MKMinos Kritikos, Ph.D.
Scientist · Educator · Research administrator

Minos KritikosPh.D.

Understanding science.
Sharing knowledge.
Supporting research.

From investigating how the brain works to teaching science and coordinating sponsored research, I bring scientific depth, analytical experience and an understanding of how research gets done.

CurrentlyGrants Manager
School of Social Welfare
Stony Brook University
New York, USA

Explore my work
New York, USAResearch · Teaching · Administration
01 / AboutA career across disciplines

From the laboratory
to the classroom
and beyond.

I bring the perspectives of an experimental neuroscientist, public health researcher, educator and research administrator to the same task: turning a sound question into work that others can build on.

Born and raised in Cyprus, I trained in neuroscience in the United Kingdom, investigated the mechanisms of learning and memory, and continued into postdoctoral research on the neural control of appetite and metabolism. Teaching in Cyprus brought that scientific foundation into secondary and university classrooms.

At Stony Brook University in New York, USA, I worked across public health, neuroimaging, cognition and biomarker research. Today, I bring that experience to research administration, supporting faculty and the practical work behind sponsored projects.

Minos Kritikos wearing glasses and a scarf
Minos Kritikos, Ph.D.

Career at a glance

2025–Present

Grants Manager

Stony Brook University · School of Social Welfare · New York, USA

Research administration
2019–2025

Research Assistant Professor / Senior Research Scientist

Stony Brook University · Program in Public Health, Renaissance School of Medicine · New York, USA

Research
2015–2019

Teacher / Lecturer

The Senior School · University of Nicosia · Intercollege, Cyprus

Teaching
2012–2015

Research Fellow

University of Cambridge / University of Aberdeen, UK

Neuroscience

Education

2008–2012

Ph.D., Neuroscience

University of Bristol, UK

2007–2008

M.Sc., Molecular Neuroscience

University of Bristol, UK

2004–2007

B.Sc., Neuroscience & Psychology

Keele University, UK

02 / ResearchContributions to neuroscience & public health

Investigating mechanisms.
Advancing understanding.

My research spans the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and appetite regulation, alongside the long-term brain health of World Trade Center responders. Through experimental research and first-author studies of cognition, neuroimaging and biomarkers, I have contributed evidence on how the brain functions and how trauma and environmental exposures relate to its health.

Synaptic plasticity

Understanding how synaptic strength is regulated

During my Ph.D. at the University of Bristol, UK, I investigated metabotropic glutamate receptor mechanisms in the hippocampal CA1 region, using electrophysiology and neuropharmacology to examine long-term depression of synaptic transmission and its intracellular signaling pathways. This work addressed how receptor activity regulates persistent changes in communication between neurons, a foundation for understanding learning and memory.

Appetite & metabolism

Investigating the neural control of appetite and metabolism

In Wellcome Trust-funded postdoctoral research at the Universities of Cambridge and Aberdeen, UK, I combined electrophysiology, neuropharmacology and molecular biology to investigate the neural control of appetite. My contribution connected measurements of neuronal activity with pharmacological and molecular approaches to study mechanisms involved in feeding, body weight and glucose homeostasis.

Public health · World Trade Center responders

Building evidence on the lasting brain health consequences of 9/11

At Stony Brook University in New York, USA, my first-author publications examined PTSD and cortical complexity, blood biomarkers and cognition, white matter changes, and cerebral amyloid in World Trade Center responders. These studies helped characterize the neurological and psychiatric burden experienced by responders and identify biological changes associated with their symptoms and exposures.

I also contributed to collaborative research on exposure-related neuroinflammation. Together, this work connects clinical observations with biological evidence and sharpens questions for future studies of cognitive aging. The observational findings establish associations, rather than proving that a particular exposure caused an individual’s condition.

Selected scientific contributions

Findings behind the publications

Coauthor · Neuropharmacology · 2013

Receptor control of persistent synaptic changes

Our study showed that antagonists could reverse forms of long-term depression induced by each of the three mGlu receptor groups, with depression returning after antagonist washout.

Read the synaptic plasticity study ↗

First author · Translational Psychiatry · 2021

PTSD and the structure of the cerebral cortex

In 99 responders, my first-author study identified lower cortical complexity in those with chronic PTSD, extending evidence of structural brain differences associated with the disorder.

Read the PTSD imaging study ↗

First author · Alzheimer’s & Dementia: DADM · 2023

Blood biomarkers and cognitive health

In 1,179 responders, our study linked plasma amyloid, phosphorylated tau and neurofilament light profiles with cognitive outcomes, WTC exposures and PTSD, connecting clinical findings with markers of neurodegeneration.

