Liana Kafetzopoulou Post-doc

  • liana.kafetzopoulou@ulb.be

Biographical sketch

Liana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of York (UK) and a Master of Research in Advanced Genomic and Proteomic Sciences from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University (UK). She obtained her PhD in Health and Life Sciences from the University of Liverpool (School of Medicine, UK). For the duration of her PhD, she was based at Public Health England (now the UK Health Security Agency), where her research focused on the use of non-targeted (metagenomic) viral genomic methods to recover complete viral genomes directly from human clinical samples and its combination with a portable real-time next generation sequencer.

She was the first to use metagenomic sequencing in a resource limited setting for real-time pathogen surveillance during an ongoing viral outbreak - the 2018 Lassa virus outbreak - and has since led and contributed to building local sequencing capacity for pathogens including Lassa virus, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, and SARS-CoV-2.

Liana began her postdoctoral research career at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven, Belgium) in January 2019, when she joined Professor Philippe Lemey’s group (Evolutionary and Computational Virology lab, Rega Institute). There, she continued her research on sequencing for genomic epidemiology with a strong focus on capacity building and expanded her work to investigate the evolutionary dynamics and virulence evolution of Lassa virus. Following her postdoctoral work at KU Leuven (2019–2025), she joined the Spatial Epidemiology Lab on October 2025 as part of Professor Simon Dellicour’s team. Her current research focuses on studying dengue virus genetic signatures and intra-host diversity to understand the mechanisms driving virus evolution and to gain new insights into dengue pathogenesis and dispersal dynamics.

Research interests

Liana’s research focuses on viral genomics, intra-host evolution and molecular epidemiology, with applications in outbreak response and public health. Her current work combines high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics and evolutionary analysis to investigate viral dynamics and genomic signatures of pathogenesis; aiming to improve our understand of viral evolution and its impact for public health.

External links: Google Scholar and LinkedIn

Publications

Detection of Marburg virus disease in Guinea
F. R. Koundouno, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, M. Faye, A. Renevey, B. Soropogui, K. Ifono, E. V. Nelson, A. A. Kamano, C. Tolno, G. Annibaldis, S. L. Millimono, J. Camara, K. Kourouma, A. Doré, T. E. Millimouno, F. M. B. Tolno, J. Hinzmann, H. Soubrier, M. Hinrichs, A. Thielebein, G. Herzer, M. Pahlmann, G. A. Ki-Zerbo, P. Formenty, A. Legand, M. R. Wiley, O. Faye, M. M. Diagne, A. A. Sall, P. Lemey, A. Bah, S. Günther, S. Keita, S. Duraffour, and N. Magassouba. "New England Journal of Medicine", Vol. 386, Issue 26, Pages 2528-2530, 2022.

Predicting the evolution of the Lassa virus endemic area and population at risk over the next decades
R. Klitting, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, W. Thiery, G. Dudas, S. Gryseels, A. Kotamarthi, B. Vrancken, K. Gangavarapu, M. Momoh, J. D. Sandi, A. Goba, F. Alhasan, D. S. Grant, S. Okogbenin, E. Ogbaini-Emovo, R. F. Garry, A. R. Smither, M. Zeller, M. G. Pauthner, M. McGraw, L. D. Hughes, S. Duraffour, S. Günther, M. A. Suchard, P. Lemey, K. G. Andersen, and S. Dellicour. "Nature Communications", Vol. 13, Issue 1, Pages 5596, 2022.

A novel series of indole alkaloid derivatives inhibit dengue and Zika virus infection by interference with the viral replication complex
A. Fikatas, P. Vervaeke, E. Meyen, N. Llor, S. Ordeix, I. Boonen, M. Bletsa, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, P. Lemey, M. Amat, C. Pannecouque, and D. Schols. "Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy", Vol. 65, Issue 8, Pages e0234920, 2021.

