Full Name

Vassilis Amiridis 

Job Title

Research Director at IAASARS/NOA & Adjunct Researcher at Hellenic Space Center

Telephone

2103490937

Office

IAASARS/NOA 202

Email

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RID

 G-6769-2012

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Vassilis Amiridis (VA) was born in Göteborg, Sweden, in 1971. He received his B.Sc. in Physics, M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Physics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1998, 2000 and 2006, respectively. Since 2006, he has been a Researcher at the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing (IAASARS) of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), where he currently serves as Research Director of the Group for Remote Sensing of Aerosols, Clouds and Trace Gases (ReACT) of NOA, comprising approximately 40 members. Since 2021, he has also been serving as an Adjunct Researcher at the Hellenic Space Center.

VA research focuses on climate and atmospheric physics, with particular emphasis on the role of aerosols and clouds in radiation, climate forcing and weather. His work is based on advanced ground-based and space-borne passive and active remote sensing observations combined with theoretical modelling. He is responsible for the operation and scientific exploitation of the 24/7 PollyXT lidar system of IAASARS/NOA, part of the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET), and is the Principal Investigator of the National Research Infrastructure PANGEA of NOA, including the Antikythera atmospheric observatory. He also serves as Coordinator of the National Copernicus Hubs for the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) in Greece.

VA has more than 210 refereed papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, which have received over 7,000 citations by third parties (h-index = 48). In addition, he has contributed to more than 340 conference publications and participated in approximately 70 international scientific conferences, including 16 invited talks. He has served as Chair or co-organizer of 5 international conferences and as a member of the Scientific and/or Organizing Committees of 16 additional conferences and special sessions. VA has supervised 24 postdoctoral researchers and has served as a member of the three-member committee for 22 doctoral dissertations. He is actively involved in graduate-level teaching at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the National Observatory of Athens. He is a member of the editorial board of two high-impact scientific journals and an active reviewer for numerous international journals and research funding agencies in Europe and the United States. VA has extensive experience in the coordination of large-scale research projects and infrastructures. He has acted as Principal Investigator in 38 competitive research projects (15 as project coordinator), securing a total research funding of ~10 M€, approximately 80% of which originates from European sources. Through personal initiative and negotiation, he has additionally secured more than 22 M€ for NOA for the development and long-term sustainability of the PANGEA Observatory. He has coordinated 9 major experimental campaigns involving more than 70 international institutions.

At international level, VA has been entrusted with several high-level national and international roles, including National Representative of Greece on the EU Copernicus Programme Committee (2014–2017), the Interim Council of the European Research Infrastructure ACTRIS (2018–2022) and the ESFRI Strategic Working Group for Environment (2020–present). He is a member of the CEOS Working Group on Calibration and Validation (WGCV) and was an elected member of the five-member Council of EARLINET for two consecutive terms (2012–2022). He has also served as invited member of Scientific Advisory Committees for European satellite missions (Aeolus and EPS-Aeolus), as member of the Steering Committee of the WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning and Advisory System (SDS-WAS) since 2018, as elected member of the International Coordination Group for Atmospheric Laser Studies (ICLAS) since 2022, and as elected member of the Organizing Committee of the NASA International MIRA Working Group since 2024.

His scientific excellence has been recognized through the award of two European Research Council grants: an ERC Consolidator Grant (2016) on the desert dust cycle and long-range transport of mineral particles (D-TECT), and an ERC Proof of Concept Grant (2020) on innovative observation techniques for atmospheric aerosols (PM-scanner). Additional distinctions include the WMO Professor Mariolopoulos Trust Fund Award (2006), an award from the International ICLAS Committee for outstanding services as Chairman of the 26th International Laser Radar Conference (2012), and appointment as Invited Review Editor for the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC (2018).

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Atmospheric aerosol/cloud characterization using ground-based and space-borne remote sensing observations (passive and active remote sensing techniques), aerosol radiative impact and climatic role.