About me

I am a Project Coordinator and PhD student. My research focus is on education and training of team leaders’ decision making in civilian and military complex trauma care, funded by the Swedish Armed Forces.

I coordinate several Erasmus+ projects that I have been granted over the last years. Moreover, I am one of the course leaders in the Health Informatics MSc program.

I hold a MSc degree in Health Informatics and a BSc in Computer Science.

 

Granted Projects:

ENTICE: Evaluating Novel Tangible and Intangible Co-creative Experiential medical education; 2020-2023; 

An Erasmus+ co-funded project under the Knowledge Alliances Key Action. Co-ordinated by VILABS LTD, Cyprus. Partners: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; University of Leeds, UK; Karolinska Institutet (MINT team), Sweden; SimLabIT Oy, Finalnd; Open Knowledge Foundation Greece, Greece.

ReHIn: Refugees Health Integration; 2019-2022

The research project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme Strategic Partnerships and coordinated by MINT - Medical INTeractions at Karolinska Institutet, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics. ReHIN aims to create web-based educational resources to raise awareness and enable integration of refugees into the EU health culture and system.

The project is a collaborative action research project between Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), University of Nottingham (UK), Aristotle University Thessaloniki (Greece) and Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain).

CEPEH: Chatbots in Healthcare Curricula; 2019-2022

CEPEH is co-Funded by the Erasmus+ Programme Strategic Partnership and is a collaborative action between University of Nottingham (UK), Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), Aristotle University Thessaloniki (Greece), Research Centre-RISE Limited (Cyprus).

ACoRD: Advancing Co-Creation of RLOs to Digitalize Healthcare Curricula, 2018-2021

ACoRD is a Capacity Building Erasmus+ Co-funded project, co-ordinated by the University of Nottingham, UK. Partners: Karolinska Institutet (MINT), Sweden; University of Stavanger, Norway; University of Malaya, Malaysia; University Puttra, Malaysia; Taylors University, Malaysia.

WAVES: Widening Access to Virtual Educational Scenarios; 2016-2018

Knowledge Alliances Key Action co-funded by the Erasmus plus project. Co-ordinated by St. Georges Hospital Medical School. Partners: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Masaryk University; Karolinska Institutet; Bayer; In.struct.

WAVES has made SBL (Scenario Based Learning) more accessible for a wide range of professions through embedding SBL into the learning platforms, adding renewed pedagogic value and ease-of-use to learners through improved integration and progress monitoring. 

Website: http://wavesnetwork.eu 

Research description

 Full articles published:

