Kazakidi Asimina

Associate Professor,

✉ asimina.kazakidi (at) uth.gr

Dr Asimina (Melina) Kazakidi has been elected Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Thessaly. As a Reader at the University of Strathclyde, where she previously served as a Senior Lecturer and Lecturer, she has held leading roles as Director of Research and Director of the MSc/MRes programmes in Biomedical Engineering and Biofluid Mechanics. Earlier, she was a Research Fellow at the Foundation for Research & Technology – Hellas (FORTH) and a Research Associate at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, on a British Heart Foundation-funded project. She holds a PhD in Biofluid Dynamics from the Department of Aeronautics and an MSc in Engineering and Physical Science in Medicine from the Department of Bioengineering, both at Imperial College London.

Asimina leads the Biofluid Mechanics (BioFLM) research group, which uses in-silico modelling to study complex biofluid and biomedical problems. She specialises in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the full numerical simulation workflow, and in communicating complex results. She co-leads a £4M EPSRC Transformative Healthcare Technologies research project on Digital Twin-Assisted Surgery (DTAS), one of only five funded in the UK, and leads research projects with Terumo Aortic, a world-leading medical device company. She has also secured and led competitive individual research fellowships, namely a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, an individual postdoctoral fellowship through the first funding for the ‘Support of Postdoctoral Researchers’, and an Onassis Foundation doctoral scholarship.

 

2008 PhD in Biofluid Dynamics, Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London, UK

Field of study: “Computational studies of blood flow at arterial branches in relation to the localisation of atherosclerosis” Supervisors: Prof. Spencer J. Sherwin και Prof. Peter D. Weinberg

2004 MSc in Engineering & Physical Science in Medicine, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, UK

Field of study: “In-vitro experiments in two-dimensional channels relevant to arterial haemodynamics” Supervisor: Prof. Colin G. Caro

2003 BSc in Physics, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR

 

Journal Articles

  • Shi J., Liangc T., Heljak M., Qiu Z., Chen S., Li J., Kazakidi A., Swięszkowski W., Li B., Shu W. 2026. AI for bioactive materials: From material design to biological applications. Bioactive Materials 64, 471-509, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.04.028
  • Ker R., Hyde-Linaker G., Hall Barrientos P., Kingsmore D., Stoumpos S., Kazakidi A.∗ Predicting haemodialysis arteriovenous fistula outcomes using computational fluid dynamics and ferumoxytol- enhanced MRI (Fe-MRI). The Journal of Vascular Access 27(3), 1219­1228, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/112972982513951
  • Asciak L., Kyeremeh J., Luo X., Kazakidi A., Connolly P., Picard F., O’Neill K., Tsaftaris S.A., Stewart G.D., Shu W. 2025. Digital twin assisted surgery, concept, opportunities, and challenges. Nature Portfolio Journals Digital Medicine 8, 32, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01413-0
  • Jiang Y., Kyeremeh J., Luo X., Wang Z., Zhang K., Cao1 F., Asciak L., Kazakidi A., Stewart G.D., Shu W. 2025. A numerical simulation study of soft tissue resection for low-damage precision cancer surgery. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine 270, 108937, DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.cmpb.2025.108937
  • Cowley J., Kyeremeh J., Stewart G.D., Luo X., Shu W., Kazakidi A.∗ Near real-time estimation of blood loss and flow–pressure redistribution during unilateral nephrectomy. Fluids 9(9), 214, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids9090214. Selected for the Journal cover (out of 27 articles) DOI: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/9/9, https://www.mdpi.com/files/uploaded/covers/fluids/big_cover-fluids-v9-i9.png
  • Boumpouli M., Black S.M., Kazakidi A.∗ Computational analysis of blood flow in healthy pulmonary arteries in comparison to repaired Tetralogy of Fallot results: a small cohort study. Fluids 9(4), 85, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids9040085
  • Black S.M., Maclean C., Hall Barrientos P., Ritos K., McQueen A., Kazakidi A.∗ Calibration of patient-specific boundary conditions for coupled CFD models of the aorta derived from 4D Flow-MRI. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 11, 1178483, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1178483
  • Black S.M., Maclean C., Hall Barrientos P., Ritos K., Kazakidi A.∗ Reconstruction and validation of arterial geometries for computational fluid dynamics using multiple temporal frames of 4D flow-MRI magnitude images. Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology 14(5), 655-676, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-023-00679-x
  • Johnston L., Allen R., Mason A., Kazakidi A.∗ Morphological characterisation of pediatric Turner syndrome aortae: Insights from a small cohort study. Medical Engineering & Physics 120, 104045, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2023.104045
  • Cowley J., Luo X., Stewart G.D., Shu W., Kazakidi A.∗ A mathematical model of blood loss during renal resection. Fluids 8(12), 316, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids8120316 Selected for the Journal cover (out of 19 articles) https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/8/12, https://www.mdpi.com/files/uploaded/covers/fluids/big_cover-fluids-v8-i12.png
  • Hyde-Linaker G., Hall Barrientos P., Stoumpos S., Kingsmore D.B., Kazakidi A.∗ Patient-specific computational haemodynamics associated with the surgical creation of an arteriovenous fistula. Medical Engineering & Physics 105, 103814, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2022.103814
  • Boumpouli M., Sauvage E.L., Capelli C., Schievano S., Kazakidi A.∗ Characterization of flow dynamics in the pulmonary bifurcation of patients with repaired tetralogy of fallot: A computational approach. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 8, 703717, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.703717
  • Johnston L., Allen R., Hall Barrientos P., Mason A., Kazakidi A.∗ Hemodynamic abnormalities in the aorta of turner syndrome girls. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 8, 670841, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.670841
  • Johnston L., Boumpouli M., Kazakidi A.∗ Hemodynamics in the aorta and pulmonary arteries of congenital heart disease patients: a mini review. Journal of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Sciences 5(2), 1-5, DOI: https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3025/2021/2.1213
  • Boumpouli M., Danton M.H.D., Gourlay T., Kazakidi A.∗ Blood flow simulations in the pulmonary bifurcation in relation to adult patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Medical Engineering & Physics 85, 123–138, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2020.09.014