Read the biomarker study ↗

First author · Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease · 2025

Exposure duration and cerebral amyloid

Our PET/MRI study found that longer WTC exposure was associated with greater amyloid signal in the olfactory cortex, adding evidence for investigating exposure-related pathways in brain health.

Read the amyloid imaging study ↗

Co-first author · Journal of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease · 2025

Connecting cognitive domains with brain anatomy

In 120 ADNI participants under 65, our MRI study identified distinct gray matter patterns associated with individual MoCA domains, clarifying how specific cognitive abilities relate to brain structure across normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Read the ADNI cognition study ↗

First author · Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease · 2020

Connecting inhaled particles with neurodegenerative mechanisms

My first-author review examined evidence linking acute and chronic inhaled particulate exposures with cognitive dysfunction and neurodegeneration. It brought together proposed biological pathways, the time between exposure and disease, and priorities for future research, including questions raised by World Trade Center responders.

Read the particulate exposure review ↗
Statistical analysis

From data to findings

My analytical work connects study design, data preparation, statistical modeling and interpretation. Experience with experimental recordings and human research datasets helps me relate an analysis to the biology, the measurement and the question being asked.

  • Prepare: Clean, transform and check complex datasets, document decisions and maintain quality-control practices that support accurate and reproducible analysis.
  • Analyze: Examine patterns and relationships across measures, accounting for study design and relevant covariates, and distinguish statistical associations from causal explanations.
  • Communicate: Develop publication-quality tables, figures, reports and manuscripts that make findings useful to multidisciplinary teams and wider audiences.
RSPSSMATLABExcelPower BIJASPjamoviGraphPad Prism
Translational methods

Connecting different kinds of evidence

My Ph.D. and postdoctoral work taught me to connect changes in electrical activity with receptor pharmacology and molecular mechanisms. I carried that way of thinking into public health: bringing complementary measures together to understand a biological and clinical picture that no single test can capture.

For studies of World Trade Center responders, I worked with data from in-person interviews and questionnaires, cognitive screening with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), depression symptoms measured with the PHQ-9, and PTSD assessments based on DSM-IV criteria. These measures were considered alongside blood biomarkers and structural MRI and PET imaging to examine how symptoms, cognition and biological findings fit together.

Integrating these sources of evidence helps identify where clinical reports, cognitive testing and biological measures converge, and where they raise different questions. This broader perspective informs the interpretation of findings and the design of subsequent research.

Bringing results together also meant sharing them beyond the immediate research team. I contributed to manuscripts, conference talks and poster presentations, research reports and other dissemination materials, adapting complex findings for scientific and multidisciplinary audiences. In a media interview, I also explained research on environmental exposures and brain health to the public, discussing possible biological mechanisms and the questions that remained open.

03 / Teaching & mentorshipKnowledge is meant to be shared

Helping others
understand, question
and discover.

Teaching has been an important part of my career, from formal classroom instruction in Cyprus to mentoring students and early-career researchers at Stony Brook University in New York, USA.

I aim to make complex material approachable without losing the reasoning behind it. Whether explaining a biological mechanism or discussing a statistical result, I work from the learner’s starting point toward the questions the evidence can answer.

01 / FORMAL TEACHING

In the classroom

From 2015 to 2019, I taught in secondary and university settings at The Senior School, the University of Nicosia and Intercollege in Cyprus. My teaching covered biology, psychology and research-related subjects for learners with different levels of prior knowledge.

I developed instructional materials, assessments, workshops and presentations, breaking down unfamiliar concepts and connecting them to practical examples. Working across educational levels strengthened my ability to adjust both the depth and the language of an explanation to its audience.

02 / RESEARCH MENTORSHIP

Through research

At Stony Brook, I trained and mentored students, trainees and junior researchers in study design, research methods, data analysis, scientific writing and dissemination. I helped them work through how to frame a question, assess the quality of data and interpret results in the context of a study’s design.

That support included discussing cognitive and neuroimaging findings, developing figures and manuscripts, collaborating across disciplines and responding to peer review. The aim is to develop independent judgment: understanding why a method is appropriate, what a result supports and how to explain its limitations.

03 / SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION

Making science accessible

Teaching and mentorship depend on clear communication. I’ve translated technical findings for students, research teams and audiences outside a particular specialty through presentations, written materials and one-to-one guidance.

