I was born in the city of Thessaloniki in Greece. I received a Bachelor in Biology in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and a Master’s degree in Hydrology and Water Quality Management in Wageningen University in the Netherlands. In 2011, I obtained my PhD in theoretical ecology at the Department of Aquatic Ecology in Wageningen University. I was part of the Resilience Alliance Young Scholars (RAYS) and affiliated to the Resilience Alliance and Stockholm Resilient Center. I am active member of SPARCS (the Synergy Program for Analyzing Resilience and Critical Transitions).