Dr. Ioannis Kamzolas

TVPlab · Cambridge

Dr. Ioannis Kamzolas

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Emailik352@cam.ac.uk

Profile

Uses transcriptomics, machine learning and integrated multi-omics to understand liver and adipose tissue dysfunction, particularly the progression of MASLD and MASH.

Explore our research Back to Our people

Background and experience

I hold an M.Eng. in Computer Engineering and Informatics (2015) and an M.Sc. in Bioinformatics (2017), both from the University of Patras. During my master’s studies, I joined EMBL Heidelberg, where I contributed to a project exploring the therapeutic potential of RNA-binding proteins across four cancer types.

I completed my PhD at the University of Cambridge (TVP-Lab; 2017–2021), in collaboration with EMBL-EBI. My doctoral research focused on deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of MASLD and identifying the most representative rodent models of human disease. My background is primarily computational, with a strong focus on transcriptomics, machine learning, and integrative multi-omics.

Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher in the TVP-Lab, continuing to work on metabolic diseases. My research aims to translate high-dimensional omics data into mechanistic insights, with a particular interest in liver and adipose tissue dysfunction.

Current research interests

Bioinformatics · Metabolic diseases (MASLD/MASH) · Machine Learning · Multi-omics data integration · Adipose tissue and liver biology · Biomarker discovery

Key publications

  1. Carobbio S, Guenantin AC, Bahri M, Samuelson I, Honig F, Rodriguez-Fdez S, Long K, Kamzolas I, Chiarugi D, Vidal-Puig A, Unraveling the Developmental Roadmap toward Human Brown Adipose Tissue, bioRxiv, 2020, doi: 10.1101/2020.07.09.194886.
  2. Carobbio S, Guenantin AC, Bahri M, Rodriguez-Fdez S, Honig F, Kamzolas I, Chiarugi D, Vidal-Puig A, Unraveling the Developmental Roadmap toward Human Brown Adipose Tissue, Stem Cell Reports, 2021, 16(4), 641-655, doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.03.009.
  3. Azzu V, Vacca M, Kamzolas I, Hall Z, Leslie J, Carobbio S, Petsalaki E, Griffin J, Oakley F, Allison M, Vidal-Puig A, Suppression of insulin-induced gene 1 (INSIG1) function promotes hepatic lipid remodelling and restrains NASH progression, Molecular Metabolism, 2021, 48, doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101210.
  4. Mózes FE, Lee JA & LITMUS Investigators, Diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive tests for advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD: an individual patient data meta-analysis, Gut, 2021, 71(5):1006-1019, doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-324243.
  5. Selvaraj EA, Mózes FE, & LITMUS Investigators, Diagnostic accuracy of elastography and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with NAFLD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Hepatology, 2021, 75(4):770-785. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.04.044.
  6. Tan J, Virtue S, …, Kamzolas I, et al, Limited oxygen availability in standard cell culture alters metabolism and function in terminally-differentiated cells. bioRxiv, 2022, doi: 10.1101/2022.11.29.516437.
  7. Figueroa-Juarez E, Pellegrinelli V, Kamzolas I, et al, Extracellular Matrix Remodelling in Brown Adipose Tissue Adipogenesis and Activation: Role of Cyr61, Current Developments in Nutrition, 2023, 7 (1), doi:10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.100769.
  8. Tan J, Virtue S, …, Kamzolas I, et al, Limited oxygen availability in standard cell culture alters metabolism and function of differentiated cells. EMBO J, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44318-024-00084-7.
  9. Vacca M*, Kamzolas I*, Harder L.M. et al, An unbiased ranking of murine dietary models based on their proximity to human metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), Nature Metabolism, 2024, 6 (6), 1178–1196, https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01043-6.
  10. Hvid H, Hjuler S, Bedossa P, Tiniakos D, Kamzolas I, Harder L.M, & LITMUS Investigators, Choline-deficient, high-fat diet-induced MASH in Göttingen Minipigs: characterization and effects of a chow reversal period. 2024, American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 327 (4), https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00120.2024.
  11. Nielsen M.H, Nøhr-Meldgaard J, Møllerhøj M.B, Oró D, Pors S.E., Andersen M.W., Kamzolas I, Petsalaki E, Vacca M, Harder L.M, Perfield J.W, Veidal S, Hansen H.H, & Feigh M, Characterization of six clinical drugs and dietary intervention in the nonobese CDAA-HFD mouse model of MASH and progressive fibrosis. 2024, American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 327 (4), G338–G355. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00110.2024.
  12. Kamzolas I, Koutsandreas T, …, Vidal-Puig A, Petsalaki E, Decoding MASLD Progression: A Molecular Trajectory-Based Framework for Modelling Disease Dynamics. bioRxiv, 2025, 2025.01. 14.632908, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.14.632908.
  13. Constant B*, Kamzolas I*, Yang X, Guo J, Rodriguez-Fernandez S, Mali I, Rodriguez-Cuenca S, Petsalaki E, Vidal-Puig A, & Li W, Distinct signalling dynamics of BMP4 and BMP9 in brown versus white adipocytes. 2025, Scientific Reports, 15, 15971, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99122-5.