I focus on the questions an audience needs answered: what a finding means, how the evidence supports it and where uncertainty remains. This helps people engage critically with unfamiliar material and apply it in their own work.

04 / Research administrationFrom proposal planning to award stewardship

Helping research
move forward.

As Grants Manager at Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare in New York, USA, I support faculty across proposal development, sponsored research administration and the practical work of managing funded projects.

My background in research, teaching and scholarly writing helps me connect the aims of a study with the people, resources and processes needed to carry it out. I bring that perspective to federal and foundation applications, budgets, collaborations and award administration.

Proposal development & submission

I coordinate NIH, other federal and foundation applications, translating funding opportunity instructions into timelines, document requirements and concrete next steps. I help faculty assemble proposal materials, coordinate collaborators’ contributions and prepare packages for institutional review and routing.

This includes checking consistency across the research plan, personnel, performance sites, budget and supporting documents, and tracking outstanding items as submission deadlines approach. I coordinate revisions and clarify administrative requirements with the appropriate offices, keeping internal review milestones aligned with sponsor deadlines. Organized records and clear follow-up help faculty navigate each stage of preparation.

Budgets & financial planning

I develop and reconcile project budgets and budget justifications, working through salary and effort, fringe benefits, indirect costs, student support, consultants, travel and other research expenses. I relate those costs to the proposed activities, project periods and sponsor limits.

Whether preparing a modular or detailed budget, I check the underlying assumptions and calculations and explain how revisions affect the overall request. I work through effort allocations, cost categories and year-by-year changes, then reconcile the figures with the narrative justification. When plans change, I help faculty understand the financial implications and identify questions requiring sponsor or institutional guidance.

Subawards & external partnerships

I coordinate proposal documentation for collaborations in which Stony Brook is either the lead institution or a subrecipient. This includes scopes of work, partner budgets, justifications, institutional commitments and the supporting materials needed by the submitting institution.

I work with faculty, partner institutions and central offices to reconcile requirements, track dependencies and clarify questions about the proposed arrangement. I check that partner materials align with the overall project period, personnel commitments and planned activities, and follow up on missing or inconsistent information. Clear documentation helps each institution understand what is needed for its own review and the wider submission.

Award management & follow-through

After an award, I support financial tracking, project documentation and coordination around grant-funded activity. My work includes reconciling reported balances and encumbrances, supporting procurement and reimbursement processes, and assembling materials for award changes and no-cost extension requests.

I distinguish recorded expenditures and commitments from proposed spending so that planning reflects both the available resources and the work still to be completed. I bring together financial reports, supporting documents and faculty input to clarify discrepancies and prepare requests for central-office review. Tracking pending actions and documenting responses helps maintain continuity as project needs and timelines change.

Faculty guidance & institutional coordination

I serve as a point of coordination between faculty, school colleagues, sponsored programs, grants management and external partners. I help resolve administrative questions, identify the office responsible for a decision and translate its guidance into actionable steps.

I draw on my teaching experience to help research-active faculty and early-career researchers understand sponsor requirements, internal guidelines and institutional workflows. Through clear explanations, practical examples and step-by-step guidance, I help them distinguish sponsor rules from internal procedures and apply both to their projects. Written guidance and documented follow-through support this learning as questions arise.

Reporting & practical systems

I develop trackers, checklists and spreadsheet workflows that make proposals, awards, deadlines and outstanding actions easier to manage. I reconcile information across correspondence, project files and institutional reports to support accurate records and useful updates for faculty and leadership.

I also help faculty navigate funding opportunities, internal routing mechanisms and federal and non-federal sponsor submission portals, while maintaining confidentiality and careful control of project information. My reporting work includes organizing proposal and award activity by sponsor, reporting period and status, checking source records and explaining what the figures represent. I use these summaries to make outstanding actions visible and support informed planning across the school’s research portfolio.

05 / PublicationsORCID profile

Published work.

Neuroscience, cognition, public health and translational research.

2025

2025Journal articleJournal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 103 (2) · 383-395

Exposure duration and cerebral amyloidosis in the olfactory cortex of World Trade Center responders: A positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging study

Publication details

Minos Kritikos; Juin-Wan Zhou; Chuan Huang; Sam Gandy; Alison C Pellecchia; Stephanie Santiago-Michels; Melissa A Carr; Shabab Islam; Yuan Yang; Megan K Horton; Roberto G Lucchini; Ana M Franceschi; Lev Bangiyev; Paul Vaska; Sean Ap Clouston; Benjamin J Luft

Journal issue: January 2025; first published online November 2024.

