Publications

underlined: directly mentored by EG

Journal Publications

13. Gourgou E*., Mirzakhalili E., Zhang Y., Epureanu B., “The Effect of Internalized Paramagnetic Nanoparticles on Caenorhabditis elegans Locomotion in the Presence of Magnetic Field”, *: corresponding author, Journal of Nanomaterials, https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/1634691, 2023.

12. Cardoza S.N., Tse L.Y.L., Barton K., Gourgou E.*: “3-dimensional arenas for the assessment of C. elegans behavior”, *: corresponding author. International Journal of Bioprinting, http://doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v8i4.610, 2022.

11. Sakelaris B., Li Z., Sun J., Banerjee S., Booth V., Gourgou E.*: “Modelling learning in C. elegans chemosensory and locomotive circuitry for T-maze navigation”, *: corresponding author. European Journal of Neuroscience, https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15560, 2021.

~Paper featured as “an invaluable contribution”, along with Gourgou et al, 2021, in Al-Asmar, A., & Pérez-Escudero, A. (2022), How many neurons does it take to tell left from right? European Journal of Neuroscience, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15722

10. Gourgou E.*#, Hsu A.-L.#: “A maze platform for the assessment of Caenorhabditis elegans  behavior and learning”, *technical contact, #: co-corresponding author. STAR Protocols,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100829, 2021.

9. Gourgou E*., Adiga K., Goettemoeller A., Chen C., Hsu A-L*.: “Caenorhabditis elegans learning in a structured maze is a multisensory behavior“, *: co-corresponding authors. iScience, 24 (4) 102284, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102284, 2021.

~Selected as featured content (3 research articles from a total of 126), in iScience issue 24(4), 2021.

~Paper featured as “of primal importance”, along with Sakelaris et al, 2022, in Al-Asmar, A., & Pérez-Escudero, A. (2022), How many neurons does it take to tell left from right? European Journal of Neuroscience, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15722

8. Gourgou E.*, Willis A.R., Giunti S., De Rosa M.J., Charlesworth A.G., Hernandez Lima M., Glater E., Soo S., Pereira B., Akbaş K., Deb A., Kamak M., Moyle M.W., Traa A., Singhvi A., Sural S., Jin E.J..: “A journey to “tame a small metazoan organism”, seen through the artistic eyes of C. elegans researchers”. Journal of Neurogenetics, Special Issue: Nature’s Gift to Neuroscience, DOI:10.1080/01677063.2020.183944 *: corresponding author, 2020.

7. Mirzakhalili E., Epureanu B., Gourgou E.: “A mathematical and computational model for Ca2+ dynamics in C. elegans ASH sensory neuron“, PLoS ONE 13(7): e0201302. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201302, 2018.

6. Ghadami A., Gourgou E., Epureanu B.: “Rate of recovery from perturbations as a means to forecast future stability of living systems“, Scientific Reports, 8, 9271; doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-27573-0, 2018.

5. Mirzakhalili E., Gourgou E., Booth V., Epureanu B.: “Synaptic Impairment and Robustness of Excitatory Neuronal Networks with Different Topologies“. Front. Neural Circuits 11:38. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00038; 2017.

4. Gourgou E., Chronis N.: “Chemically induced oxidative stress affects ASH neuronal function and behavior in C. elegans”. Scientific Reports, 6, 38147; doi: 10.1038/srep38147, 2016.

3. Oliver R.C., Gourgou E., Bazopoulou D., Chronis N., Hart A.J.: “On-demand isolation and manipulation of C. elegans by in vitro maskless photopatterning’’. PLoS ONE, 11(1): e0145935. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145935, 2016.

Watch here a YouTube video with some of the behavioral arenas we built for this work.

2. Gourgou E., Aggeli I-K., Beis I., Gaitanaki C.: “Hyperthermia-induced Hsp70 and MT20 transcriptional upregulation is mediated by p38-MAPK and JNKs in Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck); a pro-survival response”. Journal of Experimental Biology, 213 (Pt2): 347-57, 2010.

1. Kefaloyianni E., Gourgou E., Ferle V., Kotsakis E., Gaitanaki C., Beis I.: “Acute thermal stress and various heavy metals induce tissue-specific pro- or anti-apoptotic events via the p38-MAPK signal transduction pathway in M. galloprovincialis”. Journal of Experimental Biology, 208(Pt23):4427-36, 2005.