Erratum Medical Engineering & Physics 90, 82 (2021), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2021.02.010

  • Kazakidi A.∗,Tsakiris D.P., Ekateriaris J.A. 2018. Propulsive efficiency in drag-based locomotion of a reduced-size swimmer with various types of appendages. Computers & Fluids 167, 241-248, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2018.03.002
  • Kazakidi A.∗,Tsakiris D.P., Ekateriaris J.A. 2017. Impact of arm morphology on the hydrodynamic behavior of a two-arm robotic marine vehicle. IFAC-PapersOnLine 50(1), 2304-2309, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2017.08.231
  • Kazakidi A.∗, Tsakiris D.P, Angelidis D., Sotiropoulos F., Ekaterinaris J.A. 2015. CFD study of aquatic thrust generation by an octopus-like arm under intense prescribed deformations. Computers & Fluids 115, 54-65, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2015.03.009
  • Kazakidi A.∗, Vavourakis V., Tsakiris D.P., Ekaterinaris J.A. 2015. A numerical investigation of flow around octopus-like arms: near-wake vortex patterns and force development. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 18 (12), 1321-1339, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10255842.2014.900757
  • Sfakiotakis M., Kazakidi A., Tsakiris D.P. 2015. Octopus-inspired multi-arm robotic swimming. Bioinspiration and Biomimetics 10 (3), 035005 (pp. 1-22), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/10/3/035005
  • Vavourakis V., Kazakidi A., Tsakiris D.P., Ekaterinaris J.A., 2014. A nonlinear dynamic finite element approach for simulating muscular hydrostats. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 17 (8), 917-931, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10255842.2012.723702
  • Van Doormaal M.§, Kazakidi A.§, Wylezinska M.§, Hunt A., Tremoleda J.L., Gsell W., Weinberg P.D., Ethier C.R. 2012. Hemodynamics in the mouse aortic arch computed from MRI-derived velocities at the aortic root. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 9 (76), 2834-2844, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2012.0295 (§ indicates equal contribution)
  • Kazakidi A., Plata A.M., Sherwin S.J., Weinberg P.D. 2011. Effect of reverse flow on the pattern of wall shear stress near arterial branches. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 8 (64), 1594-1603, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2011.0108
  • Kazakidi A., Sherwin S.J., Weinberg P.D. 2009. Effect of Reynolds number and flow division on patterns of haemodynamic wall shear stress near branch points in the descending thoracic aorta. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 6 (35), 539-548, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2008.0323

