Motivational Letter

14/09/2022

To the graduate student selection committee,

My years in high school, was when I first discovered the fascinating and intriguing world of
chemistry. The ability to identify and create different compounds and study their properties
made me appreciate this often misunderstood subject. The point, however, that made me
realize that chemistry was the subject I wanted to pursue in life, was the time when my mother
invited me to see the lab she was working in at the time (NeoLab S.A.). The idea of being able
to identify a metabolic disease for a child that hasn't been born yet, motivated me to choose
the Chemistry Department as my first choice on my matriculation form. I was admitted to the
Department of Chemistry at the University of Patras in October of 2016 after the annual
Panhellenic Examinations and graduated in July 2021, despite the difficult circumstances
brought about by the pandemic. I wish to pursue postgraduate studies in a subject that is both
interesting and carries strong prospects for my future employment. Thus, I decided to apply
for the Interdepartmental Postgraduate Program "NANOMEDICINE" of the Departments of
Medicine and Pharmacy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The field I decided to focus on mostly, during my studies in the Department of Chemistry and
the eventual point of my thesis is that of Biochemistry. More specifically, I studied the
structure of the Extracellular Matrices and the effect of compounds such as salicylate (SA) and
4-methyl-ubeliferone (4-MU) on breast cancer through the induction of reactive oxygen
species (ROS). The collaboration with my supervisor Dr. S.Skandalis, as well as with his team
of graduate students was excellent. During my studies, I was also involved with some projects
that are relevant with the subject of Nanomedicine. Specifically, in the course "Bioinorganic
Chemistry" I dealt with metal complexes and their potential role in therapeutics. Furthermore,
in the course "Biotechnology" I dealt with different models of nanoparticles and their
potential use in gene therapy and cancer therapy.

During my internship at ARCLabs S.A. I gained further practical lab experience, both in the field
of Chemistry and Microbiology. Under the supervision of Mr. Thivaios (Ph.D. Chemist), I
learned a variety of protocols and skills that are very useful for the aspiring chemist. However,
an important asset in the arsenal of a future chemist, is getting a postgraduate degree, that
allows him to further specialize in one of the fastest-growing fields of Chemistry, creating
more opportunities for work in Greece and abroad.

In order to make my goal a reality, and while maintaining my financial independence and not
wanting to further burden my family financially, I worked for severa; months as a retail worker
in order to raise the necessary funds for the tuition fees. Despite the often demanding
circumstances I faced, my determination led me to remain steadfast in my goal. I am an
adaptable, organized person with an excellent spirit of cooperation and a constant desire to
acquire new knowledge. With the help of my professors and the plethora of online and written
resources available, I consider no knowledge gap to be a big enough obstacle between me
and my goals. I will be happy to discuss more on this topic with you in person.

Yours sincerely,

Simitopoulos Antonis