedd [dot] demokritos [dot] gr
Dimitris – Iasonas Papadopoulos
MSc Student
Dimitris- Iasonas Papadopoulos joined the INSANE group to work on his diploma thesis for a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Piraeus, in collaboration with NCSR Demokritos. His thesis focuses on machine learning-driven health monitoring for aeronautical structures. His primary research interests include Structural Health Monitoring, Physics-Enhanced Machine Learning, Active Learning, Predictive Maintenance, and Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Applications.
jimjasonp [at] gmail [dot] com
Panagiotis Tsilimidos
MSc Student
Panagiotis Tsilimidos is a graduate of the Computer Science Department at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), with a strong interest in mathematics and numbers. His primary focus is on data and analysis, with a keen interest in Artificial Intelligence. Other areas of interest include statistics, data modeling, data visualization, and databases. Panagiotis’ thesis can be found here.
panostsil222 [at] gmail [dot] com
Eleni Tsatsaroni
PhD Candidate
Eleni Tsatsaroni is a social anthropologist, science communicator, and PhD candidate at the Department of Sociology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her research explores the relationship between science fiction and scientific innovation, challenging conventional notions of humanness. With a strong background in social anthropology, Eleni brings a unique perspective to her work at the INSANE Group, where she collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to make science accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
tsatsarwni.uth [at] gmail [dot] com
Alumni
Apolline
Guérineau
Undergraduate Intern
How to use generative models to improve
focused crawling.
Anastasia
Mitsakaki
MSc Student
Speeding up physics modeling through machine learning – Case study: Boltzmann Generators.
Petros
Kafkas
MSc Student
Training agents for the effective search of an optimal location in an experimental space with insufficient information
Panagiotis
Gkotsis
MSc Student
Energy Reconstruction with Graph Neural Networks in KM3NeT/ARCA.
Petros
Maratos
Undergraduate Intern
Development of a Hybrid Algorithm Combining Bayesian Optimization and Active Learning with Multi-Fidelity for Efficient Design Space Exploration of Advanced Materials.
Thomas
Fernandez
Undergraduate Intern
Development of Active Learning Algorithms for Efficient Exploration of Advanced Materials Design Space: A Comparative Study with Bayesian Optimization.