  1.  Lim HM, Ng CJ, Wharrad H, Lee YK, Teo CH, Lee P Y, Krishnan K, Abu Hassan ZF, Chen Yong PV, Yap W H, Sellappans R, Ayub E,  Hassan N, Kassim P S J, Nasharuddin N A, Idris F, Taylor M, Poussa C, Karlgren K, Stathakarou N, Mordt P, Konstantinidis S (2022) Knowledge transfer of eLearning objects: Lessons learned from an intercontinental capacity building project. PLOS ONE 17(9): e0274771. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274771
  2. Stathakarou N, Sonesson L, Lundberg L, Boffard KD, Kononowicz AA, Karlgren K. Teams managing civilian and military complex trauma: what are the competencies required in austere environments and the potential of simulation technology to address them? Health Informatics J 2021;27(4):1–15.
  3. Zakim, D., Brandberg, H., El Amrani, S., Hultgren, A., Stathakarou, N., Nifakos, S., ... & Sundberg, C. J. (2021). Computerized history-taking improves data quality for clinical decision-making—Comparison of EHR and computer-acquired history data in patients with chest pain. PloS one, 16(9), e0257677.
  4. Lim, H. M., Ng, C. J., Teo, C. H., Lee, P. Y., Kassim, P. S. J., Nasharuddin, N. A., Yong, P. V. C., Sellappans, R., Yap, W. H., Lee, Y. K., Hassan, Z. F. A., Krishnan, K., Sazlina, S. G., Idris, F., Hassan, N., Ayub, E., Konstantinidis, S., Taylor, M., Poussa, C., Karlgren, K., Stathakarou, N., Mordt, P., Nilsen, A. T., & Wharrad, H. (2021). Prioritising topics for developing e-learning resources in healthcare curricula: A comparison between students and educators using a modified Delphi survey. PloS One, 16(6), e025347
  5. Dratsiou I, Varella A, Stathakarou N, Konstantinidis S, Bamidis P. Supporting Healthcare Integration of Refugees Exploiting Reusable Learning Objects: The ASPIRE Framework. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2021 May 27;281:565-569. doi: 10.3233/SHTI210234. PMID: 34042639.
  6. Stathakarou, N., S. Konstantinidis, H. Wharrad, D. Spachos, P. D. Bamidis, L. A. Tortajada, V. T. Salcedo and K. Karlgren (2020). Co-creating digital learning resources to enhance refugees’ health integration in Europe.14th International Technology, Education and Development, INTED2020 Proceedings, pp.: 3799-3803.
  7.  H. Wharrad, S. Konstantinidis, P. Lee, P. Yong Voon Chen, M. Taylor, C.H. Teo, P. Mordt, N. Stathakarou, K. Karlgren, H.M. Lim, C.J. Ng, P.S. Jahn Kassim (2020) Sharing expertise in digital co-creation and pedagogy: ACORD – A capacity building project between Europe and Malaysia in higher education e-learning, INTED2020 Proceedings, pp. 5840-5846.
  8. Stathakarou, N., Nifakos, S, Karlgren, K, Konstantinidis, S. T, P. D. Bamidis, C. S. Pattichis and N. Davoody (2020). "Students' Perceptions on Chatbots' Potential and Design Characteristics in Healthcare Education." Stud Health Technol Inform 272: 209-212.
  9. Kononowicz AA, Woodham LA, Edelbring S, Stathakarou N, Davies D, Saxena N, Tudor Car L, Carlstedt-Duke J, Car J, Zary N. Virtual Patient Simulations in Health Professions Education: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by the Digital Health Education Collaboration. J Med Internet Res 2019; 21(7):e14676
  10.  Stöhr, C., Stathakarou, N., Mueller, F., Nifakos, S., & McGrath, C. (2019). Videos as learning objects in MOOCs: A study of specialist and non‐specialist participants' video activity in MOOCs. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(1), 166-176
  11. Stathakarou N, Kononowicz AA, Henningsohn L, McGrath C. Modelling Feedback in Virtual Patients: An Iterative Approach. Studies in health technology and informatics. 2018;247:201-5.
  12. Stathakarou N, Scully ML, Kononowicz AA, Henningsohn L, Zary N, McGrath C. MOOC Learners’ Engagement with Two Variants of Virtual Patients: A Randomised Trial. Educ. Sci. 2018; 8, 44.
  13. Berman AH, Biguet G, Stathakarou N, Westin-Hägglöf B, Jeding K, McGrath C, Zary N, Kononowicz AA. Virtual Patients in a Behavioral Medicine Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Participants' Perceptions. Acad Psychiatry. 2017 Apr 7.
  14. Henningsohn L, Dastaviz N, Stathakarou N, & McGrath C. (2017). KIUrologyX: Urology As You Like It—A Massive Open Online Course for Medical Students, Professionals, Patients, and Laypeople Alike. European Urology, 72(3), 321-322.
  15. Vaitsis C, Stathakarou N, Barman L, Zary N, & McGrath C. (2016). Using Competency-Based Digital Open Learning Activities to Facilitate and Promote Health Professions Education (OLAmeD): A Proposal. JMIR research protocols, 5(3).
  16. Kononowicz AA, Woodham L, Georg C, Edelbring S, Stathakarou N, Davies D, Masiello I, Saxena N, Tudor-Car L, Car J, Zary N: Virtual patients simulations for health professional education (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016; 5:CD012194.
  17. Kononowicz AA, Berman AH, Stathakarou N, McGrath C, Bartyński T, Nowakowski P, Malawski M, Zary N: Virtual Patients in a Behavioral Medicine MOOC: A Case-Based Analysis of Technical Capacity and User Navigation Pathways. JMIR Medical Education 2015; 1(2):e8
  18. Stathakarou N, Zary N, Kononowicz AA: Evaluation of three educational use cases for using Virtual Patients in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): a Delphi study. Bio-Algorithms and Med-Systems 2015; 11(2): 113-119 Stathakarou N, Zary N, Kononowicz AA: Beyond xMOOCs in healthcare education: study of the feasibility in integrating virtual patient systems and MOOC platforms. PeerJ 2014 Nov 13;2:e672
  19. Stathakarou N, Zary N, Kononowicz AA: Virtual patients in massive open online courses - design implications and integration strategies. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2014;205:793-7