Resurgence of Ebola virus in 2021 in Guinea suggests a new paradigm for outbreaks
A. K. Keita, F. R. Koundouno, M. Faye, A. Düx, J. Hinzmann, H. Diallo, A. Ayouba, F. Le Marcis, B. Soropogui, K. Ifono, M. M. Diagne, M. S. Sow, J. A. Bore, S. Calvignac-Spencer, N. Vidal, J. Camara, M. B. Keita, A. Renevey, A. Diallo, A. K. Soumah, S. L. Millimono, A. Mari-Saez, M. Diop, A. Doré, F. Y. Soumah, K. Kourouma, N. J. Vielle, C. Loucoubar, I. Camara, K. Kourouma, G. Annibaldis, A. Bah, A. Thielebein, M. Pahlmann, S. T. Pullan, M. W. Carroll, J. Quick, P. Formenty, A. Legand, K. Pietro, M. R. Wiley, N. Tordo, C. Peyrefitte, J. T. McCrone, A. Rambaut, Y. Sidibé, M. D. Barry, M. Kourouma, C. D. Saouromou, M. Condé, M. Baldé, M. Povogui, S. Keita, M. Diakite, M. S. Bah, A. Sidibe, D. Diakite, F. B. Sako, F. A. Traore, G. A. Ki-Zerbo, P. Lemey, S. Günther, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, A. A. Sall, E. Delaporte, S. Duraffour, O. Faye, F. H. Leendertz, M. Peeters, A. Toure, and N. F. Magassouba. "Nature", Vol. 597, Issue 7877, Pages 539-543, 2021.

Metagenomic sequencing at the epicenter of the Nigeria 2018 Lassa fever outbreak
L. E. Kafetzopoulou, S. T. Pullan, P. Lemey, M. A. Suchard, D. U. Ehichioya, M. Pahlmann, A. Thielebein, J. Hinzmann, L. Oestereich, D. M. Wozniak, K. Efthymiadis, D. Schachten, F. Koenig, J. Matjeschk, S. Lorenzen, S. Lumley, Y. Ighodalo, D. I. Adomeh, T. Olokor, E. Omomoh, R. Omiunu, J. Agbukor, B. Ebo, J. Aiyepada, P. Ebhodaghe, B. Osiemi, S. Ehikhametalor, P. Akhilomen, M. Airende, R. Esumeh, E. Muoebonam, R. Giwa, A. Ekanem, G. Igenegbale, G. Odigie, G. Okonofua, R. Enigbe, J. Oyakhilome, E. O. Yerumoh, I. Odia, C. Aire, M. Okonofua, R. Atafo, E. Tobin, D. Asogun, N. Akpede, P. O. Okokhere, M. O. Rafiu, K. O. Iraoyah, C. O. Iruolagbe, P. Akhideno, C. Erameh, G. Akpede, E. Isibor, D. Naidoo, R. Hewson, J. A. Hiscox, R. Vipond, M. W. Carroll, C. Ihekweazu, P. Formenty, S. Okogbenin, E. Ogbaini-Emovon, S. Günther, and S. Duraffour. "Science", Vol. 363, Issue 6422, Pages 74-77, 2019.

Phylogeography of Lassa virus in Nigeria
D. U. Ehichioya, S. Dellicour, M. Pahlmann, T. Rieger, L. Oestereich, B. Becker-Ziaja, D. Cadar, Y. Ighodalo, T. Olokor, E. Omomoh, J. Oyakhilome, R. Omiunu, J. Agbukor, B. Ebo, J. Aiyepada, P. Ebhodaghe, B. Osiemi, S. Ehikhametalor, P. Akhilomen, M. Airende, R. Esumeh, E. Muoebonam, R. Giwa, A. Ekanem, G. Igenegbale, G. Odigie, G. Okonofua, R. Enigbe, E. O. Yerumoh, E. Pallasch, S. Bockholt, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, S. Duraffour, P. O. Okokhere, G. O. Akpede, S. A. Okogbenin, I. Odia, C. Aire, N. Akpede, E. Tobin, E. Ogbaini-Emovon, P. Lemey, D. I. Adomeh, D. A. Asogun, and S. Günther. "Journal of Virology", Vol. 93, Pages e00929-19, 2019.

A novel Hantavirus of the European mole, Bruges virus, is involved in frequent Nova virus coinfections
L. Laenen, V. Vergote, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, T. B. Wawina, D. Vassou, J. A. Cook, J.-P. Hugot, W. Deboutte, H. J. Kang, P. T. Witkowski, P. Köppen-Rung, D. H. Krüger, M. Licková, A. Stang, L. Striešková, T. Szemeš, J. Markowski, J. Hejduk, D. Kafetzopoulos, M. Van Ranst, R. Yanagihara, B. Klempa, and P. Maes. "Genome Biology and Evolution", Vol. 10, Issue 1, Pages 45-55, 2018.

