The INSENTIVE research team consists of seven members who assume distinct and complementary roles, in accordance with their areas of expertise and the needs of the project. The team is supported by two advisory bodies: the International Scientific Advisory Board and the Community Advisory Board. For ethical reasons, the composition of the latter is not publicly disclosed, as its members are also participants in the project’s studies.
Vassilis Pavlopoulos is Professor of Cross-Cultural Social Psychology and Director of the Laboratory of Applied Cross-Cultural and Social Psychology at the Department of Psychology, NKUA. His research interests focus on intergroup relations, social identity, social inequalities, migration, and collective action for social change, with an emphasis on cross-cultural and longitudinal mixed-methods research. As Principal Investigator of the INSENTIVE project, he coordinates an ambitious research program examining the role of intergroup contact in fostering support for social change among advantaged and disadvantaged groups in relation to gender and gender identity/sexual orientation, integrating empirical research with innovative, socially impactful interventions.
Anna Apostolidou holds a degree in Clinical Psychology from NKUA. She works as Coordinator of the Psychosocial Support Service of the Greek HIV-Positive Association “Positive Voice,” as well as at the Red Umbrella Athens Day Centre for the empowerment of sex workers, while also maintaining a private practice. Her research and professional interests focus on gender relations and identities, the rights and mental health of sex workers, and substance use in the context of sexual encounters (chemsex). In INSENTIVE, she primarily contributes her extensive expertise in qualitative research methods.
Maria Nefeli Dimopoulou is a PhD candidate in Social Psychology and a researcher at the Department of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). She holds an MSc in Social and Cultural Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her research focuses on social inequalities, collective action, and intergroup contact, with particular emphasis on gender and sexual identities, as well as on refugee and migrant populations. She specializes in qualitative research methods and has experience in university-based research projects. Within the INSENTIVE project, she contributes to all work packages and holds primary responsibility for the design and implementation of the qualitative studies, the delivery of the dialogical intervention, and the coordination of dissemination activities.
Christiana Gennata holds an MSc in Victimology and Criminal Justice from Tilburg University. She is a psychologist and psychotherapist, and a scientific associate of Orlando LGBT and 11528 – “By Your Side” – a Psychological Support Helpline for LGBTQI+ individuals, parents, and educators. Her research activity focuses on psychosocial support for LGBTQI+ individuals, trans people’s access to healthcare, and queer relationalities. Within INSENTIVE, she participates in both qualitative and quantitative research activities, as well as in dissemination and outreach efforts.
Katerina Georganti holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology from the Department of Psychology, NKUA. She serves as a school psychologist in primary education, specializing in children with special educational needs, and teaches in the MSc Program “School Psychology” at NKUA. She has extensive experience in quantitative research methods, single-case study designs, and the development of multi-level community interventions, and has received training in systemic and family therapy. As a member of the INSENTIVE research team, she contributes to the quantitative validation and evaluation of tools and procedures, bridging empirical research with dialogical interventions in socially disadvantaged groups.
Angelos Panagiotopoulos holds a PhD from the Department of Psychology, NKUA. His doctoral dissertation examined refugee adjustment in Greece as a process of social identity change. He also holds a postgraduate degree in Integrated Clinical and Cognitive Psychology from the University of Geneva. His research interests include social identities, clinical and community psychology, and the design and implementation of interventions. In INSENTIVE, he contributes his expertise in quantitative research methods and the statistical analysis of longitudinal data.
Antonios Poulios is Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Crete. His academic interests include psychoanalysis, gender identities and sexuality, the impact of social inequalities on biopsychosocial health, substance use, and community mental health. He has received awards in Greece and internationally for his scholarly work. In INSENTIVE, he contributes as an expert advisor on issues of gender diversity and sexuality, as well as on the community-clinical applications of the project.