 

Conference Contributions:

1. H. Wharrad, S. Konstantinidis, P. Lee, P. Yong Voon Chen, M. Taylor, C.H. Teo, P. Mordt, N. Stathakarou, K. Karlgren, H. M. Lim, C.J. Ng, P.S. Jahn, Kassim, Y.H. Yap, S. Shariff Ghazali, C. Poussa. Sharing expertise in digital cocreation and pedagogy: ACoRD – a capacity building project between Europe and Malaysia in Higher Education (HE) e-Learning, 4th International Conference on Medical Education Informatics (MEI 2021), virtual [12.07.2021]

2. Natalia Stathakarou, Maxine G. Harjani, Ioanna Dratsiou, Annita Varella, Iraklis Tsoupouroglou, Panagiotis D. Bamidis, Stathis Th. Konstantinidis, Vicente Traver Salcedo, Lucia Aparici Tortajada, Klas Karlgren. Identifying and prioritizing topics to inform the content of reusable learning objects: a three-step approach, 4th International Conference on Medical Education Informatics (MEI 2021), virtual [12.07.2021]

3. Maxine G. Harjani, Natalia Stathakarou, Stathis Th. Konstantinidis, Panos Bamidis, Vicente Traver Salcedo, Klas Karlgren. Developing RLOs for refugees health integration, 4th International Conference on Medical Education Informatics (MEI 2021), virtual [12.07.2021]

4. Natalia Stathakarou, Maxine G. Harjani, Ioanna Dratsiou, Annita Varella, Iraklis Tsoupouroglou, Panagiotis D. Bamidis, Stathis Th. Konstantinidis, Vicente Traver Salcedo, Lucia Aparici Tortajada, Klas Karlgren. Panel: Co-creation of RLOs to enable refugees’ health integration: Lessons learned from the ReHIn Erasmus+ project, 4th International Conference on Medical Education Informatics (MEI 2021), virtual [12.07.2021]

5. Natalia Stathakarou, Petter Mordt, Stathis Th. Konstantinidis, Heather Wharrad, Ping Yein Lee, Chirk Jenn Ng, Phelim Voon Chen Yong, Klas Karlgren. Repurposing of Digital Education Resources, 4th International Conference on Medical Education Informatics (MEI 2021), virtual [12.07.2021]

6. Stathis Th. Konstantinidis, Natalia Stathakarou, Eirini Schiza, Iraklis Tsoupouroglou Panagiotis D. Bamidis, Constantinos S. Pattichis. Panel: Chatbots in Education – A new era on digital learning, 4th International Conference on Medical Education Informatics (MEI 2021), virtual [12.07.2021]

7. Sonesson L., Boffard K., Karlgren K., Rydmark M., Stathakarou N., Trialogical Design Principles for Creating Virtual Patients: - support for education and training in major trauma AMEE 2020 The virtual conference [07.09.2020]

8. Stathakarou N., Sonesson L., Lundberg, P. Gustafson, K. Boffard, M. Khan, P. V. Wyk, P. Örtenwall and K. Karlgren (2020). Exploring team leaders’ decision-making challenges in civilian and military complex trauma. European Congress of Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ECTES). I. Marzi, the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery. 46: s113 (3-316).