10.1177/13872877241302350 ↗
2025Journal articleJournal of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, 2 (3) · 24

Gray Matter Volume Associations with Montreal Cognitive Assessment Domains in an ADNI Cohort of Early-Onset Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

Publication details

Minos Kritikos; Taulant Rama; Vania Zubair; Chuan Huang; Christopher Christodoulou; Allen P. F. Chen; Roman Kotov; Frank D. Mann; on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Minos Kritikos and Taulant Rama contributed equally to this work.

10.3390/jdad2030024 ↗

2024

2024Conference abstractAlzheimer's & Dementia, 20 (S2) · e089050

Exposure Severity and Cognitive Dysfunction are Mediated by Low‐Grade Cerebral Amyloidosis: A PET/MRI study of World Trade Center responders

Publication details

Minos Kritikos; Juin W. Zhou; Chuan Huang; Paul Vaska; Sean A.P. Clouston; Benjamin J Luft

This title appears in two 2024 conference supplement records, displayed here as one entry. Both citations are retained below.

10.1002/alz.089050 ↗

Alzheimer's & Dementia, 20 (S9) · e093801

10.1002/alz.093801 ↗

2023

2023Journal articleAlzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 15 (1) · e12409

Plasma amyloid beta 40/42, phosphorylated tau 181, and neurofilament light are associated with cognitive impairment and neuropathological changes among World Trade Center responders: A prospective cohort study of exposures and cognitive aging at midlife

Publication details

Minos Kritikos; Erica D Diminich; Jaymie Meliker; Michelle Mielke; David A Bennett; Caleb E Finch; Sam E Gandy; Melissa A Carr; Xiaohua Yang; Roman Kotov; Pei-Fen Kuan; Evelyn J Bromet; Sean A P Clouston; Benjamin J Luft

10.1002/dad2.12409 ↗
2023Journal articleMolecular neurobiology, 60 (1) · 160-170

World Trade Center Site Exposure Duration Is Associated with Hippocampal and Cerebral White Matter Neuroinflammation

Publication details

Chuan Huang; Minos Kritikos; Mario Serrano Sosa; Thomas Hagan; Alan Domkan; Jaymie Meliker; Alison C Pellecchia; Stephanie Santiago-Michels; Melissa A Carr; Roman Kotov; Megan Horton; Sam Gandy; Mary Sano; Evelyn J Bromet; Roberto G Lucchini; Sean A P Clouston; Benjamin J Luft

10.1007/s12035-022-03059-z ↗

2022

2022Perspective / reviewNature Reviews Neurology, 18 (2) · 103-116

Cognitive impairment and World Trade Centre-related exposures

Publication details

Sean A P Clouston; Charles B Hall; Minos Kritikos; David A Bennett; Steven DeKosky; Jerri Edwards; Caleb Finch; William C Kreisl; Michelle Mielke; Elaine R Peskind; Murray Raskind; Marcus Richards; Richard P Sloan; Avron Spiro; Neil Vasdev; Robert Brackbill; Mark Farfel; Megan Horton; Sandra Lowe; Roberto G Lucchini; David Prezant; Joan Reibman; Rebecca Rosen; Kacie Seil; Rachel Zeig-Owens; Yael Deri; Erica D Diminich; Bernadette A Fausto; Sam Gandy; Mary Sano; Evelyn J Bromet; Benjamin J Luft

Publisher article type: Perspective. Published online 18 November 2021; journal issue February 2022.

10.1038/s41582-021-00576-8 ↗

2021

2021Review articleInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (2) · E681

A Workshop on Cognitive Aging and Impairment in the 9/11-Exposed Population

Publication details

Robert D Daniels; Sean A P Clouston; Charles B Hall; Kristi R Anderson; David A Bennett; Evelyn J Bromet; Geoffrey M Calvert; Tania Carreón; Steven T DeKosky; Erica D Diminich; Caleb E Finch; Sam Gandy; William C Kreisl; Minos Kritikos; Travis L Kubale; Michelle M Mielke; Elaine R Peskind; Murray A Raskind; Marcus Richards; Mary Sano; Albeliz Santiago-Colón; Richard P Sloan; Avron Spiro; Neil Vasdev; Benjamin J Luft; Dori B Reissman

10.3390/ijerph18020681 ↗

2020

2013

2009

06 / ContactNew York, USA

Let’s connect.

For conversations about research, analysis, teaching or the coordination of sponsored projects.

ORCID 0000-0003-2710-0717