 

Invited Talks & Seminar Series (selected)

6. “Neuromechanics of locomotion and neurogenetics of learning, a story for worms”;43rd Scientific Meeting of the Hellenic Society of Biological Sciences, invited speaker, Alexandroupoli, Greece, 2024.

5. “Engineering for Deciphering Learning and Memory”; 3rd Latin American C. elegans Meeting, invited speaker, EMBO Workshop, Universidad de Valparaiso, Chile, and Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile, 2023.

4. “Neuronal basis of learning, in the context of aging and 3-dimensional environment”; Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department Seminar Series, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 2023.

4. “Aging-driven decline of spatial learning and decision making in a nematode model system”; Aging Research Seminar Series, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2023.

3. “C. elegans maze learning, a multidisciplinary approach of a multisensory behavior”; Neuroscience & Physiology Seminar Series, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL,  2021.

2. “C. elegans navigation and learning in a structured environment, as revealed by experiments and mathematical models”; Biomedical Engineering Department Seminar Series, New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey, NJ, 2020.

1. “C. elegans learning and decision-making in a structured environment”; Neurology/Neuroscience Seminar Series, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 2019.

Selected conference presentations

11. Pan Y., Smith A., Yang Z., Xiao H., Gourgou E.: “Nematode behavior in disordered and   deformable granular environments”. APS Global Physics Summit, 2025, American Physical Society, Anaheim, CA, USA, 2025 (selected talk).

10. Zhou Y., Gourgou E., Revzen S.: “Higher Phase Variation in Nematodes than in Cockroaches Implies CPG’s Role as a State Estimator”. SICB 2024, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Seattle, WA, USA, 2024

9. Akbas K., Zhang Z., Donato C., Archer E., Schiavone M., Mummolo C., Gourgou E.: “Transdisciplinary exploration of the aging-driven locomotive decline in humans and nematodes”. SICB 2023, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX, USA, 2023.

8. Berardi L., Fretz A., Brooks N., Yang R., Gourgou E.: “Maze learning and 3-dimensional spatial behavior are affected by age and prior experience. CeNeuro 2022,  C. elegans Topic Meeting: neuronal development, synaptic function and behavior, Vienna, Austria, 2022.

7. Ivanitskiy M., Booth V.#, Gourgou E.#: ” Chemotaxis in a neuromechanical model of C. elegans”, 50th Neuroscience meeting, Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Chicago, IL, USA, 2021.* #: corresponding authors.

6. Gourgou E. #, Goettemoeller A., Chen C., Fretz A., Hsu AL#.: “C. elegans learning strategy in T-mazes and aging-related interventions”. 23rd C. elegans International Meeting, Genetics Society of America, USA, 2021 *. #: ccorresponding authors.

5. Sakelaris B.1, Adiga K.1, Goettemoeller A.1, Chen C., Booth V., Hsu A.L.#, Gourgou E.#: “C. elegans multisensory learning in simple T-mazes, as revealed by experiments and captured by mathematical models”. Neuroscience 2019, Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Chicago, IL, USA, 2019* (selected talk). 1: equal contributions; #: corresponding authors.

4. Ghadami A., Gourgou E., Epureanu B.: “Rate of Recovery from Perturbations Reflects Future Stability of Natural Populations”. ICCS 2018, 9th International Conference on Complex Systems, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2018 (selected talk) *.

3. Gourgou E., Adiga K., Hsu AL.: “C. elegans learning and decision making in T-shaped mazes”. C. elegans Topic Meeting-CeNeuro: Neuronal Development, Synaptic Function and Behavior, Madison, WI, USA, 2018 (selected talk) *.

2. Ghadami A., Gourgou E., Epureanu B.: “Forecasting Critical Transitions and Bifurcation Diagrams of Natural Populations”. American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Abstract: P49.00005, 2018 (selected talk).

1. Mirzakhalili E., Epureanu B., Gourgou E.: “A mathematical model for Ca2+ dynamics in C. elegans ASH sensory neuron”. 21th C. elegans International Meeting, Genetics Society of America, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2017*.