Assessment of metagenomic Nanopore and Illumina sequencing for recovering whole genome sequences of chikungunya and dengue viruses directly from clinical samples
L. E. Kafetzopoulou, K. Efthymiadis, K. Lewandowski, A. Crook, D. Carter, J. Osborne, E. Aarons, R. Hewson, J. A. Hiscox, M. W. Carroll, R. Vipond, and S. T. Pullan. "Eurosurveillance", Vol. 23, Issue 50, 2018.

Persistence and clearance of Ebola virus RNA from seminal fluid of Ebola virus disease survivors: a longitudinal analysis and modelling study
D. Sissoko, S. Duraffour, R. Kerber, J. S. Kolie, A. H. Beavogui, A.-M. Camara, G. Colin, T. Rieger, L. Oestereich, B. Pályi, S. Wurr, J. Guedj, T. H. T. Nguyen, R. M. Eggo, C. H. Watson, W. J. Edmunds, J. A. Bore, F. R. Koundouno, M. Cabeza-Cabrerizo, L. L. Carter, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, E. Kuisma, J. Michel, L. V. Patrono, N. Y. Rickett, K. Singethan, M. Rudolf, A. Lander, E. Pallasch, S. Bockholt, E. Rodríguez, A. Di Caro, R. Wölfel, M. Gabriel, C. Gurry, P. Formenty, S. Keïta, D. Malvy, M. W. Carroll, X. Anglaret, and S. Günther. "Lancet Global Health", Vol. 5, Issue 1, Pages e80-e88, 2017.

Real-time, portable genome sequencing for Ebola surveillance
J. Quick, N. J. Loman, S. Duraffour, J. T. Simpson, E. Severi, L. Cowley, J. A. Bore, R. Koundouno, G. Dudas, A. Mikhail, N. Ouédraogo, B. Afrough, A. Bah, J. H. Baum, B. Becker-Ziaja, J.-P. Boettcher, M. Cabeza-Cabrerizo, A. Camino-Sanchez, L. L. Carter, J. Doerrbecker, T. Enkirch, I. G. G. Dorival, N. Hetzelt, J. Hinzmann, T. Holm, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, M. Koropogui, A. Kosgey, E. Kuisma, C. H. Logue, A. Mazzarelli, S. Meisel, M. Mertens, J. Michel, D. Ngabo, K. Nitzsche, E. Pallash, L. V. Patrono, J. Portmann, J. G. Repits, N. Y. Rickett, A. Sachse, K. Singethan, I. Vitoriano, R. L. Yemanaberhan, E. G. Zekeng, R. Trina, A. Bello, A. A. Sall, O. Faye, O. Faye, N. Magassouba, C. V. Williams, V. Amburgey, L. Winona, E. Davis, J. Gerlach, F. Washington, V. Monteil, M. Jourdain, M. Bererd, A. Camara, H. Somlare, A. Camara, M. Gerard, G. Bado, B. Baillet, D. Delaune, K. Y. Nebie, A. Diarra, Y. Savane, R. B. Pallawo, G. J. Gutierrez, N. Milhano, I. Roger, C. J. Williams, F. Yattara, K. Lewandowski, J. Taylor, P. Rachwal, D. Turner, G. Pollakis, J. A. Hiscox, D. A. Matthews, M. K. O'Shea, A. M. Johnston, D. Wilson, E. Hutley, E. Smit, A. Di Caro, R. Woelfel, K. Stoecker, E. Fleischmann, M. Gabriel, S. A. Weller, L. Koivogui, B. Diallo, S. Keita, A. Rambaut, P. Formenty, S. Gunther, and M. W. Carroll. "Nature", Vol. 530, Issue 7589, Pages 228-232, 2016.

Complete genome sequence of Nova virus, a Hantavirus circulating in the European mole in Belgium
L. Laenen, V. Vergote, I. Nauwelaers, I. Verbeeck, L. E. Kafetzopoulou, M. Van Ranst, and P. Maes. "Genome Announcements", Vol. 3, Issue 4, 2015.

Biomarker identification in breast cancer: Beta-adrenergic receptor signaling and pathways to therapeutic response
L. E. Kafetzopoulou, D. J. Boocock, G. K. R. Dhondalay, D. G. Powe, and G. R. Ball. "Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal", Vol. 6, Pages e201303003, 2013.