9. V. V. Thang, N. V. Hung, L. T. B. Yen, H. D. Tuyen, N. Stathakarou. Training against medical errors using virtual patients as an alternatively effective approach for competency based education. MEI 2018 conference, [06.09.2018]

10. R. Nurpeissova, A. Syzdykova, Zh. Bekbergenova, M. Zhakupbekova, X. Shnaider, N. Stathakarou. Experience of using virtual patients with medical error for undergraduate students in Astana Medical University, Leeds, MEI 2018 conference, [06.09.2018] 

11. Woodham L, Kononowicz AA, Hege I, Spachos D, Stathakarou N, Schwarz D, Adler M. The WAVES Project: Implementing usability enhancements to Virtual Patient systems. MedBiquitous Annual Conference 2018, May 21-22, 2018, Baltimore, Maryland USA [Oral communcation]

12.  Kononowicz A, Adler M, Schwarz D, Spachos D, Stathakarou N, Woodham L. Enhancements in accessibility and usability of SBL environments: results from the WAVES project AMEE 2017 conferece, Helsinki, Finland [28.08.2017] 

13. Woodham L, Stathakarou N, Topps D, Adler A, Kononowicz A, Schwarz D, Spachos D, Antoniou P. Integrating Virtual Scenarios using standards: Experiences of the WAVES project. MedBiquitous Annual Conference 2017, Baltimore, MD, USA [05.06.2017] (Oral communication)

14. Mcgrath C., Barman L., Stathakarou N., Vaitsis C., Zary N.: Competency based digital Open Learning Activities as an innovative conceptual model to facilitate and promote healthcare education. Digital Learning research Network: Making Sense of Higher Education: Networks and Change, Stanford, California [16.10.2015]

15. Kononowicz AA., Stathakarou N., Lilienthal A., Zary N.: Projekt Waves: Czy e-nauczanie bazujące na scenariuszach jest wystarczająco proste? XVI Konferencja Uniwersytet Wirtualny, Warszawa, Poland [23.06.2016] (Oral Communication)

16. Kononowicz AA., Stathakarou N., Berman AH., Zary N.: Visual analytics in branched virtual patients. AMEE 2015 eLearning Symposium, Glasgow, Scotland , UK [06.09.2015]

17. Alfredsson J., Sejersen R., Stathakarou N., Zary N.: The e-Examination Ecosystem in Healthcare Education: Information and Process Models, Medical Informatics Europe, Thessaloniki, Greece [18.06.2015]

18. Kononowicz AA., Berman AH., Stathakarou N., Bartyński T., Nowakowski P., Malawski M., Zary N.: Virtual Patients in a Behavioral Medicine MOOC: Meeting the challenge of ensuring technical capacity and analyzing user navigation patterns. MOOCs in Scandinavia Conference, Stockholm, Sweden [12.06.2015]

19. Zary N., Kononowicz AA., Berman AH., Malawski M., Stathakarou N.: Challenges and opportunities of using virtual patients in xMOOCs , MedBiquitous Annual Conference 2015, Baltimore, MD, USA [19.05.2015]

20. Kononowicz AA., Stathakarou N., Berman AH., McGrath C., Bartyński T., Nowakowski P., Malawski M., Zary N.: Virtual Patients in Massive Open Online Courses: a technical toolbox. MCSB2015, Kraków Poland [14.05.2015]

Teaching portfolio

MSc Health Informatics, Karolinska Institutet: 5HI003 Healthcare organization and management; Course leader 

MSc Health Informatics, Karolinska Institutet: 5HI021 Current research and trends in health informatics; guest lecturer

MSc Health Informatics, Karolinska Institutet: 5HI019 User needs, requirements, engineering and evaluation; guest lecturer

Education

MSc in Health Informatics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, 2014

BSc in Computer Science and Telecommunications, National University of Athens, Greece, 2011

Academic honours, awards and prizes

Award for Outstanding Contribution to Research at iLRN2023 for the paper titled "Evaluation for Iteration; Pre-Pilot Design and Results of an Anatomy Education VR Resource"