 

Published Abstracts in Journals

  • Ker R., Hyde-Linaker G., Hall Barrientos P., Kingsmore D., Kazakidi A., Stoumpos S. 2024. Predicting arteriovenous fistula success using ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI (Fe-MRI) and computational flow dynamics (CFD). Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 39(Supplement 1), gfae069-0784-806:i1289-i1291, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfae069.784
  • Black S., Ritos K., Maclean C., Brodie R., Kazakidi A.∗ Blood flow analysis of the aortic arch using computational fluid dynamics in a coupled 3D-0D framework. Heart 106:A10-A11, (Best poster prize award), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2020-SCF.24
  • Boumpouli M., Danton M., Gourlay T., Kazakidi A.∗ Understanding the blood flow in realistic and idealised models of the pulmonary bifurcation. Heart 106:A3-A4, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2020-SCF.7
  • Hyde-Linaker G., Black R., Kazakidi A.∗ Fluid-Structure Interaction simulation of multiple bifurcations in arm under transient boundary conditions due to flow mediated dilation. Heart 106:A6,DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2020-SCF.12
  • Johnston L., Allen R., Hall-Barrientos P., Mason A., Kazakidi A.∗ Computational haemodynamics in Τurner syndrome patient-specific aortae with PC-MRI obtained boundary conditions. Heart 106:A10, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2020-SCF.23
  • Drikakis D., Fossati M., Kazakidi A., Emerson D.R. 2018. Preface to the special issue on: “29th international conference on parallel computational fluid dynamics”. Computers & Fluids 175, 1,DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2018.09.016
  • Kazakidi A., Sherwin S.J., Weinberg P.D. 2007. Reverse flow in arterial branches influences wall shear stress patterns around branch ostia. Heart 93 (e2) U180
  • Kazakidi A., Sherwin S.J., Weinberg P.D. 2006. Alteration of Reynolds number and flow partition modify wall shear stresses at arterial branches in a way that can explain age- and species-dependent patterns of arterial disease. Journal of Biomechanics 39 (S1), S611, DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9290(06)85538-7

 

