Mentor: Dr. William Crano, Claremont Graduate University
Currently a professor of social psychology and mass media at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, Dr. Antonis Gardikiotis notes that his NIDA fellowship was “one of the most formative experiences” of his career. Gardikiotis highlighted that, while his focus has diverged from addiction prevention research, the foundation laid by his fellowship experience continues to shape his work today. “It provided not only access to high-level training and research resources,” he says, “but also an environment that challenged and expanded my thinking.”
Since the fellowship, Gardikiotis has pivoted to researching media effects and their underlying social psychological processes. His main research interests concern the areas of perception of media effects, social media, health communication, social influence, and persuasion. Gardikiotis stressed that the “methods, critical thinking skills, and academic network” gained through the fellowship continue to strengthen his current scholarly work.