Pantelina (Lina) Zourna-Hargaden, MD, PhD, MPH

Chair of Department of Basic Sciences

Education:
  • MPH – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • PhD – Athens University Medical School – Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Greece
  • MD – Athens University Medical School, Greece
  • Residency- Internal Medicine (5 years) – Attikon University Hospital of Athens University Medical School, Greece
Biography:

Pantelina Zourna-Hargaden MD, MPH, PhD joined Roseman University’s College of Medicine in 2023, as the Chair of the Department of Basic Sciences and Associate Professor. She is an experienced epidemiologist/researcher, physician in Internal Medicine, and medical educator with more than two decades of international experience.

Prior to joining RUCOM, Dr. Zourna-Hargaden has served as a member of the executive leadership team of a California-based developing medical school, in the role of founding Associate Dean for Medical Education and Chair of the Department of Public Health, where she led the LCME accreditation process and participated in all aspects of curriculum development. Her teaching experience includes areas of epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, evidence-based medicine and internal medicine.

While pursuing her PhD from the University of Athens she joined an interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists and biomedical scientists, led by internationally known cancer epidemiologist and Harvard Professor D. Trichopoulos, and investigated the risk factors and etiology of breast cancer. She was awarded the Onassis Scholarship to expand her expertise in public health. As a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health and a public health practitioner, Dr. Zourna-Hargaden conducted NIH-funded biomedical and public health research with publications in peer-reviewed medical journals. She also served as a consultant to academia and industry for study designs and statistical analysis for interdisciplinary research projects. Her current research interests include the etiology and risk factors of long COVID as well as the optimization of surveillance public health systems locally, nationally and worldwide. She has led research teams and has served as the principal investigator of multiple CDC approved grants.

As a physician in Internal Medicine, she has served primarily underserved populations, in academic and community primary care settings, and pioneered efforts to improve patient safety and performance as well as achieve health equity by improving access of underserved populations to primary, secondary, and tertiary care.

Teaching Areas:
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Biostatistics
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
Research Interests:
  • Risk factors and etiology of post COVID-19 conditions
  • Optimization of surveillance public health systems at a national and international level
  • Cancer research

Select Peer-Reviewed Publications:

  1. Samoli E., Lagiou A, Zourna P, Barbouni A, Georgila C, Tsikkinis A, Vassilarou D, Minaki P, Sfikas C, Spanos E, Trichopoulos D, Lagiou P. Expression of estrogen receptors in non- malignant mammary tissue modifies the association between insulin-like growth factor 1 and breast cancer risk. Annals Of Oncology. 2015;26(4):793-797.
  2. Lagiou P, Samoli E, Lagiou A, Zourna P, Barbouni A, Georgila C, Tsikkinis A, Vassilarou D, Minaki P, Sfikas C, Spanos E, Trichopoulos D. A comparison of hormonal profiles between breast cancer and benign breast disease: a case-control study. Annals of Oncology. 2013;24(10):2527-2533.
  3. Samoli E, Trichopoulos D, Lagiou A, Zourna P, Georgila C, Minaki P, Barbouni A, Vassilarou D, Tsikkinis A, Sfikas C, Spanos E, Lagiou P. The hormonal profile of benign breast disease. British Journal of Cancer. 2013;108(1):199-204.4. Lagiou A, Samoli E, Georgila C, Zourna P, Barbouni A, Vassilarou D, Tsikkinis A, Sekeris CE, Trichopoulos D, Lagiou P. Diet and expression of estrogen alpha and progesterone receptors in malignant mammary tissue. Nutrition and Cancer. 2011;63(1):65-72.
  4. Slimani N, Deharveng G, Southgate DA, Biessy C, Chajès V, van Bakel MM, Boutron-Ruault MC, McTaggart A, Grioni S, Verkaik-Kloosterman J, Huybrechts I, Amiano P, Jenab M, Vignat J, Bouckaert K, Casagrande C, Ferrari P, Zourna P, Trichopoulou A, Wirfält E, Johansson G, Rohrmann S, Illner AK, Barricarte A, Rodríguez L, Touvier M, Niravong M, Mulligan A, Crowe F, Ocké MC, van der Schouw YT, Bendinelli B, Lauria C, Brustad M, Hjartåker A, Tjønneland A, Jensen AM, Riboli E, Bingham S. Contribution of highly industrially processed foods to the nutrient intakes and patterns of middle-aged populations in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009;63 Suppl 4: S206-25.
  5. Lagiou P, Samoli E, Lagiou A, Georgila C, Zourna P, Barbouni A, Gkiokas G, Vassilarou D, Tsikkinis A, Sfikas C, Sekeris CE, Hsieh CC, Adami HO, Trichopoulos D. Diet and expression of estrogen alpha and progesterone receptors in the normal mammary gland. Cancer Causes and Control. 2009;20(5):601-7.
  6. Lagiou P, Georgila C, Samoli E, Lagiou A, Zourna P, Minaki P, Vassilarou D, Papadiamandis I, Sfikas C, Kalapothaki V, Sekeris CE, Trichopoulos D. Estrogen alpha and progesterone receptor expression in the normal mammary epithelium in relation to breast cancer risk. International Journal of Cancer. 2009;124(2):440-2.
  7. Lagiou P, Georgila C, Samoli E, Lagiou A, Zourna P, Minaki P, Vassilarou D, Papadiamandis I, Sfikas C, Kalapothaki V, Sekeris CE, Trichopoulos D. Estrogen alpha and progesterone receptor expression in the normal mammary epithelium in relation to breast cancer risk. International Journal of Cancer. 2009;124(2):440-2.

Last Updated: 03/06/2024