Peer-reviewed Conference Papers

  • Boumpouli M., Danton M.H.D., Gourlay T., Kazakidi A.∗ Hemodynamics in the pulmonary bifurcation in relation to adults with congenital heart disease: Effect of branching angle and origin. 6th ECCOMAS European Conference on Computational Mechanics: Solids, Structures and Coupled Problems (ECCM) and 7th ECCOMAS European Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics (ECFD), Glasgow, UK, 11-15 June 2018, pp. 1833-1844, ISBN: 978-849473116-7
  • Syntouka I.M., Riches P.E., Busby G., Kazakidi A.∗ Flow simulation of a natural polymer in a syringe-needle delivery device. 6th ECCOMAS European Conference on Computational Mechanics: Solids, Structures and Coupled Problems (ECCM) and 7th ECCOMAS European Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics (ECFD), Glasgow, UK, 11-15 June 2018, pp. 2938-2949, ISBN: 978-849473116-7
  • Sfakiotakis M., Chatzidaki A., Evdaimon T., Kazakidi A., Tsakiris D.P. 2016. Effects of compliance in pedundulatory locomotion over granular substrates. 24th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED16), Athens, Greece, June 21-24, 2016, pp. 532-538, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/MED.2016.7536061
  • Kazakidi A.∗, Zabulis X., Tsakiris D.P. 2015. Vision-based 3D motion reconstruction of octopus arm swimming and comparison with an 8-arm underwater robot. 2015 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA15), Seattle, WA, USA, 26-30 May 2015, pp. 1178-1183, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2015.7139340
  • Sfakiotakis M., Kazakidi A., Evdaimon T., Chatzidaki A., Tsakiris D.P. 2015. Multi-arm robotic swimmer actuated by antagonistic SMA springs. 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS15), Hamburg, Germany, 28 September-2 October 2015, pp. 1540-1545, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2015.7353572
  • Liu Q., Kazakidi A., Medeiros M.A.F., Theofilis V. 2015. Numerical simulation of a synthetic jet with OpenFOAM. In: Theofilis V., Soria J. (eds) Instability and Control of Massively Separated Flows. Fluid Mechanics and Its Applications, vol 107. Springer, Cham., Italy, 4-6 September, 2013, pp. 1-6 (ISBN 978-3-319-06259-4), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06260-0_29
  • Kazakidi A.∗, Tsakiris D.P., Sotiropoulos F., Ekaterinaris J.A., 2014. A computational fluid dynamic study of intense cephalopod-like motions. 44th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference (AVIATION), Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 16 – 20 June, 2014, pp. 1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2014-2504
  • Sfakiotakis M., Kazakidi A., Chatzidaki A., Evdaimon T., Tsakiris D.P. 2014. Multi-arm robotic swimming with octopus-inspired compliant web. 2014 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS14), Chicago,IL, USA, 14-18 September, 2014, pp. 302-308, Nominee for the “IROS Best Paper Award” and the “IROS 2014 JTCF Novel Technology Paper Award for Amusement Culture”, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2014.6942576
  • Sfakiotakis M., Kazakidi A., Tsakiris D.P. 2013. Turning maneuvers of an octopus-inspired multi-arm robotic swimmer. 21st Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED13), Chania, Greece, 25-28 June, 2013, pp. 1343-1349, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/MED.2013.6608894
  • Sfakiotakis M., Kazakidi A., Pateromichelakis N., Tsakiris D.P. 2013. Octopus-inspired eight-arm robotic swimming by sculling movements. 2013 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA13), Karlsruhe, Germany, 6-10 May, 2013, pp. 5135-5141. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2013.6631314
  • Kazakidi A.∗, Vavourakis V., Pateromichelakis N., Ekaterinaris J.A., Tsakiris D.P. 2012. Hydrodynamic Analysis of Octopus-like Robotic Arms. 2012 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA12), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, 14-18 May, 2012, pp. 5295-5300. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2012.6225037
  • Sfakiotakis M., Kazakidi A., Pateromichelakis N., Ekaterinaris J.A., Tsakiris D.P. 2012. Robotic underwater propulsion inspired by the octopus multi-arm swimming. 2012 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA12), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, 14-18 May, 2012, pp. 3833-3839, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2012.6225301
  • Vavourakis V., Bampasakis D., Kazakidi A., Pateromichelakis N., Ekaterinaris J.A., Tsakiris D.P. 2012. Generation of primitive behaviors for non-linear hyperelastic octopus-inspired robotic arm. 2012 4th IEEE RAS & EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob), Rome, Italy, 24-28 June, 2012, pp. 725-730. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/BioRob.2012.6290684
  • Kazakidi A.∗, Vavourakis V., Ekaterinaris J.A., Tsakiris D.P. 2011. Computational investigation of octopus arm hydrodynamics. 4th ANSA/META International Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece, 1-3 June, 2011, pp.1-9.
  • Kang R., Kazakidi A., Guglielmino E., Branson D.T., Tsakiris D.P., Ekaterinaris J.A., Caldwell D.G., 2011. Dynamic model of a hyper-redundant, octopus-like manipulator for underwater application. 2011 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS11), San Francisco, 25-30 September, 2011, pp. 4054-4059. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2011.6094468
  • Vavourakis V., Kazakidi A., Tsakiris D.P., Ekaterinaris J.A., 2011. A finite element method for non-linear hyperelasticity applied for the simulation of octopus arm motions. 4th Int. Conf. Comput. Meth. Coupled Problems Sci. Eng. (COUPLED PROBLEMS 2011), Kos Island, Greece, 20-22 June, 2011, pp. 147-159, ISBN: 978-848992578-6
  • Sherwin S., Alastruey J., Cookson A., Doorly D., Kazakidi A., Parker K., Peiro J., Weinberg P., 2008. Arteries and algorithms: multiple scale modelling of flow in the cardiovascular system. Proc. 16th Annual Conference on the CFD Society of Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, 9 – 11 June, 2008, pp. 1-7, CiteSeerX 10.1.1.724.1845
  • Kazakidi A, Meyer A, Funari SS, Dommach M, Dohrmann R 2001. Microbeam WAXS of crystalline polymers using a new microslit system. HASYLAB Annual Reports Part I, Scientific User Contributions I, Experimental Developments, pp. 963-964 http://hasyweb.desy.de/science/annual_reports/2001_report/index.html

 

 
 
 
 
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