Dr. Athena Soulika

Biography

Dr. Athena Soulika is an Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, Davis. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Patras in Greece, followed by a Master’s degree in Bio-molecules Applications from the University of Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Patras, where her graduate studies focused on the interaction of immune proteins. Dr. Soulika undertook postdoctoral training in the pathogenesis of disorders of the central nervous system at the Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In 2005, she moved to Sacramento to work as a research fellow at the Institute of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine/Shriners Hospital and became an Assistant Investigator in 2007. Her research primarily explores the role of local immune responses in the healing process of tissue injury, especially in the context of inflammatory injuries and disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and Acute Transverse Myelitis. Dr. Soulika's lab specifically studies the immune responses initiated in the skin, particularly following burn injuries, and aims to understand how certain immune cells affect healing processes. Her work has significant implications for improving treatments for patients suffering from severe burn injuries, where healing is often compromised due to immune response dysregulation.

Research Interests